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Three wise men making smart decisions from their GM chairs |
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Picking candidates for NHL's general manager of the Year seems more challenging than usual. I don't recall a time when I was this unsure about who the favorites were for an award. Everyone I ask provides a different answer. I bet you can name four or five guys you believe deserve consideration.
With the season the Carolina Hurricanes are having, Don Waddell should earn votes. Tampa Bay's Julien BriseBois might receive support for the patience and ingenuity he showed in dealing with his salary cap issue.
Joe Sakic has done a quality job preparing Colorado to make a run. Will Kyle Dubas receive some votes because Toronto has a different look? Depends on who you ask.
The award is for the 2020-21 season and I don't know who deserves the honor. Maybe it will become clear when the season is completed.
But I do have a list of three GMs I believe are doing an exceptional job of changing the direction and culture of their programs. They are being difference-makers. That won't necessarily translate into GM of the Year votes, but they have my attention:
Bill Guerin, Minnesota Wild: He might receive GM of the Year votes because the Minnesota Wild are 31-13-3. But the reason Guerin is on my list is the success he's having changing the Wild's culture and identity. In the past, it seemed as if the inmates were running the asylum in Minnesota. The chemistry wasn't right. The talent was there. The togetherness wasn't. But Guerin made it clear he wouldn't tolerate a dysfunctional team. He's not afraid to move out players. It helped that 2015 first-round draft pick Kirill Kaprizov showed up this season. But Guerin has demonstrated he has a vision to make the Wild a long-term success.
Bill Zito, Florida Panthers: Zito has managed boldly and decisively in his first season. He has changed more than half of the players on Florida's roster. In the off-season, he acquired Carter Verhaeghe who blossomed into one of the team's leading scorers. He brought in Radko Gudas and gave the team more ferocity. Zito traded for Sam Bennett at the trade deadline and Bennett has seven points in five games. Every move Zito makes significantly improves the team. He knows how to look at players in terms of what might be, instead of what is. More importantly, the Panthers are playing with more confidence and moxie than they have in the past. He has given fans reason to believe that he has a well-thought-out, reasonable plan to win a Stanley Cup. He should receive votes for GM of the Year.
Steve Yzerman, Detroit Red Wings: No votes for Yzerman because his team is still near the bottom of the standings. But it's clear Yzerman is making it better. Detroit fans believe Yzerman walks on water. Nothing he has done casts doubt on that belief. While the team is poor now, Yzerman's first two first-round picks, Moritz Seider (2019) and Lucas Raymond (2020), have the fan base revved up. Seider projects to be a top pairing defenseman and Raymond will be a dynamic presence up front. Seider, a German, was the best rookie in the Swedish League this season. Both players could be with the Red Wings next season. But it's not just the drafting that give Detroit fans hope. They like how he creatively adds assets with aggressive trading. People in Detroit will tell you that Yzerman has the same management aura he had as a player. He's not afraid to act boldly, like he did before the trade deadline when he acquired Jakob Vrana, Richard Panik, plus a first- and second-round pick for Anthony Mantha. It's possible that Mantha will score 40 goals for Washington someday, but that won't bother Yzerman. He made the trade because he believes it made Detroit strong due to the number of assets received. He doesn't care what it does for Washington. That's why he is on my list.
Blogger •HHOF Writer's column on the NHL • 
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