What are the NHL’s Top 10 front offices? Here’s how 40 executives voted

By Arthur Staple, Chris Johnston, Michael Russo and Scott Powers

There’s been an award in place for the NHL’s top general manager for 15 years. But the Jim Gregory Award, while a proper honor for the league’s GM of the year as voted on by his peers, has its drawbacks in terms of evaluating a team’s full front office’s impact on sustained success.

The award is given out after the second round of the playoffs, and not surprisingly, it has gone to the GM of a team among the final four standing nearly every season.

So outside of that recency-bias-loaded time of the year, The Athletic decided to see what 40 high-ranking league executives — general managers, assistant GMs, senior advisers and scouting directors, spanning just about every organization — felt were the league’s best-run clubs.

The execs were asked to rank the league’s top five front offices, with first-place votes worth 10 points, second-place seven, third-place five, fourth-place three and fifth-place one. They were granted anonymity for their votes and comments, to allow them to speak freely, and were not allowed to vote for their own teams.

It’s not a shock to see the past four Stanley Cup winners in the top six of our poll. The Tampa Bay Lightning, in particular, may have slipped a bit from the lofty perch they inhabited from 2020 to ’22 but are still a well-run organization that empties the tank every season to stay competitive.

Teams that are active in trades and free agency seemed to poll best among our 40 respondents. But this ended up being a runaway win for a team that hasn’t made many go-for-broke moves and still hasn’t won a Cup this century.

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Total points: 251 (17 first-place votes, appeared on 36 ballots)
Owner: Tom Gaglardi
President and CEO: Brad Alberts
GM: Jim Nill

When you see a team get nearly half the first-place votes, you think dynasty. The Stars have been to the Western Conference final three of the past five years and lost the 2020 Cup Final, so they are anything but a dynasty. What they have done well in 11 seasons with Nill at the helm is make targeted draft moves and signings with a development system that may have overtaken Tampa Bay’s as the gold standard in the NHL.

The Stars have picked higher than 12th just once in the past 10 years, and yet their lineup is filled with homegrown talent. And that one high pick, Miro Heiskanen (No. 3 in 2017), might be the most underrated player in the league.

Another aspect of Nill’s front office is how he deals with his fellow executives. Class still goes a long way in this league.

“Everything they do is right and smart,” one senior adviser said. “And a lot is relationships because Jim may be the most respected GM in the league.”

“Jim’s a quiet guy,” a GM added. “Very rare do you read anything about him, but at the draft, I was looking at his table and I couldn’t believe all the people he’s surrounded himself with. Every one of them is good hockey people.

“You know, no one person can do this job. And if somebody tells you that, then their ego’s too big. Jim’s got no ego. A gentleman.”

2. Tampa Bay Lightning

Total points: 187 (9 first-place votes, appeared on 30 ballots)
Owner: Jeff Vinik (sale in progress to Doug Ostrover)
GM: Julien BriseBois

Any team with back-to-back Cups and three straight Final appearances within the past five years is going to garner praise. BriseBois and his staff have made some incredibly hard decisions in recent seasons to try to keep the Lightning at an elite level — letting Steven Stamkos walk this summer was one of the toughest — and Tampa Bay, despite predictions to the contrary, has been able to keep its lineup fresh and in the hunt.

The BriseBois-Jon Cooper connection helps too — the longest-tenured GM-coach combination in the league.

“They’ve been out ahead of the pack for so long and keep evolving,” one assistant GM said. “They aren’t afraid to make mistakes and try again. That’s why they haven’t lagged behind.”

“They’re progressive,” another AGM said. “They use their geographical advantages to their advantage. They’re bold. And they’ve had success.”

And then there’s this comment from a GM that sums up what the Lightning are about: “Winning Cups. That’s what we’re in the business for.”

Total points: 173 (9 first-place votes, appeared on 26 ballots)
Owner: Vincent Viola
President and CEO: Matt Caldwell
GM and president of hockey operations: Bill Zito

One assistant GM perfectly summed up the incredible transformation of the Panthers under Zito and his staff: “It went from a place players avoided to a destination.”

Zito was hired prior to the 2020-21 season and took a team that had three playoff appearances in the previous 22 seasons to the promised land in just four years. There were plenty of big swings, but it’s the depth — built through shrewd drafting and signings — that puts the Panthers this high.

