NHL power rankings: Ranking each general manager heading into 2019
The Best Tier
Who are the best general managers in the league? Here are the top five.
5. Joe Sakic (Colorado Avalanche)
Joe Sakic has nailed the past two seasons. He got a great return for Matt Duchene and had his team on the verge of the Western Conference Final two seasons after having the worst team of the salary cap era.
My main complaint about Sakic is he never makes big moves to add huge pieces. That changed when he got Nazem Kadri from the Maple Leafs. He had to pay a hefty price, but the Avalanche now have two strong forward lines (at least on paper). Sakic has nailed the past two drafts, which pushes him into the “best” tier for me.
4. Doug Armstrong (St. Louis Blues)
Doug Armstrong has always been a very good general manager. Despite his warts, the Blues have been a contender on a pretty consistent basis with him. Armstrong has done a good job avoiding mistakes too. Plus, when he does make them, not only does he find ways to get rid of them, he finds a way to upgrade his team while doing so. Just look at the O’Reilly trade.
A Stanley Cup ring obviously does a lot for Armstrong’s legacy. It confirms he’s one of the best in the league. Armstrong might have lucked into a Stanley Cup ring thanks to Jordan Binnington (among others), but let’s be honest – every darn champion gets lucky.
3. David Poile (Nashville Predators)
My opinion of David Poile is beginning to sour. Two years ago, I had him as the best general manager in the league. Poile’s the third-best now. This is largely because he has been unable to make the moves necessary to put the Nashville Predators over the top.
Poile has struck out at the past two trade deadlines, which isn’t typical for him. I’ve also not been a huge fan of his drafts, which has usually been a strong point for him. Let me put it like this – I would trust Poile to build a contender. He can do that and he’s proven it. But Poile might not be the right guy to take them to the next level.
2. Steve Yzerman (Detroit Red Wings)
While I haven’t been a fan of what Steve Yzerman has done with the Detroit Red Wings so far, it’s impossible to ignore what he did with the Tampa Bay Lightning. They are one of the best-run organizations in the NHL and that starts at the top.
Yzerman turned the Lightning from an afterthought into consistent contenders. If he does the same thing with the Red Wings, he’ll be a deity.
1. Doug Wilson (San Jose Sharks)
I’ll happily go to bat for Doug Wilson. He’s done everything right except win a Stanley Cup, which has more to do with getting lucky than anything else. With Wilson, the Sharks have been consistent Stanley Cup contenders. You can’t ask for more than that, other than, you know, a Stanley Cup.
Wilson makes bold moves. Not only that, he finds a way to make something happen when you think nothing’s possible. A great example of this is the Erik Karlsson trade. The Mike Hoffman three-way trade was brilliant. I’m not a fan of the Evander Kane deal, but I get why he did it.
Each Team's Top Breakout Candidate. dark. Next
His lone wart (other than no Stanley Cup) is Martin Jones. And if the meanest thing I can say about you as a general manager is “haha you misvalued a goaltender”, you’re doing a pretty good job. The Sharks haven’t gotten lucky enough to win a Stanley Cup yet, but it sure isn’t because of Wilson.