Can David Poile beat Yzerman & Gillis for NHL GM of the Year?

by Dirk Hoag on Jun 22, 2011 12:06 PM EDT in Discussions

The NHL Awards get underway tonight at 6:00 p.m. Central time (on VERSUS), and the last of the Nashville Predators nominated for a major award is general manager David Poile, who is a finalist once again for GM of the Year, and award that just began last season with Don Maloney of the Phoenix Coyotes winning it.

We open the floor for discussion, then... does DP have a chance against a cap-maximizing heavyweight in Mike Gillis from Vancouver, or the first-year phenom in Tampa Bay, Steve Yzerman?

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Dirk: Mike Gillis - you have to give the Canucks credit, they put together a deep, talented team that was able to dominate the regular season, even after suffering major injuries on defense. Poile did much the same working around the center position, and that's why he's a finalist. Yzerman's definitely a strong candidate for engineering the quick turnaround in Tampa, but I'll stick with Gillis.

Sam: Stevie Y- He made all the right moves. And even the moves that didn't pan out (Ellis...), seemed to reflect a good overall process in his decision making.

Marc: Gillis - Gillis made all the right moves this offseason, adding key pieces that allowed the Canucks to tear through the regular season.

What do you think, folks?

Poll

Who will win the 2011 GM of the Year Award?

Mike Gillis, Vancouver Canucks

13 votes

David Poile, Nashville Predators

103 votes

Steve Yzerman, Tampa Bay Lightning

55 votes

171 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Who votes on this one? If it’s the PHWA, couldn’t some lazy writer (and trust me, there’s plenty of us) just vote for Yzerman because it’s a name? Not that he doesn’t deserve it, but I feel like name recognition is a big factor here. If it’s a vote of peers, then maybe the playing field is more level for guys who aren’t in the Hall of Fame.

"I like JR’s style, kinda reminds me of HST without all the drugs and mayhem" -DonBorvio

Goc und Drang

OtF Resident Rascal

by JRTheByLineGrinder on Jun 22, 2011 12:10 PM EDT reply actions

GM's vote on this one...

Gillis will probably get it, but I stand by Poile because like Trotz, Poile is able to do so much with so little. Plus, his ability to catch lightning in a bottle multiple times (Goc, Ward, Kostitsyn) shows how knowledgable he is given the financial constraints of Nashville in the grand scheme of the NHL.

by HardCorePredFan316 on Jun 22, 2011 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Are you following me?

;-)

by Predaceous on Jun 22, 2011 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Sure, but I posted first on here...

so you must be following me. Haha

by HardCorePredFan316 on Jun 22, 2011 12:22 PM EDT up reply actions

He’s
won everything else. Believe it, he’ll win this too.

by Hockey Hillbilly on Jun 22, 2011 12:21 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

I just read somewhere that it’s the GMs.

But I have to say that Yzerman deserves it, IMO. Tampa was crap for three years, then in one season they’re 5th in the conference, and even led their division for a while. The personnel he brought in throughout the season (and just as important the ones he got rid of) and the way he brought those guys together into a working unit—that’s an award-worthy accomplishment. They got better over the course of the season. It’s only a small part due to his reputation, mostly due to his willingness to do his due diligence and his ability to manage personalities. If he doesn’t win, it’s because of the late season slump that occurred around while the voting would have been taking place.

Goaleez R weerd.

by CAustin on Jun 22, 2011 12:25 PM EDT up reply actions

I'd Vote for Poile

Gillis had a great team that had already been a few years in the making. He didn’t land Hamhuis because he’s a great GM. He landed him because that’s where Hamhuis wanted to play. All Gillis had to do was make some tweaks to an already great team that was predicted to finish pretty much where they did before the season even started.

Yzerman could very easily get it for turning around a team that was horrible last year. It would be well deserved.

All GM’s face injury issues. Yes, Gillis had to deal with injuries to his entire defense corps, but Poile had to deal with injuries to the entire team throughout the season. Almost every player on our roster had some sort of injury to deal with. However, the reason I give it to Poile is because of the great trades he orchestrated for assets that weren’t going to be on the team anyway. When all was said and done, we basically got Kostitsyn and O’Brien for Hamhuis, Boyd and Ellis. Those were great moves.

by Predaceous on Jun 22, 2011 12:20 PM EDT reply actions

Don't forget...

Getting Halischuk for the Arnott trade, and what I still think was a great move in getting Fisher.

by HardCorePredFan316 on Jun 22, 2011 12:27 PM EDT up reply actions

Ditto

You beat me to the exact same post.

by Predmonton on Jun 22, 2011 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Plus the second round pick that we got from NJ this year isn’t too shabby :)

by Predmonton on Jun 22, 2011 12:29 PM EDT up reply actions

I think it remains to be seen whether Gillis made all the right moves during the offseason. The Grabner trade maybe a thorn in his side for a long time. DP would have had a much better chance at winning had Lombardi played most of the season.

by Predmonton on Jun 22, 2011 12:23 PM EDT reply actions

But on the flipside, had Lombardi played we don’t make the Fisher trade, the one big move that got him recognition around the league.

OnTheForecheck.com. On twitter at @OTFMarc (NHL) and @MarcTorrence (everything else).

by Marc Torrence on Jun 22, 2011 1:16 PM EDT up reply actions

I wouldn’t give it to Gillis… he didn’t really do anything this past season. This race is between Steve Y and DP.