Also navigating Joel Quenneville’s removal early in the 2021-22 season counts for quite a bit. Making good personnel moves is at the heart of what constitutes success in this league, but avoiding pitfalls can be just as important.

“A bit of recency bias here, but management has done an excellent job of finding undervalued talent off the scrap heap (Gustav Forsling, Carter Verhaeghe, Brandon Montour, Eetu Luostarinen, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, maybe Nate Schmidt, etc.) while also making aggressive trades,” one senior adviser said. “Overhauled the roster into a championship squad in a short period of time.”

“Losing (Joel) Quenneville, hiring (Andrew) Brunette, winning the Presidents’ Trophy and still making the move with Paul (Maurice) — Billy’s not afraid to make decisions,” one GM said. “And he’s surrounding himself with some really good hockey people.”

Total points: 117 (2 first-place votes, appeared on 21 ballots)
Owner: Bill Foley
President of hockey operations: George McPhee
GM: Kelly McCrimmon

“Love them or hate them,” one GM said, “they’re all about winning.”

Vegas was born aggressive and hasn’t stopped for seven years now. McPhee’s cutthroat expansion draft in the summer of 2017 will be talked about for years (and new rounds of expansion) to come. McCrimmon took over as GM five years ago, and the Knights have continued to spare no expense or feelings in pursuit of winning it all, which they did two years ago.

Everyone in the league understands what drives Foley and his longtime front-office bosses. Even if everyone doesn’t embrace how the Knights go about their business, they have earned respect around the league.

“They have seemingly done nearly everything right since entering the NHL,” one senior adviser said. “Best managed club since their inception. Two quality executives at the top who have put together a great staff under the eye of an aggressive owner. Constantly make bold and aggressive decisions. Blew up the established orthodoxy that expansion clubs have to patiently draft and develop to win.”

“Their willingness to pull the trigger and go for it is impressive,” a scouting director said. “Despite that, they still have decent prospects.”

Total points: 87 (2 first-place votes, appeared on 21 ballots)
Owner: Jeremy Jacobs
Team president: Cam Neely
GM: Don Sweeney

The Bruins haven’t won the Cup since Sweeney took over as GM a decade ago, but they also haven’t faded away — a fate many predicted as the team transitioned out of the Patrice Bergeron-Zdeno Chara era.

The recent contract battle with Jeremy Swayman was ongoing when we polled our executives, so that may have kept the Bruins off a few ballots, but this is still a team that has stayed relevant during a long transition.

“Year in and year out, they’ve been at the top of the league since Don took over,” one GM said.

“Boston is sort of like the Atlanta Braves,” an assistant GM added. “They probably should have won more Stanley Cups than they did during that window, but they’ve always been competitive.”

Total points: 51 (appeared on 13 ballots)
Owner: Stan Kroenke
President and governor: Josh Kroenke
President of hockey operations: Joe Sakic
GM: Chris MacFarland

The Avs turned a bleak decade from 2008 to ’18 into something special and are now in the same phase as the Lightning in trying to balance cap issues with competitiveness. MacFarland is only in his third year as GM, but he’s a well-respected NHL lifer, having worked every front-office job imaginable in 24 years with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Avs.

Managing the Gabriel Landeskog injury situation, the Val Nichushkin suspension, Mikko Rantanen’s pending free agency and the lack of a permanent goaltending solution is pretty heady stuff for a team with as much top-end talent as any in the league.

The Avs’ lack of playoff success after their 2021-22 Cup win knocks them down a few pegs in most execs’ eyes, and everyone is eager to see how Sakic, MacFarland and the front office push forward with so many balls in the air.

“Chris paid his dues as assistant GM for a long time and then got the opportunity. Very, very smart,” one GM said. “I go back at the end of every year and look at the trades they make, what they got, guys they signed as free agents. And he bats pretty close to a (thousand) every year on those things. Not a reactionary guy. He’s a guy that will think things through and usually come up with the right answer.”

“Good drafting. Great core,” a scouting director added. “Maybe some improvement needed in cap management, but otherwise solid.”

Total points: 29 (appeared on 7 ballots)
Owners: David Blitzer and Josh Harris
President of hockey operations and GM: Tom Fitzgerald

The hype train has been idling in Newark for a big portion of Fitzgerald’s four seasons at the helm, but his work this past offseason vaulted Jersey into a top-10 spot on our list.

