The NHL’s top front office job just got a bit more competitive, with three seasoned executives battling it out for General Manager of the Year honors.
Kevin Cheveldayoff of the Winnipeg Jets, Jim Nill of the Dallas Stars, and Bill Zito of the Florida Panthers are this year’s finalists for the Jim Gregory Award.
What makes this award special? Unlike other NHL honors, it factors in playoff success. Plus, it’s basically a peer review – all 32 NHL general managers get to vote, along with league executives and media members.
The Jets’ Cheveldayoff is having quite a year. His team just captured their first-ever Presidents’ Trophy with 116 points – the best record in franchise history.
He’s built this success the old-fashioned way: through the draft. Stars like Connor Hellebuyck, Mark Scheifele, and Kyle Connor were all Cheveldayoff picks who’ve stuck around through thick and thin.
Dallas’s Jim Nill could make history here. He’s already won this award twice – only Lou Lamoriello has done that before – and now he’s going for three in a row.
Nill’s biggest move this season? Landing Mikko Rantanen in a blockbuster trade and signing him to an eight-year, $96 million deal. That’s looking pretty smart right now – Rantanen’s leading all playoff scorers with 20 points in 14 games.
But it’s his draft record that’s really impressive. Finding guys like Wyatt Johnston, Jake Oettinger, and Jason Robertson outside the top picks has helped Dallas reach three straight Western Conference Finals.
Florida’s Bill Zito keeps knocking on the door. This is his fourth time as a finalist, and he might finally break through.
His moves this year have been spot-on. When some big names left after last year’s Cup win, he found solid replacements like Nate Schmidt. Then he really went for it, bringing in Brad Marchand and Seth Jones before the trade deadline.
Both those stars are now lighting it up in the playoffs – which is exactly what Zito was hoping for when he made those deals.
The winner will be announced after the second round of playoffs wraps up. Who’s your pick?
, Jim Nill (Stars), and Bill Zito (Panthers) as finalists for 2024 GM of the Year Award, with voting considering playoff performance.){kind=link}