We pose the same straightforward question every summer: How comfortable are you in the front office of your team? This “wisdom of the crowd” method aims to identify front offices that are performing poorly and those that are doing well.
It’s not a perfect encapsulation of front-office ability — the “what have you done for me lately” vibe that often stems from recency bias is perfectly reflected in the often erratic year-to-year movement. But it does provide a temperature check on how fans are feeling about the state of their favorite teams and how outsiders view things as well.
Each front office is graded in six categories: roster building, cap management, drafting and development, trading, free agency and vision.
This project is in its ninth annual iteration. In this year’s edition, fans graded their favorite teams in close to 10,000 responses, while 250 responses graded every team. It is always interesting to compare the two.
Here is the general consensus among our knowledgeable subscribers regarding the level of trust that each team’s front office now inspires.
Some comments have been slightly edited for style and clarity.
Last year: 7th
“I don’t think it’s possible to trust a GM more than I trust Zito. The only thing we haven’t seen yet is if his team can draft as well as they can scout pro players … not that he’s had a ton of high picks to work with.”
“Any move they make pays off. I was highly critical when Maurice was hired and even somewhat skeptical when they traded so much for Tkachuk. Then they immediately made the Final, tweaked the roster, and won it all!”
The Florida Panthers are the best-managed club in hockey, and that much is evident every day after their methodical approach produced this summer’s hockey championship.
It seems like everything the Panthers touch turns to gold. It seems like they are functioning on a whole different level from other teams when it comes to trades, signings, and extensions. The Panthers show that they are capable of making decisions even when they initially seem illogical. Each player that visits Florida appears to be a more enhanced version of themselves, and they are all signed for a little portion of their true value. This place has a certain aura, and it seems as though one Stanley Cup could be the start of something bigger. Question them at your own risk.
Given the club he is constructed and the contracts he is signed, Bill Zito enjoys a great deal of affection among the Panthers fan base. But thanks to a top-to-bottom front office endeavor, the Panthers are winning a lot of deals. They are the benchmark for the league.
Last year: 4th
“Best drafting team in the league, clear vision, follow the overdevelop model with prospects that I think pays huge dividends down the line. With Nill at the helm, you get a feel of calm and composure from the very top.”
“Overall I think Dallas continues to be one of the best-run organizations. Nill deserves his back-to-back GM of the Year award, and both the present and future looks great in Big D.”
Which team worked on the draft and development first should not come as a surprise. For years, Dallas has been dominating the whole league in that regard, and both the general public and its supporters have given it high marks for it. Nor is it limited to Jake Oettinger, Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, and Miro Heiskanen. Wyatt Johnston, Logan Stankoven, and maybe Mavrik Bourque are also involved. It is surprising that the Stars did not win this game five games to one.
In this exercise, drafting and developing are the most important tasks, but the Stars are not a one-trick pony. They have assembled a world-class team, made some incredible moves, signed some amazing contracts, and generally have a clear idea of what it takes to succeed.
In this exercise, drafting and developing are the most important tasks, but the Stars are not a one-trick pony. They have assembled a world-class team, made some incredible moves, signed some amazing contracts, and generally have a clear idea of what it takes to succeed.
Not even the best front desks are flawless. However, the Stars outperform every other team in the league at what they do best. That is deserving of a very high rating.
Last year: 3rd
“The Lightning will get hammered for the Stamkos loss. At the end of the day, my guess is that he wanted too much to justify his staying (he ended up with 4×8 in Nashville, which is insane — although we don’t know what type of discount he would have conceded to stay). It could have been handled with more tact and dignity, and I’d have loved to see Stamkos stay, but I’m willing to bet it was probably the right choice.”
“Moving on from Stamkos is not something I could have done, but that’s why I’m happy JBB is the GM instead of me. Let’s reload and try to win.”
It was not an easy decision for the Lightning to let Steven Stamkos go. Mikhail Sergachev was the same.
But with Ryan McDonagh and Jake Guentzel in the fold instead, it is difficult to argue the team is not in a better spot. That group exchange demonstrates that the Lightning front staff is still adept at fostering teamwork. For that, they are a stronger squad.
There were some indications last summer that the team’s front-office prowess had declined, primarily as a result of the Tanner Jeannot fiasco. However, the Lighting appeared to bounce back quickly from that setback and resume their normal course this summer. That will happen if two first-round exits happen back to back.
The fact that the fan base clearly still holds the team’s management in the highest regard—a 4.6 rating that just barely beats Florida—is what counts most in this situation. Even after letting Stamkos leave, which was a contentious move, they have gained back all of our faith this summer.
Though the public’s enthusiasm for the Lightning may have diminished, the team still boasts the greatest front office in the league in terms of its fan base.
Last year: 16th (Arizona Coyotes)
“The one thing Alex Meruelo did right was hire Bill Armstrong.”
“Tough call now with new ownership. I think GMBA knows what he is doing and has a plan. Does the new ownership share that plan?”
Given that Utah is a new team in a tiny market, finding supporters for this poll was a little challenging. However, those who did cast ballots thought highly of the team, almost exactly like the public does.
