Nashville Predators GM David Poile was named the NHL’s General Manager of the Year at Wednesday’s NHL Expansion Draft and Awards Night in Las Vegas, Nevada.
It is certainly noteworthy that Poile received the honor mere hours after losing James Neal to the Vegas Golden Knights, one of the more lucrative acquisitions for George McPhee.
However, as much of a loss as Neal might be, Poile certainly deserves this award. The longest tenured GM in hockey has a history of making big trades and hammering out valuable contracts, all of which finally came to a head when the Predators made their first Cup Final in franchise history this past season.
No doubt he will be most known for the two blockbuster trades that brought P.K. Subban and Ryan Johansen to Nashville, but this team wouldn’t be where it is today without the moves to get Filip Forsberg, James Neal, and Mike Fisher.
Good for DP.