msweet Posted October 5, 2002 Share Posted October 5, 2002 http://msn.espn.go.com/nhl/preview2002/col...ry/1440371.html Decisions, not money, make the best GMs By Barry Melrose Special to ESPN.com Editor's note: ESPN.com asked Barry Melrose to name his top five general managers in the NHL: 1. Lou Lamoriello, New Jersey Devils Lamoriello does more with less than any other GM -- and I'm talking about money. He does things they way they're supposed to be done. Lamoriello wins the battle against players, keeps payroll down, and his teams are always competitive. A lot can be attributed to his quality scouting staff. But a good GM knows how to surround himself with good people. Lamoriello is always able to pull off deals that get the job done. 2. Ken Holland, Detroit Red Wings Holland has more money to work with than Lamoriello, but more money doesn't always mean more wins. Three of the NHL's top five payroll teams didn't even make the playoffs last year (N.Y. Rangers, Dallas, Washington). Holland's teams win. He's made some great trades and drafted well, all while keeping the Red Wings' nucleus in tact. I like the way he's kept this team together, yet whenever they need an added dimension -- a defenseman or a forward -- he goes out and gets it. 3. Pierre Lacroix, Colorado Avalanche For the past three years, Lacroix has gotten a big-time player to come in and change the team at the March trade deadline. That's so important. Colorado has drafted better than any NHL team, acquiring players like Milan Hejduk and Chris Drury in late rounds. Because of trades, the Avs had four first-round picks in one draft (1998). Yes, Lacroix has done it with a high payroll, but he's made some great trades and he puts Colorado in a position to win every year. The Avs won the Stanley Cup two years ago and I believe they're the team to beat again this season. 4. Kevin Lowe, Edmonton Oilers Lowe has done a great job in Edmonton. I know they didn't make the playoffs last year, but they were right in there. It's tough when you're trading your best players for young players and draft picks every year. But Lowe has been doing just that, while staying competitive. He's got some great young players again this year. And with the Canadian dollar, he's doing it on a shoestring budget, and with his hands tied behind his back. 5. Dean Lombardi, San Jose Sharks The Sharks drafted extremely well, so they've got a lot of great young players in their system. Lombardi has done a good job surrounding those young guys with quality veterans like Vincent Damphousse and Gary Suter (although, Suter retired this year). He's also made some good trades and has bee able to hold on to his free-agents like Teemu Selanne. Each year at the deadline, Lombardi does something to make the Sharks a better team. He's got a great scouting staff. Like Lamoriello, he knows the importance of surrounding himself with good people. The Sharks are one of the best young teams in the NHL and they're on their way up. That's a result of their GM and how he handles his players. With the same head coach, Darryl Sutter, for six years, the Sharks have stability -- which is rare. Lombardi doesn't panic. He stays with people he believes in. Barry Melrose, a former NHL defenseman and coach, is a hockey analyst for ESPN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gomezz23 Posted October 5, 2002 Share Posted October 5, 2002 espn sure is liking the devils....best gm, best defence, 2cd best goalie... 1st in east... lets hope there right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gomezz23 Posted October 5, 2002 Share Posted October 5, 2002 but good article, melrose is right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJayDevil Posted October 5, 2002 Share Posted October 5, 2002 wow, usually ESPN dismisses the Devs but as Gomezz stated does seem like it this year. I kinda dont like that tho, whenever we are favors we do not win but when we are underdogs are are undetected, thats when the Devs shine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yeah, I suck Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 wow, usually ESPN dismisses the Devs but as Gomezz stated does seem like it this year. I kinda dont like that tho, whenever we are favors we do not win but when we are underdogs are are undetected, thats when the Devs shine. DAMN ESPN, they're screwing us over! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrQuotes Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 well i dont like this ... now we cant say that everybody hates us anymore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDevs4978 Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Well at least Melrose doesn't hate EVERY Devil. I agree with the top three but I'd make Lacroix tops now and Lou second, with Lombardi fourth. Of course if KD was making the list he'd probably put Taylor #1 and Lou at #31...it'd be right in line with his Devils dissing, Kings kissing act. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaddDog Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 If ESPN loves us so much, how come they show like.. a whole one or zero games of NJ on TV this yr??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yeah, I suck Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Well at least Melrose doesn't hate EVERY Devil. I agree with the top three but I'd make Lacroix tops now and Lou second, with Lombardi fourth.Of course if KD was making the list he'd probably put Taylor #1 and Lou at #31...it'd be right in line with his Devils dissing, Kings kissing act. Well Lou definetly wouldn't be in the Top 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Let's hear your incredibly intelligent list then, KD. Lou is the best GM in the game, period. Voting for the best GM is like the Vezina trophy... the less you have, and more you get out of it, the more you get rewarded. As Melrose said, Lou has done more with less for so long that he gets chastised for it.