The Coyotes have been methodically building toward this for years, and it looks probable that the newest team in the NHL will benefit from it right away. The new owner is ready to spend, and that was evident right away with a few major summer acquisitions intended to significantly strengthen the team’s weakest position—its blue line.
The team’s trades for John Marino and Mikhail Sergachev earned them praise for their abilities, and they appear to be just what Utah needs to push for the playoffs the following year.
But it goes beyond those two; it also includes what already exists as a consequence of astute cap management and some excellent drafting throughout the team’s development. It is time to finally put the vision into action and start seeing results.
Last year: 30th
“After many years of being casually terrified and furious around free agency and trade deadlines waiting for Benning to do something horrendous, it’s been so bizarre to be able to trust the guys in charge. I hated the Miller extension and the Tocchet hire and have been proved hilariously wrong. They’ve earned my trust with a run of sensible buy-low deals, savvy contract negotiations and roster building.”
“Still not ready to quite go all in on ‘this team has an elite management group.’ I don’t know if that’s trauma or because last season felt a little too charmed. But they’re certainly competent, which is so nice after so long.”
What a transformation. Canucks supporters may finally support a front office after the team went from 30th to the top five.
Vancouver was a consistent bottom feeder on this list under Jim Benning, thus it is taken a while to reach this point. The Jim Rutherford era also had a rough beginning.
But as the full concept came together over the past year, everything changed. The Canucks’ core performed to its full potential, a few experienced players recovered, and some smart depth additions turned out to be the finishing touch that separated them from the elite group.
When it seemed like the front staff was making the wrong decision—or not making the right decision—Canucks fans had to exercise some patience. Imagine if all of the requests that were made before to the previous season had been fulfilled.
What if the Canucks had actually dealt Brock Boeser, Conor Garland, and J.T. Miller the previous season? What if Filip Hronek had never been added? What if they had never employed Rick Tocchet?
Luckily, everything turned out okay and helped teach us that this regime was genuinely different and that they knew what they were doing. Trust is built on confidence, and the present front desk has proven its worth.
Last year: 14th
“Slafkovsky’s development and the Demidov pick has completely changed my outlook on the team. A year ago I was mixed on the Gorton/Hughes regime (hated passing on Michkov for Reinbacher) and was very critical of any move I perceived to be wrong. Now I feel silly complaining about anything, feels like this management is building a powerhouse.”
“Hughes has done efficient work, although he’ll need to be judged at some point on wins and losses. Once the team enters its competitive window, it will be exciting to see whether the team has the components to win a Cup. Next summer or the summer after will be interesting as he should be able to flex his cap space and acquire some free agents.”
There may not be a more promising rebuild in this league than what Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes are cooking up right now. The public is taking some time to catch up, but the team’s fan base holds it in the highest respect.
True, Montreal has performed admirably in the easy going, but we have not seen how it handles the challenging situations yet. However, the Canadiens have performed admirably in practically every area thus far to set themselves up nicely for when that time comes. The agreements reached by the current administration contrast greatly with the shoddy agreements made by the previous administration. The two most recent deals for Juraj Slafkovsky and Kaiden Guhle appear to be excellent values at this particular moment. The other trades are also successful.
After passing on Matvei Michkov last year, Montreal drew some heat for its drafting, but now that they have made up for it with Ivan Demidov, things are starting to look better. That one selection significantly changed the conversation and helped the front office’s overall goal to become clearer.
Although substantial progress was made by key players last year, it will take time to determine whether Montreal has the elite players needed to win the Cup. Canadiens supporters have every reason to be excited about the future with Gorton and Hughes in leadership roles. They are not only proceeding correctly but also at the appropriate speed.
Last year: 1st
“Fitzgerald has not been perfect. Botched the Holtz situation, and waited way too long to fire Ruff last season. But he has made many excellent decisions that have finally turned things around. Both the perception of the team from a player and fan perspective and has created a culture that expects to win. He has done what he’s had to to bring in missing pieces.”
“From October 2023 to May 2024, Tom Fitzgerald disappeared. Before and after that window I think he’s been a great GM and made quite a few savvy moves, especially via trade.”
It is amusing to observe how the Devils, who have improved in confidence over the past year, have fallen from first to seventh in these rankings. A few of you are dishonest!
After a terrible 2023–24 season, New Jersey’s front office does seem to be back on track. The young Devils experienced every possible setback, which resulted in an unexpected playoff miss. However, Tom Fitzgerald worked hard to address many of the issues that plagued the Devils in the previous campaign. Their defense has a better mix, they are more resilient, and at last, the goaltender issues have been resolved. Their bottom six has been cleared out.
That is a neat summer that results in excellent ratings from the general population. The fans’ perceptions of the team’s development and drafting in comparison to outside judgment, however, present the most intriguing discrepancy. The comments indicate that Alex Holtz’s case was handled poorly from beginning to end, which is the only reason for the low grade.
Whether justified or not, Holtz feels like a serious stain on the present administration, enough to knock them out of the top five. For the time being, anyhow.
Last year: 2nd
“It’s simple. The front office (which includes Coach Rod) has a vision and they stick to it.Every player acquired (via trade, free agency, draft, etc.) fits the vision and knows what to expect. Of course no 100 percent success rate, but the blueprint is there.”
