Threads like these make me laugh. 2 months ago people were bashing on him calling him one of the worst GMs in the league.
Because 2 moves which I have defended in personal life and on the cbj forum since I've joined. I would argue he is top 10 based on his work in OTT and STL then the amount of growth the organization has made since he joined.
Non CBJ fans will say he's the worst because he passed on Puljujarvi and took PLD which right now is still to be determined. People thought he was nhl ready but in my viewings which is 2 and I'm being honest about that he hasn't looked like anything spectacular especially with the talent he has around him. If we drafted him we might not have went out and signed Gagnar and he has been so big for the team this year I'd much rather have him shirt term. PLD is to young for the AHL so he is stuck in the worst developmental league and has been on one.of the worst teams in that league still learning C. We can all wait a little to determine if it was bad or not. Jarmo said multiple times on video he thought Werenski was going to be at least as good as Hannifan and did not want to move up and people thought he was crazy. If there is one thing to trust him with its scouting young talent and drafting look at his history with STL and OTT then who he has drafted as a GM here. Let it work out.
The next issue is the Horton non insurance and followed trade for Clarkson. The insurance was almost 100% likely owners decision to not spend money in that season and wait. The followed trade was also a deal the owners wanted because they would rather over pay a guy to sit in the press box then pay a guy to sit at home AND pay a guy to fill his position. It has worked out great for us. Clarkson sadly for him has likely ended his career with back injuries and I don't like the player but being partially disabled because back issues since I was 21 and being 28 now I wish this life on no one. But that being said he is on LTIR he won't effect us in the draft and he isn't taking up important roster spots and he is insured. It has been for us the perfect trade to get out of the Horton contract but fans outside of Columbus either do the understand or don't care to understand he is 0 issue for us. Look on the trade board how often people want to take our best players and disguise it by adding Clarkson and pretend to do us a favor. Any logical human being can realize that.
His trades include:
Saad for AA and Dano
Hartnell for Umberger
Jones for RyJo
Karlson for Wiz
Draft includes:
Wennberg
Dano
Bjorkstrand
Milano
Werenski
Carlsson
Gavrikov (I love this guy so I'll add him)
Nutivaara
PLD
Abramov
Signings to great contracts:
Jones
Murray
Gagnar
Atkinson
Saad
Some people also like to say Foligno and Dubi get over paid. I'd definitely fight that they are not. Dubi might have been signed to a year or 2 long but his cap is fine for a great 2C. Not many people can play someone like Crosby the way he does.
If anyone has a LEGIT reason he's a bad GM I welcome discussion but his positives outweigh the negative by to much to even put a number on it.