Obama said he would cut taxes for 95% of America.... 45% of people don't pay taxes.... is he going to make them pay taxes then cut them?

by Creeping Death on Jun 22, 2011 12:31 PM EDT reply actions

He did do a lot of calculations on the officiating :)

by Predmonton on Jun 22, 2011 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions

and he did sign a goalie that cracks under pressure to a high dollar long term deal. he also did the impossible: made two red heads look invisible on ice…. thats pretty hard to do cause red really stands out when contrasted with the white color of ice.

Obama said he would cut taxes for 95% of America.... 45% of people don't pay taxes.... is he going to make them pay taxes then cut them?

by Creeping Death on Jun 22, 2011 12:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Can someone clue me in on what Stevie Y did?

What brought in Ellis and Gagne? Wasn’t everyone else already in their system? They have freakin Stamkos, St. Louis, Lecavalier, Hedman, and Bergenheim. That’s far and away a better offensive core than the Preds, and we got 5th in the tougher conference. That right there is a testament to Trotz and Poile. Yzerman can get it next year or down the line.

by HardCorePredFan316 on Jun 22, 2011 12:35 PM EDT up reply actions

Note...

Hedman being an offensive defenseman, much like our Franson.

by HardCorePredFan316 on Jun 22, 2011 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions

I don’t think Steve Y did much either…. except realize a goalie combo of Ellis and Smith aren’t gonna get you anywhere…. that was pretty much all he did

Obama said he would cut taxes for 95% of America.... 45% of people don't pay taxes.... is he going to make them pay taxes then cut them?

by Creeping Death on Jun 22, 2011 12:40 PM EDT up reply actions

He was already hyped up even before becoming a GM. He did bring in Roloson and didn’t he sign Bergenheim?

by Predmonton on Jun 22, 2011 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions

Didn't he hire Boucher?

That move was pretty huge.

by Predaceous on Jun 22, 2011 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions

thats why tampa should have coach of the year, not gm. the non-nomination is still a heaf scratcher.

by predwheels on Jun 22, 2011 3:18 PM EDT up reply actions

He also got Pavel Kubina, right? And the mid-season trade for Roloson was huge.

Managing Editor of On the Forecheck, SB Nation's blog covering the Nashville Predators, and HockeyGearHQ, a site devoted to news, reviews, and deals on hockey equipment and accessories. Catch me on Twitter, or join OTF on Facebook!

by Dirk Hoag on Jun 22, 2011 4:13 PM EDT up reply actions

Guy Boucher for one. Roloson, Bergenheim, Moore, all at discounted prices. Plus he got rid of Ellis, who was NOT working out.

As much as I love what Poile has done for the Preds and as much as I trust his overall acumen, Yzerman brought that team further this one year, than Poile did this one year.

Goaleez R weerd.

by CAustin on Jun 22, 2011 12:42 PM EDT reply actions

Sorry I can’t seem to get the hang of this reply thing.

Goaleez R weerd.

by CAustin on Jun 22, 2011 12:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Not if you look at the preseason predictions on where these teams were supposed to finish. They were pretty comparable in almost all the polls. That being said, I’d have a slight problem with Gillis winning, but none whatsoever with Yzerman taking home the hardware.

by Predaceous on Jun 22, 2011 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions

Is that the way these tend to get decided? Preseason predictions vs end of season outcome? I’m not being snarky; I honestly don’t know. (It’s sort of like handicapping the Oscars. You have to know who the voters are, what they look at, and under what circumstances they vote.) Is there a tendency to say “who has beaten the pundits?” when they vote for this award?

Goaleez R weerd.

by CAustin on Jun 22, 2011 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions

With it being the second year of the award, I’m not sure any obvious voting tendencies have emerged. But certainly, if I were a voter, I’d look at expectation-versus-results and what additions or subtractions were made by the GM to make the latter exceed the former.

"I like JR’s style, kinda reminds me of HST without all the drugs and mayhem" -DonBorvio

Goc und Drang

OtF Resident Rascal

by JRTheByLineGrinder on Jun 22, 2011 1:58 PM EDT up reply actions

I had forgotten about the fact that this was a new(ish) award. My new policy—-research first, then write.

Goaleez R weerd.

by CAustin on Jun 22, 2011 2:19 PM EDT up reply actions

Here this list Yzerman's moves

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/lightning/2011-05-15-steve-yzerman-impact_N.htm

by Predmonton on Jun 22, 2011 12:46 PM EDT reply actions

I stand corrected...

Kudos to Yzerman, but Poile is still my choice…WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME…I’M BIASED AS HELL. ;)

by HardCorePredFan316 on Jun 22, 2011 12:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Name is HardCore for a reason.

by HardCorePredFan316 on Jun 22, 2011 12:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Maybe you should change it to MyopicPreFan316. Lol. j/k

by Predaceous on Jun 22, 2011 12:51 PM EDT up reply actions

RoseColouredPredFan316…haha

by HardCorePredFan316 on Jun 22, 2011 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions

I never said that I wanted Yzerman to win. I am pretty much a homer all the way. Although I have already made my peace with Pekka not being able to win the Vezina this year.

by Predmonton on Jun 22, 2011 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions

Hard to not give the trophy to Timmy...

I mean he did top the ridiculous save% set by the Dominator for a single season.

by HardCorePredFan316 on Jun 22, 2011 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Yes buuut

He did take every two days off at the end of the season. That’s why we played them with Rask in net. To me that’s kind of like a baseball player leading the batting average race and his manager starts sitting him a little more in order to preserve that average.

by Predaceous on Jun 22, 2011 2:01 PM EDT up reply actions