Last week, The Hockey Writers (THW) compiled a list of the five most overrated general managers (GM) in the NHL. The reviews came in hot, mostly in defense of Steve Yzerman, the Detroit Red Wings GM who is regarded as one of the best in the league yet enters his sixth season with the team without a playoff berth.
Related: NHL’s 5 Most Overrated General Managers
With this in mind, it’s time to look at the other side of the coin. Who are the most underrated GMs in the NHL? It’s important to note that underrated and overrated for that matter can’t be measured in any metric and the rankings are subjective. It’s why this list took the opinion of multiple writers from THW. So, let’s dive right in!
5. Craig Conroy
Craig Conroy is one of the GMs on this list who has been part of a rebuild. He took over a Calgary Flames team in a difficult spot when he was hired in the 2023 offseason. Either he had to tear it down and trade away any players who could bring back a considerable return in a deal or try to keep the Flames competitive.
The teardown was tough and required the Flames to take their medicine for some bad contracts that were handed out during the Brad Treliving years. That said, it’s safe to say that Conroy has done a good job restocking the farm system with talent and adding young skaters to the NHL roster. The Tyler Toffoli deal for example gave the Flames Yegor Sharangovich and a draft selection for a rental who would end the season on a different team (he was traded to the New Jersey Devils then dealt to the Winnipeg Jets at the trade deadline). The same could be said about the Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, and Jacob Markstrom trades, all of which have reshaped the roster for success down the road.
With the Flames near the bottom of the Pacific Division last season, Conroy’s work went unnoticed and it will remain that way until they start improving in the standings. However, the Flames are a team on the rise in the Western Conference and it’s in part because of the big deals Conroy has made in only a short time as the GM.
4. Chris Drury
Since Chris Drury was hired as the GM in the 2021 offseason, he’s had an impressive tenure. It’s easy to say that his job wasn’t difficult as the New York Rangers already had the pieces in place to go from rebuilding to competitive when he arrived but he catapulted this team to another level. Drury has not only made the Rangers a perennial title contender but has kept them there for each of the past three seasons.
He acquired Patrick Kane at the 2023 Trade Deadline and has made splashy additions elsewhere but ironically, his best moves have been the minor ones. At the 2022 Trade Deadline, Drury acquired both Andrew Copp and Frank Vatrano for the playoff run. The two skaters combined for 11 goals and 16 assists in the playoffs to help the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference Final. Last offseason, he signed both Erik Gustafsson and Jonathan Quick to add depth to the defense and goaltending unit while acquiring Jack Roslovic at the trade deadline. Gustafsson and Quick helped the Rangers secure the best record in the NHL while Roslovic became a key depth forward in the playoffs with two goals and eight assists.
The one time Drury spent big on a free agent, it paid off as well. In the 2022 offseason, he signed Vincent Trocheck to a seven-year deal to add a top-six center to the forward unit. Trocheck has emerged as one of the best skaters in the offense and arguably has been the best signing in that offseason.
The Rangers’ success is often credited to the star players and the coaching staff, especially this past season when Peter Laviolette led them to the league’s best record. However, the job Drury has done has gone under the radar. He’s been one of the best GMs in the NHL in recent seasons and helped turn a good team into a great one poised to compete for the Stanley Cup this season.
3. Kent Hughes
In Montreal, it’s hard to be underrated since every move, every detail of the franchise, is amplified. Kent Hughes is doing a great job with the rebuild and everyone knows that. The moves he’s made have put the Montreal Canadiens on track to compete sooner rather than later. Yet, it seems like Hughes doesn’t get enough credit for how well things have gone in his tenure.
Just look at the first draft class he had and the moves made to accelerate things. In the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, it didn’t look like there were any superstars available and many thought the Canadiens would take Shane Wright with the top pick. Hughes selected Juraj Slafkovsky who already looks like a star in the making as a dynamic young forward. Pair that with the Kirby Dach addition and the Canadiens came away from that draft with two forwards who have become building blocks of the NHL roster.
