Trotz depends on what you're looking for. They'll be ultra competitive for the next three years, but everybody they've got money tied up in is already 30, if not entering mid 30s.
True, Toronto is on an epic 4 year playoff streak.
Top 5 best GMs currently
- Thread starter Bouboumaster
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Trotz depends on what you're looking for. They'll be ultra competitive for the next three years, but everybody they've got money tied up in is already 30, if not entering mid 30s.
True, Toronto is on an epic 4 year playoff streak.
CanadienShark
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- Dec 18, 2012
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Thanks, we will! I'm sure you'll go into hiding if he does well.
Trotz is an interesting one. I like Nashville and like how he's handled the franchise thus far.
I don't grade GMs entirely on winning the cup, since often one GM builds the team, then another takes over and they suddenly win without any real major changes.
HockeyVirus
Woll stan.
- Nov 15, 2020
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Leafs have made the playoffs since 2016. I know the lame chirp of 2020 bubble. They made the playoffs that year by the official NHL declaration. Those games also counted as playoff stats as well, further cementing the fact.
And yet have won less playoff series than Montreal (who you're trying to chirp) over that time. Montreal who, by your definition of the 2020 bubble, has technically only made the playoffs once in the last 7 years.
Point being, I'm not even defending Montreal. I'm just laughing at a Toronto fan touting any "winning culture" considering their rep of constant underachievement.
HockeyVirus
Woll stan.
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Does anyone take those weird covid season / bubble years that seriously? We saw some funky things, but teams were only playing against the same 5 other teams.
During real hockey, 82 games and such, the Habs have been mostly a failure at consistently making the playoffs. They would have a single playoff appearance where they didn't win a round in that same 2016-present time frame.
Leafs have very easily been the more successful club. They are just an easy target right now. After they go deep and win the cup some of these poor narratives with stop
If they win the Cup, all the narratives will stop lol, but you just massively moved the goalposts...and the guy you posted is correct. Montreal has won more rounds.
Oh I definitely don't take Montreal's SCF appearance seriously.
Again, I'm just laughing at the idea that Toronto has some sort of aura of a "Winning culture" because they make the playoffs and underachieve year after year after year.
GMR
Registered User
strattonius
Registered User
How have you evaluated that Rutherford's involvement is heavier than other President of Hockey Ops? There isn't really any way to substantiate the claim.
When Rutherford hired Alvin there was a lot of this rhetoric going on that Rutherford was still pulling the strings in hockey ops but there's really nothing about Patrik Alvin's competency that would suggest he's a puppet.
The real puppetry was Francesco Aquilini and his meddling with Jim Benning. The meddling relationship between Aquilini and hockey ops was dismantled the moment Rutherford was hired. Both Rutherford and Alvin have been a revelation - and Alvin deserves praise on his own merits, and not an ignorant take that he's not a decision maker.
A Loyal Demidog
Marc Bergevin's Bitch
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No. Michkov was fine coming to Montreal. It was Arizona he wasn't fine with (do you blame him?).
Hank Chinaski
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As a frequent rider on the “Fire Chevy” bandwagon, I will admit that he’s done extremely well in some low leverage situations and has pulled off some impressive hauls as a both a buyer (eg. acquiring Stastny in 2018) and a seller (eg. Copp TDL deal in 2022).
Your comment about playing on hard mode can’t be emphasized enough. One of the least desirable markets in the NHL, can’t attract top UFAs and on just about every NMC/NTC.
He can’t be in any credible top 5, or even top 10 IMO. He has three playoff series wins in 13 years at the helm. In a vacuum his trades/signings have mostly been good, drafts have been okay (2016-2021 is looking pretty barren), but end results are about as mid as it gets.
Hank Chinaski
Registered User
Stastny rental in 2018. DeMelo was a sneaky good acquisition in 2020 still paying dividends. Toffoli and Monahan rentals this year. In a market no one wants to play in. To me that’s a huge misconception about Chevy, ie that he’s not active enough in loading up.
The results haven’t been there, but to me it’s not a question of being tentative.
Bill Armstrong needs more respect in this thread. The work he's done rebuilding Arizona/Utah has been masterful.
Took over a franchise devastated by John Chayka, one of the worst GMs in history, and 3 years later the team may be contending for a playoff spot and has a fantastic future.
Took over a franchise devastated by John Chayka, one of the worst GMs in history, and 3 years later the team may be contending for a playoff spot and has a fantastic future.
Oscar Lindberg
Registered User
Not sure if Craig Conroy exactly fits a best GM description but he's doing a fine job of dismantling the mediocre Flames and trading older assets for younger players, prospects, and picks. At best, he should garner some praise for his ability to talk ownership into letting him do it because if there ever was an ownership group more adverse to going ahead with a serious rebuild I'd be interested in knowing who they are.
canuckslover10
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- Apr 10, 2014
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izzy
go
Knew this was going to happen, was hoping he would stick it out with St Louis and take over from D Armstrong
Nico Cauzuki
Registered User
Zito,Nill,Sweeny,Chevy and Hughes
Honour Over Glory
Blomqvist for Vezina + ROTY
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Allvin has basically just found ex Pens staff and players to sign which feels more like JR pulling strings. I don't put him in that group at all yet.
Zito, Nill, Armstrong (Blues), the last two are a toss up between 3-5 others I think. Hughes would be one but that pick of a pos that shouldn't have a career stops me from ever picking him as a top 5.
CanadienShark
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He's done a fantastic job of turning a bleak future into one of the best looking up and coming teams in a very short time. His "team building" has been fantastic so far. Of course now (soon) we need to see results. I find too many here focus entirely on "this GM won a Cup recently" even if they didn't build the team. Maybe I'm weighting the "built the team" aspect a little heavily, but as I said, I'm biased. And again, we'll need to see results, but I think he's done an incredible job of fixing the cap, finding talent at all positions, and rebuilding the culture thus far.
zar
Bleed Blue
BleedBlue14
UrGeNcY
I like your list, I think Sweeney definitely has to be thrown in there too with that group of 3.
It's so hard to understand everything from an outside perspective as we never really hear the inside of the conversations that are shown as blemishes on some GMs unless they are just outwardly idiotic.
There's a few GMs that aren't as tenured that have also been doing a good job. But I think you need to wait 5-10 years until you see how their asset accumulation really develops. It's easy to look at Hughes' trades in Mtl and say he's been great, but it really hasn't amounted to anything yet. Same with B Armstrong in Utah.
Blackhawkswincup
RIP Fugu
Don Sweeney has been pretty mediocre at draft table since taking over before 2015 draft
Really hasn't hit much of anything at draft in years also some of his trades have been pretty poor
Also, that 2015 1st round (his first draft) was a really bad start for his career as GM
His first major trade (Hamilton trade) netted 1st + 2 2nd's and he whiffed badly on picks