“It’s great to see a front office not panic when faced with a tough scenario around a good team. The Canes have a flexible future because of smart allocation of cap money, and quality drafting and development.”
This summer, the Hurricanes faced many tough choices, but new general manager Eric Tulsky made things work without spending a lot of money. It would have been impossible to resign everyone, and given the circumstances, he performed admirably on the outside.
The public continues to have very high expectations for Carolina’s front office, with particular recognition for cap management and drafting. However, the fan base’s relative ranking of free agency and trade does detract slightly from the team’s standing.
Given what transpired with Jake Guentzel, the team’s most well-known free agent, whom they heavily traded for during the deadline, that makes some sense. That ultimately feels like a defeat on both counts, especially considering this team’s chronic lack of “oomph.” Even though they were shrewdly and affordably replaced, losing nearly every other free agent hurts more.
Although the Hurricanes should still be a fantastic team this year, it is beginning to become doubtful if their special brand of hockey will let them win the biggest prize in the sport.
Last year: 5th
“Overall I have been impressed with MacFarland as a whole since he took over the GM role. He has been dealt a tough hand the past few years with Landy’s injury and Val’s continued personal issues, but he has worked within the margins about as well as the fans can reasonably expect and hasn’t made any egregiously bad decisions.”
“My confidence was higher before and just after the 2022 Cup. The decisions in the last two years have been a little more mixed.”
The incomparable excitement around Colorado’s front office has started to wane two years after the team won the Cup. Thanks to an impatient fan base and a close group of teams rated between third (4.05) and tenth (3.82) on this list, Colorado finished in ninth position, their lowest ranking in a long time. Most likely, not much separates that bunch.
While Colorado remains a team many fear trading with — Casey Mittelstadt for Bowen Byram feeling like the latest coup — the Avalanche don’t rank as high in other categories as usual. They haven’t hit as many home runs in free agency with some shaky work last year, and the team’s roster building has fallen behind some of the league’s best as depth is once again a concern.
Any club would find it difficult to cope with the extended absences of Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin, and management should not be held accountable for that. However, there are not many internal fixes either. The annual problem-solving depth of Colorado usually results from a very poor track record in draft and development, which has progressively irritated the fan base. However, the public is still unaware of this and continues to have a positive opinion of Colorado.
10. Nashville Predators
Last year: 23rd
“I welcome the boldness in being willing to double down on last season and use Josi and Saros’ prime years to try to win something. If it fails it fails but much prefer this to just making small tweaks.”
“Obviously, when Barry took over it was a warm fuzzy feeling because he has meant so much to this franchise, but he is proving he’s the right man for the job. He has been fantastic.”
Barry Trotz isn’t just a legacy hire. He’s one of the game’s best minds and is proving he’s just as good at managing a team as he is at coaching one.
The hiring of Andrew Brunette, who has transformed the Predators into a dynamic, high-octane squad, is the first of his best decisions. That is a wise wager considering that they have Juuse Saros in goal (for a very long time at a fair price) and that they increased their offensive potency this offseason. Nashville appears to be a very interesting club to follow since they have demonstrated the uncommon capacity to effectively retool on the fly. Trotz has just made the Predators more competitive, a trait they possess from year to year.
Since the Predators were the big winners this summer, Nashville naturally receives high grades for its free-agency activity. It also receives praise for its roster building. However, there are questions regarding the team’s development and drafting because there is not a lot of promising young talent. With the exception of Yaroslav Askarov, whose time as a Predator seems to be running out.
Last year: 6th
“VGK does nothing particularly special on the ice — very few highlight-reel goals or saves, despite some big names on the roster. The team’s true strength lies in their front office, Kelly has the balls to do what most other GMs don’t, and the results speak for themselves. One of the few teams in the league with no bad contracts.”
“Losing Marchy is tough, but that move was needed to keep the team competitive for the coming years. The Knights make the tough decisions that fans don’t always love. But winning heals all wounds.”
It should come as no surprise that there is a great deal of faith in Vegas’ front management given their recent Stanley Cup success. Because of the team’s championship-worthy brand of ruthlessness, judgments made recently are seen more favorably. Losing a fan favorite like Jonathan Marchessault would likely cause most fan bases much more grief, but those in Vegas seem to be much more understanding because they have seen it work out far too often for the team to be against it.
In particular, Marchessault ended up receiving somewhat more than Ivan Barbashev, who may not have been signed the year before, so I am not quite as enthused about that move. Hey, it is Vegas, so generally the house prevails.
The team’s uncompromising approach results in impressive results in terms of free agency, trades, and roster expansion; yet, if Vegas were a stronger drafting team, they would not need to exert as much effort to make things work in those areas. It says volumes that Brendan Brisson, Nicolas Hague, and Pavel Dorofeyev are the only native-born players on the squad.
Last year: 15th
“I like what Kyle Davidson is doing. I think the focus on rebuilding through the draft and acquiring picks has been consistent over the last three years. The patience needed for a rebuild of this type is hard to muster and I’m not sure they have always made the right pick in every instance, but I do think the front office knows what they are doing when it comes to taking their time with prospects and developing them the right way.”
