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VoxAngelikus
02-25-2009, 09:26 AM
There are a lot of good candidates for this title, but I am going to try to narrow things down, based on their overall resumes, Stanley Cup championships, drafting ability and free agent moves, etc, etc.

That said, here are the guys I offer:

Ken Holland - Detroit Red Wings

http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/content/Image/12-17-2008/Ken-Holland.jpg

Holland has won the Stanley Cup four times with Detroit: the first in 1997 as Assistant General Manager and Goaltending Coach, and the latter three as GM in 1998, 2002 and 2008.[/URL][URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Holland#cite_note-mckeon-2"] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Holland#cite_note-bio-1) He has gained a reputation as the most successful General Manager in the NHL. Under his leadership as GM the Red Wings have won the Central Division eight times, the President's Trophy four times, and the Stanley Cup three times. With 493 regular season wins and 67 post-season wins, the Red Wings have won more games than any other team in the league since 1997-1998.

Stanley Cups - 3

Notable draft picks: Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Niklas Kronwall, Johan Franzen


Lou Lamoriello - New Jersey

http://www.nypost.com/seven/05192007/photos/sports042.jpg

Sweet Lou oversees a ruthlessly efficient operation and can be difficult to work for, but the reward is you get to be part of an organization singularly dedicated to winning. How the Devils are winning after losing Scott Niedermayer, Scott Gomez, and Brian Rafalski to free agency, and then Martin Brodeur to injury, is one of hockey’s enduring mysteries. The Devils have made the playoffs in all but two of his 20 seasons as GM. He was the GM of the 1998 U.S. Men's Olympic Hockey team.

Stanley Cups - 3

Notable draft picks: Brendan Shanahan, Bill Guerin, Martin Brodeur, Scott Niedermayer, Brian Rolston, Jay Pandolfo, Brendan Morrison, Patrik Elias, Sheldon Souray, Petr Sykora, Chris Mason, Colin White, Willie Mitchell, Scott Clemmensen, Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta, Mike Commodore, Paul Martin, Aaron Voros, Travis Zajac, Zach Parise


Brian Burke - Toronto Maple Leafs/Anaheim Ducks/Vancouver Canucks/Hartford Whalers

http://xtremehockey.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/burke.jpg

Whalers GM in 1992.
Canucks GM from 1998-2005.

Douchebag extraordinaire: In the 1998–99 season, Peter Zezel's niece Jilliann was terminally ill with cancer in Toronto, and Zezel requested a trade from the Canucks (who were far out of the playoff race) to an Eastern Conference team so he could be closer to his family. Instead, Burke dealt him to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, the furthest stop from Toronto in the league. Zezel promptly retired and returned home, and Canuck management were heavily criticised by a sympathetic media and public for the callous way he was treated.

Ducks GM from 2005-2008. Won the Stanley Cup in the 2006-2007 season
Current GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
GM of the 2010 U.S. Men's Olympic Hockey team.

Played for Lamoriello at Providence

Stanley Cups - 1

Notable draft picks: Chris Pronger, Marek Malik, Manny Legace (HAR); R.J. Umberger, Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Ryan Kesler (VAN)



Glen Sather - New York Rangers/Edmonton Oilers

http://ordinaryleastsquare.typepad.com/howlings/images/2007/12/29/sather_glen0130.jpg

I'm only throwing him in here for two reasons: One, he is a current NHL GM, and two, he has an impressive body of work. Unfortunately, most of that work is over 20 years old, as the job he has done with the Rangers is less than impressive.

Sather is the most successful coach in Oilers history. Under his leadership the team set several NHL records, including most team goals for and holding several spots in the best winning seasons ever. They won 3 President's Trophies for best league regular season record. Their playoff record was even more impressive, winning 133 games and losing 82 en route to five Stanley Cups in six Finals appearances.

Stanley Cup Champion 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990.

Sather was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997.

GM of the New York Rangers since 2000.

Stanley Cups - 5

Notable draft picks: Mark Messier, Glenn Anderson, Jari Kurri, Grant Fuhr, Paul Coffey (EDM) - Henrik Lundquist, Nigel Dawes, Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky, Marc Staal(NYR) -- However, In 2003, the Rangers used the 12th overall choice to select Dartmouth College forward Hugh Jessiman. Players they could have gotten? Dustin Brown, Brent Seabrook, Zach Parise, Ryan Getzlaf, Brent Burns, Ryan Kesler, Mike Richards, Loui Eriksson, Patrice Bergeron and Shea Weber.

Le Goat
02-25-2009, 09:39 AM
Hull

VoxAngelikus
02-25-2009, 09:43 AM
I voted Lamoriello not because I am a NJ fan, but because he seems to have a bit of a drafting edge over Holland. That aside, he and Holland run two of the most successful franchises in the NHL in terms of consistency. Holland has been able to lure more free agents to Hockeytown than Lou has been able to lure to the swamps of NJ, but despite this fact, somehow the Devils, like the Red Wings, seem to always be in the picture regardless of whether they are losing key components to free agency or star players to injury (i.e. Brodeur).

Burke, on the other hand, has only his victory in Anaheim and a handful of decent draft picks. He hasn't stuck around in one place long enough to make a difference, and the one place he was at for a decent amount of time was Vancouver, and he did not do much to get them far in terms of winning championships or getting outstanding draft picks.

And Sather? He's a legend, sure, but he has not done much to make the Rangers a serious contender. One year they're drafting young. Then they go back to big contract FA signings. Then they fire the one coach who has brought them continued success... He may have been the best GM in the game at one point, but I think his best days are behind him.

Phil Theehor
02-25-2009, 09:50 AM
Lou Lamoriello is better as his job than anyone who has ever walked the earth.


EDIT: I'm not a Devils fan, far from it, but Lamoriello has built as good a top to bottom organization as any I have seen in sports, business, government, etc. etc.

wacker
02-25-2009, 10:02 AM
Holland.

I even think he is underrated (like many personnel in Detroit are). He fucking wins, and the players he goes after fucking wins all the fucking time.