Completing the long-discussed trade for Jacob Markstrom without giving up much has solidified the Devils’ biggest positional need, and shrewd free-agent signings in Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon have added maturity to a young defense. The Devils still need to build off their solid 2022-23 to be a real contender after a surprise playoff miss in 2023-24, but Fitzgerald and his staff have them pointed in the right direction.

“I love what New Jersey has done over the past couple years,” an assistant GM said. “I think they blend everything really well, and what has impressed me is they’ve identified some issues that they had this offseason that prevented them from making the playoffs … goaltending and depth on defense, and now they’ve addressed it to the degree that even with a big injury in either spot, they’re still going to be good — whereas last year, a big injury killed them (Dougie Hamilton).”

Total points: 21 (1 first-place vote, appeared on 6 ballots)
Owner: Tom Dundon
President: Doug Warf
GM: Eric Tulsky

With Don Waddell gone after six years as GM, there is definitely keen interest in how Tulsky, seen as one of the brightest minds in the game, will handle the main chair — and his owner. Even among some of the positive notices the Hurricanes got, it was no secret that Dundon has a heavy hand.

Tulsky’s first summer as GM was tumultuous, with mainstays Pesce and Brady Skjei departing and the team unable to coax Jake Guentzel to stay. The Canes are still an elite team, thanks in large part to coach Rod Brind’Amour, but can they get over the hump and reach a Cup Final? That would boost them on this list.

“They operate on the most frugal budget and their staff does a helluva job,” one senior adviser said. “I’ll be interested to see how Eric Tulsky does because Donnie Waddell’s the one person that I know that could handle Tom (Dundon). A guy like Mark Craig runs the pro side, and the pro side’s basically a part-time gig for most of those guys. That’s hard. … When you consider some of the impediments that they have, it’s amazing. It also tells you just how good a coach Rod Brind’Amour is. His players play at their optimal level.”

Total points: 20 (appeared on 8 ballots)
Owner: James Dolan
Team president and GM: Chris Drury

Drury was part of the front office that transformed the team from 2017 to 2021, trading away veterans for picks and prospects and retooling in a significant way. He ascended to the GM spot prior to the 2021-22 season and has been as aggressive at the trade deadline as any GM in the league, with two Eastern Conference final trips in his three seasons to show for it.

Perhaps because it’s not been Drury’s show for long enough, the Rangers are farther down this list than you’d expect for a team that underwent such a massive overhaul not long ago.

“Lots of pressure to deliver and no Cup, but consistently one of the top teams,” one assistant GM said. “Active when they can to make the team better.”

Total points: 17 (appeared on 3 ballots)
Owner: Ilitch Holdings
Executive vice president and GM: Steve Yzerman

The Wings haven’t made the playoffs since Yzerman took over from Ken Holland in 2019, but it’s a testament to what Yzerman built in Tampa Bay and his relationships around the league that Detroit got a couple of high mentions in our poll.

This was a team that mortgaged its future to keep its 26-season playoff streak alive, so everyone knows how much work Yzerman had ahead of him when he took the job. It’s still a bit of a surprise that the Red Wings are still bumbling along, though.

“Yzerman took a lot of lumps when he got there, but I think they’re tracking to be a very good team,” one GM said.

Also receiving votes

11 (tie). Montreal Canadiens (13 points)

Executive vice president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton and GM Kent Hughes haven’t been on the job long, but they have started the slow turnaround process for a team with some serious young talent. “Kent Hughes doesn’t BS,” one assistant GM said. “He just goes about his business. I think they have a good plan.”

11 (tie). Anaheim Ducks (13 points)

Pat Verbeek is another first-time GM who had a monumental job restocking an empty talent pool. The Ducks are still pretty far from complete, but a few execs like what Verbeek has done in his three seasons. “If everything goes according to plan, they’re going to be deep in every position,” an assistant GM said.”

13. St. Louis Blues (12 points)

Doug Armstrong is a no-nonsense guy, and he’s been working like mad to keep the Blues afloat since they peaked with their Cup win six years ago. He’s handing off the reins to Alex Steen after next season, which will be Armstrong’s 16th as GM. Said one scouting director: “They just never go away.”