“Davidson has been clear and consistent with his vision. So far, he has followed through well, and I like this year’s moves to improve and give prospects additional time. As we move beyond the teardown, each step becomes more difficult and it remains to be seen just how effective he will be.”
Connor Bedard’s acquisition is one thing. Another is to construct things around him. As they go into the next stage of the Bedard era, Kyle Davidson and company’s challenge is to rise out of the bottom.
Although it will not be simple, the team started the process this summer with some smart wagers. Chicago received good grades for their free-agency play, and this should provide Bedard’s supporting group with much more depth for the Blackhawks.
And that is without compromising the overarching goal. The idea was to get Bedard some support and cease being a nightly pushover, all the while keeping the long-term focus on locating key players at the draft. Teuvo Teravainen, Tyler Bertuzzi, TJ Brodie, and Laurent Brossoit are smart stand-ins to bolster the roster, and the team placed wise wagers on them.
Most people thought that Bedard made a big mistake his rookie season due to the lack of assistance, but that has been rectified for his sophomore campaign. Apart from that, every other mistake has felt insignificant or disputed.
Last Year: 29th
“I loved the Mike Grier hire from the jump. I really respected that he told the fan base that things were going to get tougher before they got better. He came in and had a major mess to clean up and he has. He got rid of some brutal contracts and added top-end, exciting talent to our farm system … which we really haven’t had in a long time. For the first time since 2019, it’s an exciting time to be a Sharks fan again.”
“Generally happy with the team’s direction and drafting. Too soon to know on player development — none of Grier’s picks have played an NHL game yet, but all reports say the picks have been strong and most picks from 2022 and 2023 would go higher in a re-draft today.”
For most clubs, selecting first overall is a magic bullet; San Jose, which jumps up 16 spots from the previous year, is no exception. Sharks supporters are far more certain that the current suffering will eventually give way to the team’s next lucrative era, which will be highlighted by Macklin Celebrini’s arrival. The miserable 2023–24 campaign was worthwhile.
That begins with tearing off the Band-Aid from the previous year and exchanging many beloved long-time fans in the process. Although at the time some of those agreements were unimpressive, fans now see the value of the returns.
Even though it might take some time given the current situation, the Sharks are a club on the rise and their drafting seems solid so far. For Mike Grier, this is the simple part; we will see how he performs when it comes time to truly building things up.
Last year: 19th
“It’s unfortunate that his front office gets no love. They have built a contender year after year that is highly competitive, they lock up their core free agents for market value or less and players want to play in Boston.”
“Early in Sweeney’s tenure, drafting was poor. That seems to have shifted in recent years and he should be recognized for that. The Bruins are drafting and developing pros who are helping them win right now.”
It is time to finish the 2015 draft, people. Yes, the memes went viral, but in comparison to other products available, the loot was not as impressive as it appeared on Day 1. Even so, they managed to sign two significant players (Brianna Carlo and Jake DeBrusk) nine years later. Overall, they performed admirably!
Additionally, that draft is positioned between two amazing drafts, in which Boston selected Charlie McAvoy at No. 14 in 2016 and David Pastrnak at No. 25 in 2014. Jeremy Swayman, who was selected in 2017 with pick No. 111, makes three franchise players in four years go without a top-10 selection. The Bruins have been so competitive for a very long time because of this haul, which almost no other team can match. Boston is by no means a poor draft team, and it is about time the Bruins are given some recognition for that.
It is good to see the team’s own fan base finally realize that the squad does well in other situations. Although Boston’s own supporters are generally far tougher on the Bruins than the general public, this year’s game ends up being considerably closer.
Despite having signed two of the worst contracts available in free agency this season, the Bruins remain a club you can trust, and that says a lot. Given that they are the ones who took action, they should be given some leeway.
Last year: 26th
“The Capitals’ front office has done an admirable job at a nearly impossible task; maintaining some semblance of competitiveness, while not entirely mortgaging their future, and supporting Ovechkin’s chase of Gretzky’s record.”
“I had started to lose faith in GMBM but after seeing the retool they pulled off this summer, him giving up GM duties to Chris Patrick and them buying CapFriendly I have more faith now.”
Given the gap between the public and the fan base displayed above, it is difficult not to agree with Capitals fans when they say their management team is undervalued. The Capitals pulled off a really spectacular impromptu retool this past summer, which should keep the team competitive as the Ovechkin era winds down. This has greatly increased the fan base’s level of confidence.
The addition of Matt Roy was wise, the trade of Jakob Chychrun was brilliant, and even the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade seemed like an intriguing buy-low risk on a center with 1C upside. These are the kinds of high-risk investments that may go either way, but why not for a team in this situation where the worst-case scenario is a rebuild?
Washington is a more intelligent team than is frequently acknowledged. After an extremely active offseason, we will see how things pan out for the Capitals.
Last year: 18th
“The roster looks like it’s coming together nicely with tons of young talent (still a few years away from competing). Took some huge swings in free agency and nobody wanted to come to Anaheim. Didn’t pivot to bad contracts. The real test in the next few years will be signing all the young talent to term and good contract value.”