Then came the moves since that class to help the Canadiens both shed bad contracts and revamp their defense and goaltending. Jordan Harris, Arber Xhekaj, and Kaiden Guhle are integral to the defense and all under 25 years old while Lane Hutson and David Reinbacher are two top prospects ready to make an impact this season. In the net, Samuel Mountembeault remains the starter but Hughes has added goaltenders to the prospect pool, drafting Jacob Fowler and developing Jakub Dobes in recent seasons.
The Canadiens are on track to contend soon and it’s largely because of Hughes and his ability to both draft and develop young talent. Among the GMs around the league that had to approach the rebuilding process in recent offseasons, it’s safe to say he’s doing one of the finer jobs.
2. Jim Nill
The GM of the Year Award was a way for the NHL to finally recognize Jim Nill as one of the best in the league and how everyone has overlooked him for years. He’s been one of the best for the past 11 seasons but only recently is being acknowledged as such, winning the award in 2023 and 2024.
The Dallas Stars have become a superteam under his watch with elite talent from the top down. When a team has no weaknesses and has a mix of both youth and experience, it’s a reflection of a well-built team but particularly one that was constructed in multiple facets, with great drafts, prospect development, trades, and free agent additions. Nill has been responsible for all of that.
The elite talent is what first stands out as Nill drafted and developed Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston, Miro Heiskanen, Thomas Harley, and Jake Oettinger. The minor moves have also played a major role in this team remaining one of the best in the Western Conference. Signing Joe Pavelski, adding Ryan Suter, keeping Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Matt Duchene around as veterans who could carry the weight. The Stars had eight 20-goal scorers last season, showing both the depth and the top-end talent they have and how Nill designed one of the best teams in hockey.
The only question is if Nill is underrated at this point considering he’s respected around the league and won the GM of the Year Award twice. The irony is that like Robertson, the hockey hipsters and enthusiasts knew he was great for a while but only recently has the broader audience taken notice.
1. Julien BriseBois
It’s one thing to inherit the model franchise of the NHL, that’s what the Tampa Bay Lightning were in the 2010s. It’s another thing to take them over the top. For years, the Lightning were credited as Steve Yzerman’s work, and understandably so since many of the star players on the roster came in under his watch. When he left and Julien BriseBois was hired in 2019, he took them to another level.
BriseBois made some moves that became instrumental in allowing the Lightning to win their first Stanley Cup title since 2004 and then repeat the next season as they went back-to-back in 2020 and 2021. From Blake Coleman to Pat Maroon to Barclay Goodrow, all of whom strengthened the forward unit, or David Savard at the 2021 Deadline which rounded out the defense, the minor additions allowed this team to win the Cup twice. They went from the model franchise to the modern dynasty.
The Lightning haven’t missed the playoffs since BrisBois took over and they made it to the Final three years in a row. Sustained success, even with a great core already in place isn’t a fluke, it’s a reflection of a great front office. Even in recent seasons, as the Lightning have declined, BriseBois has made the moves to allow this team to continuously overachieve. The question is why he doesn’t receive more credit for the success the Lightning have had.
Honorable Mentions
Bill Zito would have made the list but it’s hard to call him underrated at this point. He’s turned the Florida Panthers into a juggernaut and the great deals in recent years particularly allowed them to win the Stanley Cup title this year. Zito without question is one of the best GMs in the NHL and everyone knows it.
Joe Sakic would also be on this list considering the job he’s done with the Colorado Avalanche, helping build a team that won the Stanley Cup in 2022. The problem is he’s no longer the GM of the Avalanche and instead was promoted to the president of hockey operations.
If you ask 100 hockey fans whether Lou Lamoriello, Jim Rutherford, or Don Sweeney are overrated or underrated, you’ll probably have a 50-50 split. Half the crowd might say that they should be out of a job and the other half will say that they get way too much heat and are the most underrated, underappreciated GMs in the league.
Who are the most underrated GMs in the NHL? Let us know in the comments section below!