14. Minnesota Wild (8 points)

Bill Guerin inherited some real challenges when he took over as GM in 2019. The necessary but painful buyouts of Ryan Suter and Zach Parise have clamped the Wild’s cap situation tighter than most, but they still are in decent shape when the bulk of the dead money comes off the cap after this season. “Drafting, keeping a positive direction with albatross contracts, character and trust,” one GM said.

15 (tie). Pittsburgh Penguins (7 points)

Kyle Dubas came on board as president of hockey operations and GM before last season to start putting this aging roster in order. This isn’t a short-term fix and the addition of Erik Karlsson, plus an extension for Tristan Jarry, seemed like puzzling moves for a team that needs to start rebuilding. One of our execs showed faith in Dubas, though, with a second-place vote.

15 (tie). Utah Hockey Club (7 points)

It will be interesting to see if GM Bill Armstrong gets a chance to work with a bigger budget — or any actual budget — now that the team he runs is in the hands of a new owner in Salt Lake City. Armstrong built a decent little roster in Arizona. “They’ve added a lot of talent,” said one senior adviser. “Now the moves he has to make are a lot simpler. He has the ingredients to have a good team for a long, long time.”

15 (tie). Edmonton Oilers (7 points)

There’s been a few folks in the GM chair over the past decade, and it’s Stan Bowman’s spot for now. With Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl rightly eating up a big chunk of cap space, this job is a challenge for anyone to try to fit good pieces around two of the game’s biggest stars. “You can’t ignore the success they’ve had, even with some turnover in the front office,” one scouting director said.

18. Winnipeg Jets (6 points)

GM Kevin Cheveldayoff’s 13-year tenure has produced a pretty decent team, given the factors — including requested changes of scenery — that have gone against the Jets since they moved from Atlanta. “They draft well, develop their players,” an assistant GM said. “They’ve taken strides in being more proactive in trades because that had been a roadblock. They probably don’t want to admit it, but it’s a tough place to attract players, and they’ve continued to win.”

19. Washington Capitals (4 points)

Brian MacLellan’s decade at the helm produced a Stanley Cup and some blah seasons since. He turned over the GM duties to Chris Patrick and the Caps have managed to stave off a slide down the standings as Alex Ovechkin chases Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goal record — a difficult feat given how old this team got.

20 (tie). Philadelphia Flyers (3 points)

GM Daniel Brière and team president Keith Jones are trying to make the Flyers relevant again. The draft gamble on talented forward Matvei Michkov could pay off quickly, but Philly is a tough place for such a long rebuild. “I think they’re on the right track,” one assistant GM said.

20 (tie). Nashville Predators (3 points)

Barry Trotz’s first year as GM certainly bodes well for the future Hall of Fame coach. Trotz and the Preds won the offseason with some huge signings, even though they’ve stumbled out of the gate this season. David Poile set the standard in this job for 26 years, so this is no easy role to step into. But the Preds are one of the no-state-tax teams that should become a destination for players for a long time.

20 (tie). Vancouver Canucks (3 points)

President of hockey operations Jim Rutherford and GM Patrik Allvin have a contending team out west. The Canucks might even be a Cup favorite if not for Thatcher Demko’s unknown injury timeline. There’s been drama, but Rutherford and Allvin have handled it well. “What Vancouver did to go from where they were to where they are now in a short time is impressive,” a scouting director said.

23. Toronto Maple Leafs (1 point)

Not much love for the Leafs, who haven’t produced enough wins to go with all the attention around their core and their status in Canada’s biggest market. GM Brad Treliving has a big Mitch Marner decision looming, so we’ll see where the Leafs go from here.

Did not receive votes

Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Los Angeles Kings, New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators, San Jose Sharks, Seattle Kraken

Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello won the Jim Gregory Award in back-to-back years in 2020 and 2021, just to highlight how quickly a team can fall in fellow execs’ eyes. The Kings going without a single vote is a surprise, given they’ve had some modest success over the past few years under team president Luc Robitaille and GM Rob Blake. Ditto GM Ron Francis in Seattle, where the Kraken did win a playoff round not long ago.

If the Flames continue their hot start, Craig Conroy might get some praise for his first season as GM. The rest of this no-vote group may have a ways to go before earning some attention around the league.

Full voting

(Top graphic: Kelsea Petersen / The Athletic, with photos of Bill Zito, Jim Nill and Julien BriseBois from Jeff Vinnick and Brian Babineau / Getty Images)