“I think Pat Verbeek and Co. have done what was uncomfortable, which is a commitment to the younger players, surrounded with vets and we’re starting to see what that could become. But there’s a lot to be desired when the same issues (lack of consistent scoring, overall defense) are still present year over year.”
There is some dissatisfaction that a club that has been so bad for such a long time did not make much of an effort this summer to start moving up out of the bottom. The Ducks were in on a few big names, so it was not for want of trying; it is simply that the team does not seem like a desirable landing spot at the moment. That has to be taken into account for the team’s approach to free agency, particularly in light of the expensive contracts that have been awarded in the past, where the Ducks most likely had to pay more to get players to play for a bottom feeder team.
The team’s ducklings’ growth and rate of growth will determine everything. Although there is still a lot of uncertainty, for the time being, fans are still happy with how the draft and development are progressing.
The rebuild has felt stale, which makes the Ducks a difficult squad to rank. As the team develops, we will see where they finish next season. For the time being, a team that is not ready should benefit from the care and patience displayed.
Last year: 25th
“Cutting Goodrow and trying to trade Trouba was the kind of ruthless cap management that the Rangers have often struggled with. It definitely made me more confident in Drury.”
“It would be nice if the Rangers were able to hang on to their draft picks. Constantly trading away futures to patch holes in the roster is going to come back to haunt them.”
Hey, fans of the Rangers, chill out for a moment, please? The club is excellent; it has advanced to the conference finals two out of the last three years; it has a solid core and a relatively clean cap sheet; most importantly, it has not made many mistakes recently. What more is missing from this?
When the general public has a considerably higher relative opinion of a team’s management, it is usually amusing because it usually indicates that the fan base is a little harsh. While having high expectations is not always a negative thing, a team that has been performing better than poorly recently may need to adjust their mindset.
The team’s current spending feels particularly confusing when considering the cap management rating. While the Jacob Trouba contract is not ideal, there are worse situations for other teams. Maybe it is time to start concentrating more on all the positive aspects rather than the few weak points, especially if that is the only negative deal on a cap sheet that also features amazing deals for Adam Fox, Vincent Trocheck, and Chris Kreider.
No team ever performs flawlessly all the time. Pardon the front office staff of the Rangers.
Last Year: 31st
“There is reason for cautious optimism — the team is finally committed to a rebuild, and has accumulated a lot of future assets with a lot of decent trades, one great one (Lindholm) and one very underwhelming one (Tanev). The best reason for optimism, though, is player development — Conroy was a major part of Calgary’s vastly improved drafting and development system under Treliving, and by most accounts had a great 2024 draft.”
“After decades of mediocrity, I am fine with the team being very bad for a while because I have confidence (maybe just hope?) that there is finally a solid plan to do the things necessary to make the Flames a contender.”
There may not be a larger disconnect in the league than between how Flames fans feel about their current management and how the rest of the league feels.
Inside, supporters who finally think the Flames are doing things correctly see this year’s ruthless dismantling as a major victory. It is difficult to dispute that the Flames received a huge haul of futures, even though at times the consistency of the returns appeared uneven. When you combine that with a selection that many supporters were really happy with, the team’s rebuild appears to be getting off to a good start.
Though many people find the trade returns to be disappointing on the surface, they are undoubtedly a contentious issue. Nevertheless, in those transactions, the Flames did a respectable job of pursuing undervalued NHL players. With Daniil Miromanov, Andrei Kuzmenko, and Yegor Sharangovich, Calgary performed admirably with guys who seemed like throw-ins.
It feels that the public is judging the Flames based on the transgressions of the previous administration, even though supporters may be a touch too enthusiastic about it. The demolition is the simple part. For this stage at least, the new group under Craig Conroy’s leadership has felt like an improvement.
Last year: 28th
“Chevy has the hardest job in the NHL. What he has been able to do given the restraints of the Winnipeg market is commendable; however, he swung and completely missed out during the 2024 free agency. We needed a top-four D and a 2C and we got exactly none of those.”
“Drafting and developing are two very different stories for Chevy and Co. They are not getting the most of the talent that they do bring in through the draft.”
The main thing to comprehend about the Jets’ front office is the level of challenge that comes with having a Winnipeg base. Regretfully, players do not want to sign there, and it frequently appears at the top of no-trade lists. On the trade front, they manage to make it work, and they have accomplished some incredible feats in the past year, but free agency is always a painful position.
This makes internal growth an essential component of the team’s philosophy, which often infuriates certain supporters. It will draw attention when Cole Perfetti, who does not get much playing time, ends up as a healthy scratch during the playoffs.
This relates to the team’s 25th-place standing in the “draft and develop” category, where some supporters argue Winnipeg’s weakness is their second-best player.
In comparison to the rest of the NFL, where the Jets appear content to be first-round picks every year, it amounts to a dubious overall vision. The supporters anticipate more, including a stronger push for immediate or long-term improvement.
Last year: 24th
“I’m worried they are conflating building a competitive culture with the team being good, and sacrificing a lot of long-term value by being too good during their rebuilding years. But a huge improvement on talent evaluation/creativity over last few regimes.”
