NHL General Manager of the Year Award

[Kudo Shinichi]

Marc Bergevin

- Weber for Subban trade. Weber has been a beast.

- Radulov for free

- Shaw for Eller. Shaw has been better than Eller so far.

- Signed Byron for 3 years at 1 M last summer. Byron is on pace for 21 goals and 43 pts this season

- Acquired Danault for Weise (5 pts this year) and Fleischmann (currently retired) last season. Danault is on pace for 15 goals and 44 pts this season.

- Signed pp specialist assistant coach Kirk Muller. Habs pp is 5th currently (they were 25th last season).

- Habs team finished 22nd in the standings last season (16th in GF, 21th in GA). Habs have been top 5 in pts, GF, GA for most of this season.

 

[BakedYams]

Last place to playoffs I think is a bit more daunting.

The only reason they were in last place was to purposely tank for a high pick. Kind of diminishes the accomplishment. Also they're not in the playoffs yet.

 

[Peanut]

Nope

Ya I figured I guess it is what it is.

 

[LeafsNation75]

The only reason they were in last place was to purposely tank for a high pick. Kind of diminishes the accomplishment. Also they're not in the playoffs yet.

Considering the Oilers recent years of 1st overall draft picks and bottom 5 finishes, I don't think you should be throwing stones like that talking about the Leafs finishing last and tanking.

 

[Del Preston]

Ya I figured I guess it is what it is.

Several posters who aren't Oilers fans have mentioned Chiarelli's name. Read the thread.

 

[txpd]

MacLellan.

 

[smackdaddy]

Considering the Oilers recent years of 1st overall draft picks and bottom 5 finishes, I don't think you should be throwing stones like that talking about the Leafs finishing last and tanking.

But leafs were purposeful in their tanking. Oilers just had MacTavish

 

[LeafsNation75]

But leafs were purposeful in their tanking. Oilers just had MacTavish

Last season was the first time the Leafs tried to tank. Also don't forget they finished just 1 point behind the Oilers for 29th place overall and it came down to their 82nd game of the season to clinch 30th place overall. So it's not like they tanked like Buffalo did during the 2014-2015 season and just think if you reverse the Leafs and Oilers in last years standings, Edmonton are the ones who gets Auston Matthews.

 

[Android 16]

Not saying he deserves it, but here's Tom Rowe - Florida Panthers

TRADE:

Lawson Crouse and Dave Bolland to Arizona for a conditional 2017 third-round draft pick and a conditional 2018 second-round draft pick. Obviously a cap dump.

OFF SEASON SIGNING:

Jonathan Marchessault - two-year contract
16 goals and 33 points in 46 games. Cap hit $750,000

or

Signed F Vincent Trocheck to a six-year contract. Cap hit $4,750,000
All-star. 20 goals and 38 points in 54 games.
(The Crouse/Bolland trade made this possible)

WAIVER PICKUP:

Michael Sgarbossa. I guess.
5 points in 17 games with Panthers - NHL
12 points in 14 games with Thunderbirds - AHL

The Marchessault and Trocheck signings were huge.

 

[Prins Filip]

He inherited a playoff team, and despite being in his 5th season with Columbus this roster is still more Howson's than Kekalainen's.

27 players have suited up for Columbus this year, 15 of whom were acquired by Howson. Of the remaining 12:
- Saad, Hartnell, Jones, and Karlsson were all acquired using nothing but assets inherited from Howson
- Gagner and Hannikainen were UFA signings by Kekalainen
- Wennberg, Werenski, Nutivaara, Bjorkstrand, and Milano were draft picks by Kekalainen
- Harrington was acquired straight-up for a player drafted with an inherited draft pick

This is also the same team that finished 27th overall a year ago, with the only major changes being the additions of Werenski, Gagner (who's cooled considerably), and Sedlak.

In the case of Sedlak, he was a Howson draft pick who went into the lineup to replace the disastrous Gregory Campbell. That's a Howson 6th-round pick being used to replace a Kekalainen free agent signing, four full seasons after Howson was fired.

Why should this "inheritance" be a bad thing regarding the GM of the year? GM is a strategical role to manage the assets that affect the play on ice. The whole role is created to optimize the players you have and seize the opportunities you get.

Many GMs would have lost their confidence in their own plans after season like 15-16. Kekäläinen stuck with his plan and trusted that they will get successful this year - other option would've been to make another major trade and shake up the core, which could've had totally different results than CBJ are showing right now.

Also you do not mention the role of Tortorella at all. A move that not too many people understood back then and criticized heavily - A big risk, probably Kekäläinen's career defining moment, that have been working really well so far.

 

[scratchhayes*]

If Toronto makes the playoffs I wonder how much consideration Lou Lamoriello would get? Let's remember he did make the trade for Frederik Andersen and he's part of the reason for the Leafs success so far this season.

Comical. Lamoriello has done nothing. The entire team was setup for him when he got there including the number 1 pick overall. He ruined NJ the last 8 to 10 years he was the GM there.


The GM of the year and it's a no brainer is Jeff Gorton. He stole Zibanejad for Brassard and got a second round pick back in 2018. He was able to get Vesey signed here. He signed Grabner for cheap and he has 26 goals. He signed Holden who has played great for almost nothing and he has 8 goals and is approaching 30 points. He brought in Pirri, Clendening and picked up Puempel who all have chipped in a little for almost not money and have given the team so depth in case players are out. Those three players have 15 goals and 31 points in limited playing time. Don't know how you can do much better spending almost no money on those players in a time where players are overpaid.

 

[Jean Luc Discard]

Not saying he deserves it, but here's Tom Rowe - Florida Panthers

Not Rowe only. Viola, Cifu, Tallon, Joyce, et al. too.

 

[General Disarray]

Marc Bergevin

- Weber for Subban trade. Weber has been a beast.

- Radulov for free

- Shaw for Eller. Shaw has been better than Eller so far.

- Signed Byron for 3 years at 1 M last summer. Byron is on pace for 21 goals and 43 pts this season

- Acquired Danault for Weise (5 pts this year) and Fleischmann (currently retired) last season. Danault is on pace for 15 goals and 44 pts this season.

- Signed pp specialist assistant coach Kirk Muller. Habs pp is 5th currently (they were 25th last season).

- Habs team finished 22nd in the standings last season (16th in GF, 21th in GA). Habs have been top 5 in pts, GF, GA for most of this season.

But keeps Therrien as coach