Top 5 best GMs currently

[njdevil26]

I had no intention of being a homer and bringing up Tom Fitzgerald. I figured this was a thread for GMs that have "won something" but if numerous posters are bringing up Hughes in MTL, then Fitz deserves a lot of praise for putting this team together and almost all reason able contracts (one mistake being Palat).

If this team bounces back like last year never happened... Fitz deserves BIG recognition.

 

[Voight]

I had no intention of being a homer and bringing up Tom Fitzgerald. I figured this was a thread for GMs that have "won something" but if numerous posters are bringing up Hughes in MTL, then Fitz deserves a lot of praise for putting this team together and almost all reason able contracts (one mistake being Palat).

If this team bounces back like last year never happened... Fitz deserves BIG recognition.

Its only homer Habs fans doing that.

GMs whose teams have had playoff success should be ranked highest.

 

[dgibb10]

Anyone can sell and take on cap dumps.

Can you hit on your meaningful free agent deals, and make the right trades in terms of ACQUIRING players is what actually matters in terms of leading to long term success.

 

[Peasy]

Anyone can sell and take on cap dumps.

Can you hit on your meaningful free agent deals, and make the right trades in terms of ACQUIRING players is what actually matters in terms of leading to long term success.

Hilarious watching hab fans talk like taking on players that other teams are looking to actively dump is somehow a masterclass in trading

 

[pb1300]

Beach city, taxes. DOESN'T COUNT!!!

Because it counted for the 25 years prior, right?
""

 

[Xirik]

Because it counted for the 25 years prior, right?
""

Don't you remember? You guys had Luongo and Jovonovski in there prime!

 

[FinlandPanther]

What? How?

He took Calgary behind the woodshed and won a presidents trophy and Cup recently. Is it a Toronto thing?

Becuase Zito showed his team what a real GM can do.

 

[Guess]

Sorry but if you havent been the GM of a team that has even attempted to win yet, you might be a good or even very good GM, but you have zero claim to being current top 5 or maybe even top 10.

Anyone can strip a team down, trade for picks and draft players who may or may not form a contending roster in the future. Getting from playoff caliber to championship calibre is what sets the best GMs apart from the rest imo



This seems like a good top 5 imo

I can respect this. I see it coming, though!

 

[Guess]

Couldn't narrow it to 5 but I'll put 8 (includes proven winners and promising future GMs):

Zito McCrimmon Hughes Allvin Sweeney Nill Chevy Brisebois

 

[Bard Marchand]

Chuck Fletcher. The man is a master of multitasking. No matter where he goes, he can make 31 other teams better.

 

[bringbacktheskate604]

Sure you can roast hughes for simply selling and rebuilding.

But honestly i never thought we would ever actually rebuild in montreal. Being a mediocre team and always trying to make the loffs was kind of our thing.

I can't imagine Bergevin's rebuild , nightmare stuff

Wouldn't that be the owner finally allowing a rebuild? Hughes doesn't get credit for that.

I get that a full rebuild is a novel concept in Montreal but I feel like every fan of a rebuilding team gets sucked into the theory that a rebuild to be successful is years of drafting and praise their GM for it.
The reality is if the GM misses on getting the most if not all the tentpoles within the first 2-3 years of the draft and doesn't correct it by trying to aquire them in other ways it turns into a perpetual rebuild.

Like in the habs case, they should already have their #1 D, #1 G, #1D already and ready to take that next step.
Like no disrespect to Suzuki but he's not a #1 no #1 goalie or defenseman and you best prospects are wingers with the best still only 18 and years away from being an impactful star.

I like that Hughes tried to trade for young more NHL ready pieces but I don't think Dach and Newhook were the right targets. Imo.

 

[Stealth JD]

Couldn't narrow it to 5 but I'll put 8 (includes proven winners and promising future GMs):

Zito McCrimmon Hughes Allvin Sweeney Nill Chevy Brisebois

Not sure how a Cup-winning, longest-tenured NHL GM who is often chosen to GM Team Canada can’t crack the top-25% of league-wide GMs.

He’s easily above half of the guys on this list, which reeks of recency bias (despite some of these guys having achieved jack shit).

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Are people making their list by glancing at the standings?

 

[Xirik]

Are people making their list by glancing at the standings?

What's your list?

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Honourable mention to Kyle Dubas.

 

[Craig Ludwig]

Anyone can sell and take on cap dumps.

Can you hit on your meaningful free agent deals, and make the right trades in terms of ACQUIRING players is what actually matters in terms of leading to long term success.

Absolutely false, GMs who have mismanaged their cap space by signing ridiculous contracts cannot.

 

[dgibb10]

Absolutely false, GMs who have mismanaged their cap space by signing ridiculous contracts cannot.

Every single one of the tanking teams has had plenty of space to take on cap dumps. If you mean teams actually trying for the playoffs, that's a different story.

 

[Next Best Thing]

Wouldn't that be the owner finally allowing a rebuild? Hughes doesn't get credit for that.

I get that a full rebuild is a novel concept in Montreal but I feel like every fan of a rebuilding team gets sucked into the theory that a rebuild to be successful is years of drafting and praise their GM for it.
The reality is if the GM misses on getting the most if not all the tentpoles within the first 2-3 years of the draft and doesn't correct it by trying to aquire them in other ways it turns into a perpetual rebuild.

Like in the habs case, they should already have their #1 D, #1 G, #1D already and ready to take that next step.
Like no disrespect to Suzuki but he's not a #1 no #1 goalie or defenseman and you best prospects are wingers with the best still only 18 and years away from being an impactful star.

I like that Hughes tried to trade for young more NHL ready pieces but I don't think Dach and Newhook were the right targets. Imo.

This is all speculation and arbitrary evaluation on your end, and Suzuki is definitely a #1 center.

Everything you just mentioned we have in our pipeline, all the positions are covered and the potential for #1 goalie and #1 defenseman is definitely there, just because they haven't "reached" that status yet doesn't mean it's absent.

Hughes has done nothing but stellar moves to inject young talent into this team, the reason we finished #5 is because not all the pieces are developed yet and it's asynchronous in nature. In 1-2 seasons this very core will be a regular in the playoffs.

The key components are pretty much set in place and barring a few tinkering moves, all Hughes has to do now is sit back and watch until the playoffs/Cup window opens up.

And it's funny hearing people downplay the Liane acquisition. If it was YOUR team though...