“Briere’s tenure hasn’t been perfect, but all in all it has been drastically better than the days of Chuck Fletcher.”
A few years ago the Flyers were at the very bottom of this list, forcing a new era of orange to take over. Things are starting to get better both in fan and public sentiment, but there’s still a lot of work to be done — work that was made more difficult by Philadelphia’s shocking run to 11th in the East last season.
The Flyers, who were expected to make the playoffs, were clearly rebuilding at the deadline, and that run put them in a difficult situation. The way the Flyers handled that said a lot about their capacity to concurrently manage short- and long-term objectives. They made a small selloff but kept an eye on the future and preserved much of their winning culture.
Some believe the Flyers did not go far enough in that quest and are comforted by the team’s unexpected late-season collapse that eliminated them from the playoffs. More negatively, the Flyers attempted to have it both ways and ended themselves in limbo.
Given the circumstances surrounding the Flyers, it is challenging to find a middle ground, and as a result, the Travis Konecny extension may have been the correct choice for the wrong club.
In addition, there were differing opinions on the 2024 draft, particularly in light of the excitement about Matvei Michkov. There was some disappointment when the squad chose Jett Luchanko instead of Zeev Buium after hitting that home run. This contributes to the explanation of a draft ranking that is significantly lower than public opinion.
Last year: 12th
“Still think that there is a vision as to what Yzerman and Co. are trying to do and build but there definitely has been some questionable signings and trades that leave you scratching your head.”
“Yzerman’s admittedly been handcuffed by absolutely nothing falling their way in terms of lottery luck despite over a half dozen kicks at the can, but his free agency track record has completely hindered the current version of this team. However, he has left a lot of flexibility in the future which is what truly matters so overall he’s been a net positive.”
With a 45 percentage point decline in confidence since last year, it appears that some of the Yzerplan’s initial luster is wearing off among the fan base. Fans give the front office a 3.7 rating, which is above average, but it is lower than it was last year (4.2, sixth), and the public still views it favorably.
With a rocky start and a lot of bad lottery luck, Yzerman and company are making the best of a lousy hand. However, that does not negate the fact that self-inflicted wounds have occurred. With a lot of money spent at the wrong moment on unproductive players who shift the needle enough to keep the Red Wings from selecting higher, but not enough to make them a playoff team, Detroit is track record in free agency is appalling. There is a long-term cost involved, even if the players are only temporary fixes while the prospects grow.
There is also some worry among the supporters that the team is not going for maximum upside in the draft but rather playing it safe. That seems like another red sign for a squad that is not ready yet and does not have talent worthy of a franchise.
Last year: 17th
“As a Sens fan, there’s not much to say at this point since all their major moves have happened this offseason. It seems clear Staios and Co. have a vision for what they want to do and how they want to build the team. We’ll see whether they’re successful. It feels less chaotic with a calmer owner, so that’s something.”
“The Ullmark trade was great (still a little nervous on an extension), however, the Chychrun trade was not great. While I understand this is a more balanced roster because of it, they did not get great value back.”
Warm Dorion Even though summer is ended, the public consciousness does not think much differently about the new Senators. That follows a hectic summer in which the Senators improved greatly as a result of the move for Linus Ullmark but also returned significant value on all of their other endeavors. The exchange with Jakob Chychrun was especially puzzling.
Viewed from a much more optimistic angle, 86 percent of Senators supporters say they feel more confidence than they did a year ago. I can understand the optimism based only on the fact that breaking out of Joonas Korpisalo’s burdensome contract and obtaining Ullmark in the process feels like a miracle. Steve Staios appears unafraid to take chances, and he made a huge play in that area.
However, despite that miracle, the small body of work has been inconsistent, which upholds Ottawa’s unfavorable public image at the moment.
Last year: 21st
“Doug Armstrong appears to be clinging to a vision that no longer works. He appears to believe in depth with no need for star players, which discounts the importance of Pietrangelo and O’Reilly to the Cup team.”
“Hard to see their vision for the future.”
The Blues have failed to make the playoffs for the second consecutive year, and it is difficult to see where the team will go from here. Due to its own actions, St. Louis appears to be stranded in the NHL’s no man’s land. Its present roster-building and cap-management strategies are uninspired; these are two issues that are largely related.
Even though the Blues have not done anything negative recently, they are still plagued by the sins of the past, primarily every $6.5 million contract that is still outstanding. This has prevented the team from reaching its full potential over the long run with the correct vision, since it has kept them competitive enough to inspire hope but not enough to do anything meaningful in the near term.
To Doug Armstrong’s credit, the Robert Thomas extension is among the league’s greatest deals and has a great chance of turning out to be a huge plus. Also, a lot of supporters appear to approve of Alex Steen’s defined succession plan as the team’s next general manager. However, there just is not enough quality play to elevate the Blues beyond an abysmal 3.1, placing them in the bottom third of the league.