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yeah, I suck Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Let's hear your incredibly intelligent list then, KD.Lou is the best GM in the game, period. Voting for the best GM is like the Vezina trophy... the less you have, and more you get out of it, the more you get rewarded. As Melrose said, Lou has done more with less for so long that he gets chastised for it.. KD's incerdibly intelligent "Best GMs" list.... 1. Dave Taylor 2.Dave Taylor 3.Dave Taylor 4.Dave Taylor 5.Dave Taylor 6. Lou Lamoriello There we go. I guess that pretty much fits in with my "Anti-Devils"-"Pro-Kings" philosohpy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rock Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Let's hear your incredibly intelligent list then, KD.Lou is the best GM in the game, period. Voting for the best GM is like the Vezina trophy... the less you have, and more you get out of it, the more you get rewarded. As Melrose said, Lou has done more with less for so long that he gets chastised for it.. KD's incerdibly intelligent "Best GMs" list.... 1. Dave Taylor 2.Dave Taylor 3.Dave Taylor 4.Dave Taylor 5.Dave Taylor 6. Lou Lamoriello There we go. I guess that pretty much fits in with my "Anti-Devils"-"Pro-Kings" philosohpy. This Kings talk is getting old real fast. You can root for all the teams in the league for all I care. When you use your love for the Kings to take shots at the Devils is When I do CARE! I know DM warned you last night to cut the crap, consider this my warning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yeah, I suck Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 When you use your love for the Kings to take shots at the Devils is When I do CARE I never used my "Love" for the Kings to bash the Devils, only when other people try to use their "Love" for the Devils to take shots at the Kings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJayDevil Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Well if someone doesn't think Lou is in the Top 5 Best GM's haven't been following this team for over a year and a half. He made this team and our past teams. Seriously, without Lou we may have never won a Stanley Cup yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weekes Head Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Lou Lamoriello is one of the best GM's in SPORTS, let alone hockey. To think the f'n GM on the KINGS is better than Lamoriello...jeez...you must really be living under a rock (well either that or your lips are firmly secured to the asses of each and ever Kings player). I'd love to see your "reasoning" as to why the Kings are, and have been better than the Devils. I mean, it's not like Gretzky is still there or anything..but just because you guys had him, that means you are above anyone else? Yeah, let's just forget that Lamoriello was the mastermind behind 2 Cups, 3 Finals trips in 7 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yeah, I suck Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Lou Lamoriello is one of the best GM's in SPORTS, let alone hockey.To think the f'n GM on the KINGS is better than Lamoriello...jeez...you must really be living under a rock (well either that or your lips are firmly secured to the asses of each and ever Kings player). I'd love to see your "reasoning" as to why the Kings are, and have been better than the Devils. I mean, it's not like Gretzky is still there or anything..but just because you guys had him, that means you are above anyone else? Yeah, let's just forget that Lamoriello was the mastermind behind 2 Cups, 3 Finals trips in 7 years. I was being sarcasitc before... you know, 2+2=4 right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yeah, I suck Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 It is Lou's cheapness not to resign key-players that publicly state they want to play on the Devils, and his ichy-trade-trigger finger that prevents the Devils from carring on dynasties. So Sakic had a poor year for him, 79 points, and Colorado isn't trading him. Arnott was traded for a guy that will play 3-more season MAX, then what happens after he retires? Arnott had a bad season, and Lou doesn't even want to give him a chance to improve, even after all that Arnott had done for the team. Sykora had 1 bad injury at the worst time, yet he still was able to score 21 goals that season even after people said "He stopped trying". That is total nonsense. No one can score 21 goals while not trying. Lou might be able to build a winning franchise, but it is his lack of ability to build a Dynasty for the Devils that prevents him being on my Top 5 list of GMs. HAPPY NOW!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Time to refute this nonsense.. NO ONE builds a dynasty in sports anymore, not with a huge bankroll to keep it going. Where would the Wings be without getting Hasek, Hull, and Robitaille last year? Not the Cup champions, that's for sure. Arnott was not traded for a guy who will retire in 3 years. Arnott was in fact traded with McKay and a 1st rounder for Nieuwendyk and Langenbrunner. I'm just going to stop myself here. I've said all of this stuff before. You can go ahead and make yourself happy by whining about Lou, but I was happy with the deal when it happened and I'll continue to be happy if Nieuwendyk resigns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yeah, I suck Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Time to refute this nonsense.. You're so full of yourself, tri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insanity_gallops Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Time to refute this nonsense.. You're so full of yourself, tri It's good to see someone as humble as yourself KD. You make this board a better place. I definitely feel that Lou is the number one GM in hockey, though I must admit I don't have any other insightful reasonings to back it up; they've all been mentioned because the reasons are all fairly obvious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge18 Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Kd you are completely ignoring about things that were going on off the ice with both Arnott and Sykora, and you will really have to open your eyes to those issues before you can ever accept the trades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sundstrom Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 It's nice to see Lou getting his props. I bashed Melrose earlier (probably a little unfairly), and I'll praise him here, not b/c Lou is #1, but because this whole list is quite acurate. There isn't one guy who should be on that list that isn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insanity_gallops Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Agreed, Sundstrom. Beneath that mullet is actually a vast amount of rather intelligent and insightful hockey information. Hey, and he's got chemistry with others when he's on camera, too! If only all who reported on hockey could be like that... *cough*Bourque*cough* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek21 Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Taylor has done a great job of rebuilding the Kings. If I were rating, I would go in this order: 1.Ken Holland 2.Pierre Lacroix 3.Lou Lamoriello 4.Dean Lombardi 5.Dave Taylor Nobody mentions the work the former Senator g.m. did or the work of Carolina's Jim Rutherford. They deserve to be mentioned with the above five. P.S. Muckler is a good evaluator of talent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yeah, I suck Posted October 6, 2002 Share Posted October 6, 2002 Agreed, Sundstrom.Beneath that mullet is actually a vast amount of rather intelligent and insightful hockey information. Hey, and he's got chemistry with others when he's on camera, too! If only all who reported on hockey could be like that... *cough*Bourque*cough* Didn't he shave the mullet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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