GM of the Year: Some good looking Prospects
General Managers aren’t widely recognized in the NHL for all their hard work and dedication to the team. They’re the people who organize and deal with all the staff trying to make the team a better one if not the best. They are just behind closed curtains
which is why you don’t see them that often.
For the second straight year, the NHL has started to properly distinguish a GM from the rest based solely improvement of the team and seen dedication from the individuals who make the team run.
The fun part about it is that all 30 GM’s from the leagues’ franchises along with an executive panel votes for one individual who they think deserves it the most, so in a way, you can say it is true recognition from the same level.
The inaugural season of the award was 2009-2010 season. It was GM of the Phoenix Coyotes, Don Maloney, who won it after a tough competition with fellow nominees’ Nashville’s David Poile and Washington’s George McPhee.
Looking at how the current season is near to its end, it’s safe to say some candidates who look to be capable of the award can be discussed and opinionated on.
GM Peter Chiarelli (Boston Bruins)
When taking a look at the current NHL Eastern Conference standings, it isn’t hard to tell that Boston has done well for itself this season. They’re at No.2 position, four points below the conference leaders, Philadelphia Flyers, and have fought hard (Strategically
and physically) for its wins.
Chiarelli made Bruins a tough team this season, before being a continuous target for criticism by Boston’s fans, now an icon like figure.
He’s re-signed some major players like Johnny Boychuk and Gregory Campbell along with a number of other players.
Of course every move isn’t considered positive such as some trades like Dennis Wideman being traded to Florida and a few others, but the positives outweigh the negatives in this situation.
If he continues to make such strategic moves, \Bruins will be lifting the cup very soon.
GM Steve Yzerman (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Steve Yzerman may be a rookie when it comes to being a GM, but he certainly knows how the game is played. A Hall of Famer from Detroit Red Wings, he certainly can compare with some of the best at what he does.
The 2003-2004 season winners of the Stanley Cup has seen its up’s and down’s lately, but this year he’s made some good solid decisions for improvement of the team.
Detroit is fifth in the Eastern Conference right now and that shows dramatic improvement in the team from past seasons since acquiring Sean Bergenheim and Dominic Moore really improved team chemistry.
He truly has an eye for talent, signing Dwayne Roloson and Eric Brewer was one of his best moves while recruiting Marc-Andre Bergeron proved that you can find talent if you just tried to look.
Alex Tanguay might have been his biggest loss which he gave to Flames, but looking for more defensive players, it turned out to be positive in a sense.
Realising that you can’t only improve your line-up without proper directions, he hired AHL Hamilton’s coach, Guy Boucher, who is extremely talented in the coaching field.
It’ll take time, but Tampa Bay’s certainly has the capacity to achieve anything now.
GM Mike Gillis (Vancouver Canucks)
No one can criticise Canucks this season for sure, showing amazing performance makes the team look like a new team, due to some minor changes that with the passage of time proved useful.
GM Mike Gillis was determined to improve his team’s defence at all costs regardless of what others advised, trading Keith Ballard for Dan Hamhuis and grabbing Manny Malhotra and Cory Schneider were some spectacular decisions that are paying off today.
In Hamhuis and Malhotra, you have great offensive attacking power and Schneider has shown to be the perfect backup goalie.
Vancouver is feeling good this season, being it its 40th anniversary, some might say that it’s winning the cup for sure this season, reaching the finals and winning is another thing, but Mike Gillis is definitely a top contender for this award.
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