Last year: 11th
“Guerin and team have a great eye for drafting and taking swings on ‘controversial picks.’ However free agency continues to leave me confused. Decisions around cap flexibility and player contract negotiations have left me concerned about losing our top-tier talent in favor of lower-end talent. Also for an organization that has decently high-end prospects to have a pipeline clogged with weighty contracts stuffed with NMC/NTCs makes me even less confident.”
“Foligno, Hartman, Fleury, Middleton, Gaudreau … GMBG has really committed to overspending/giving no-trade-clauses on depth players; even if the players themselves are easy to cheer for. Teams that win are teams with high-end talent, which is impossible to acquire/keep if all of your money is tied up on good-not-great players.”
To Doug Armstrong’s credit, the Robert Thomas extension is among the league’s greatest deals and has a great chance of turning out to be a huge plus. Also, a lot of supporters appear to approve of Alex Steen’s defined succession plan as the team’s next general manager. However, there just is not enough quality play to elevate the Blues beyond an abysmal 3.1, placing them in the bottom third of the league.
Sadly, the team has also foolishly spent a lot of money on players who are near the bottom of the roster, which lessens the impact of that advantage. This leaves them with a cap-constrained, mediocre club, which affects the fans’ perception of the organization’s cap management, roster construction, and free-agency approach.
But there is one bright spot in this situation: Judd Brackett, the team’s scouting prodigy who attracts a lot of attention for his draft-day prowess. The Wild receive high ratings for their development and drafting, so it is even more puzzling that they would hold onto so many roster spaces for so long in favor of mediocre, elderly players.
Last year: 20th
“At first, with the offseason that Jeff Jackson had I was much more confident in this team’s management. Then they hired Stan Bowman — a controversial hire with a less than sparkling track record at the end of his tenure with the Blackhawks — and that killed all the good vibes.”
“After a great summer of moves, the hiring of Stan Bowman has undone all my faith in the Oilers front office. Some issues are bigger than hockey, and it’s clear to me that this team no longer shares my values. I’m done with watching and cheering for the Oilers.”
Jeff Jackson was enjoying a fantastic summer that made the Oilers seem like the clear favorites to win the Stanley Cup the following year. The Oilers appeared to be the team to beat in 2025 after coming so close in 2024.
After the team hired Stan Bowman, who was widely criticized by fans, all of that goodwill seemed to vanish. In addition to being suspended for three years by the NHL for what it considered a “inadequate response” to sexual assault claims made by former Blackhawks player Kyle Beach, Chicago has a long history of making dubious decisions.
For a club that was already in a strong position to win everything the next season, it all felt like a mistake. With that type of hire, why upset a whole fan base?
Last year: 8th
“If we don’t make another big move and use the remaining cap space for Skinner’s cap space, the Sabres will be one of only two teams in the league that have had at least 7 percent or more of their salary cap unused in each of the last four years. They also have refused to weaponize the cap space to add assets. That’s not a team doing anything they can to win the Cup.”
“Adams and Co. have done a fantastic job drafting and developing players, but the roster has been ready to make a big step forward and contend for a playoff spot, and for the second offseason in a row they have failed to make a significant addition (top-six forward or top-four defenseman).”
There was a lot of optimism that the Sabres were poised to become the league’s next great thing, or at the very least, make the playoffs for the first time in over ten years, after appearing to be among the most interesting teams in the league during the 2022–2023 season. That too would be beneficial.
Rather, during the past year, the Sabres set all that goodwill on fire, and now it seems like they are back to square one with a fan base that is growing frustrated.
A front office that truly invests what it takes to win is the first step toward giving Buffalo fans what they deserve—better. It seems like a huge mistake for the Sabres, who could use one or two impact players to elevate their squad, that they acquired Jeff Skinner for an instant cap boost but chose not to use that money. Buffalo’s unwillingness to relax financial restrictions has had a significant detrimental impact on the fans’ current sense of confidence in the team, which has legitimately raised doubts about the Sabres’ future. Thus, it seems appropriate that Buffalo receives a D-grade for both free agency and roster expansion.
The Sabres are rewarded for their development and pipeline, and they have a solid collection of prospects who are ready to contribute; yet, this is insufficient to solve all of the issues elsewhere.
Last year: 9th
“The front office is moving too slowly for such a new team. I’m excited for the new coaching staff, but without some sort of elite scoring or keystone player (Chandler Stephenson ain’t it), we’re going to repeat last season.”
“Ron Francis has had his chance to build an organization from the ground up and while we weren’t expecting a repeat of Vegas, we’re nowhere close. His long-term contracts have mainly been misses and now we’re running out of cap room.”
After the Kraken’s unexpected 2023 playoff run, all of the hope that was raised has vanished. Although supporters adore Seattle’s draft performance, the team’s free agency handling has grown to be a major source of contention. The Kraken have managed to record an urgent issue every year since they opened for business, with this year’s Chandler Stephenson transaction being the largest one to date.
Such actions have hampered not only the team’s limited cap space but also the organization’s overarching goals. What precisely is Seattle going to do to make the cut every year?
Last year: 22nd
“With Waddell coming in, we still can’t fully excuse the roster he inherited, but it feels refreshing for a new set of (experienced) eyes to come in and shake things up as needed.”
