Puck Prose
Fansided

NHL power rankings: Ranking each general manager heading into 2019

By Dave Stevenson

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 12: Doug Armstrong holds the Stanley Cup following the Blues victory over the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on June 12, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 12: Doug Armstrong holds the Stanley Cup following the Blues victory over the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on June 12, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 8
Next
nhl power rankings
Photo by Bob Frid/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images /

The Worst Tier

This is where the list truly starts. Who are the worst general managers in the NHL? Which guys should probably not have a job? Here you go.

28. Jim Benning (Vancouver Canucks)

Jim Benning has proven to be an impressive drafter. Now, I’m not sure if this is due to his scouts or if it’s Benning, but it’s consistent, so I’ll lean towards the latter. He’s built a nice core of young players, including Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes, and Brock Boeser.

However, Benning is bad just about everywhere else. It’s obvious the Canucks ownership has something to do with this. But I can only judge him based on what he has done. Benning makes at least one huge mistake every July 1. The list of mistakes includes Tim Schaller, Jay Beagle, Loui Eriksson, and Tyler Myers.

27. Pierre Dorion (Ottawa Senators)

You’ve got to feel bad for Pierre Dorion. His job is to try to explain all the stuff owner Eugene Melnyk does. But still, Dorion does not come across as a good general manager to me. Granted, trying to justify Melynk’s moves has to be one of the toughest jobs in the world. But still, Dorion does a terrible job doing it.

26. John Chayka (Arizona Coyotes)

Yet another general manager who faces some tough circumstances. John Chayka has been unable to get the Arizona Coyotes to the next level – the postseason. I liked how he weaponized his cap space to get assets. But now Chayka’s job is to win games, which is something he hasn’t done a lot of. It’s clear he’s a smart guy. But maybe not someone who should be a general manager.

25. Ken Holland (Edmonton Oilers)

Ken Holland found a way to get rid of Milan Lucic. Yes, it required taking on another potentially bad deal, but James Neal is objectively a more useful and better player than Lucic. Still, when you consider the state of the Detroit Red Wings and how they’d likely be in much better shape if Holland would have started rebuilding earlier, it’s hard to view him in a positive light.

Home/All-Time Lists