“New GM/POHOP gives a fresh breath to this dysfunctional organization. Jarmo was very good at drafting, but did not seem to do well putting a cohesive roster together. Maybe Waddell can. Maybe.”
The Blue Jackets fell six spots from the previous season, although it is evident that the new administration has changed the fan base’s attitude. Columbus is experiencing optimism for the first time in a very long time. cautious optimism.
Even though Don Waddell has not been here long, everything seems better than Jarmo Kekäläinen, whose judgment seemed to be seriously declining in the last few years. The fan base is at least far more confident in the team’s current vision, which likely accounts for a large portion of the negative public perception.
It will take time to see if Waddell can turn things around and become the Blue Jackets a consistent competitor, but he has a successful resume in Carolina. That ought to be sufficient to start giving him the benefit of the doubt.
Last year: 10th
“Kyle Dubas is navigating the daunting roadmap of keeping the team playoff caliber during Sidney Crosby’s last contract while also rebuilding a roster left depleted and top-heavy by Ron Hextall.”
“I was excited about Dubas when he arrived, but now I am far less enthused after seeing how things stand now and where everything seems to be headed.”
Supporters feel Kyle Dubas has not received enough forgiveness for the extremely difficult hand he was dealt when he took over Pittsburgh. That is attested to by the disparity between the general public’s and the fan base’s perceptions of Pittsburgh. The Erik Karlsson trade, in which Dubas gave up a lot of value for a player who took home the Norris, was one of his greatest moves.
Nevertheless, Dubas’s other actions were sufficient to undermine confidence significantly. The issue that dates back to his Toronto days is that the bottom six was still a complete mess last season. Tristan Jarry’s and Ryan Graves’ contracts have already gotten awfully old. And when the team’s worst weakness last season—a terrible power play—was made abundantly clear to the entire world, Dubas did absolutely little to address it.
All of that helped the Penguins miss out on the playoffs and bring in a new era that may make it more difficult to watch Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang in their later years. Although Dubas was expected to postpone that day as much as possible, we all knew it was inevitable.
One year later, here lie the Penguins.
Last year: 27th
“Treliving deserves credit for trying a taskmaster coach and rolling the dice on an efficient Stolarz/Woll combo. But when you look at last year’s puzzling trade deadline acquisitions on a win-now team and some of the last two years of free agency decisions, it’s hard to think the roster that can get 100-plus points blindfolded is being given its best chance for success.”
“Overall, while the Shanahan/Treliving duo has been far from disastrous, it has proven underwhelming. A few diamonds in the rough, a few misses for sure, but more or less the same strategy of the previous regime.”
A great deal of the league’s elite teams owe their current status to astute management. They make the most of and optimize their team’s opportunities, offering their team the best chance of winning.
The Leafs felt like one of those clubs at the beginning of the Shanaplan. Considering the dismal playoff performance over the past ten years and some of the choices made to get there, it is becoming more and more difficult to believe that Toronto is at the forefront. The Leafs’ approach to many things seems safe, dull, and uninspired. It feels like focus groups are used to make decisions in order to reduce risk; rather than swinging for the fences, hit a few singles.
Throughout the last two years, a lot of faith has been lost within the fan base as a result of this, regardless of who has succeeded Brendan Shanahan as general manager.
Although Brad Treliving’s work this summer felt better than it did last year, his tenure has still felt, at best, uneventful. Although the Leafs have obviously run out of patience, winning a game or two would certainly boost confidence.
Last year: 13th
“Blake has made mistakes that have hampered the team’s ability to build out a proper roster. The large deal handed to Petersen blew up in the team’s face and the PLD signing was a disaster. They managed to unload that contract, but it stung.”
“Strategy was always to build around what was left from the championship teams. It hasn’t worked and now we are stuck in the mediocre middle.”
The glimmer of excitement surrounding the Rob Blake period has subsided. That will undoubtedly happen once the Kings lose to the same team three times in a row in the first round; it will serve as a stark reminder of how far from contention the Kings are. The main worry with blending two periods was being trapped in the center, and it appears that this has gotten worse over the past year. The general public considers the Kings front office to be in the bottom five, and the team’s own fan base feels far worse inside. With 92 percent of their supporters being less confident than they were a year earlier, the Kings witnessed the most decline in confidence of any team.
That nearly all depends on the trade for and signing of Pierre-Luc Dubois, which was one of the worst decisions in recent memory even if it initially appeared to be a good idea.
The remainder of the work is uneventful, with Joel Edmundson’s deal being a low point and Quinton Byfield’s recent extension being a clear highlight. However, everything and everything else this front office has done in the past year is severely shadowed by the Dubois trade.
32. New York Islanders
Last year: 32nd
“Lou doesn’t have as much magic anymore but his era has been the most successful of my fandom so I can’t vilify him.”
“The Isles are locked into core pieces of their current roster, despite seeming to be far off from actual Cup contention. This team feels destined to finish 16th in the league and has a ceiling of winning a single playoff round. The lack of direction is unnerving.”
The influence Lou Lamoriello has had on the Islanders organization is indisputable, particularly when considering the organization’s cultural background. However, it seems like the fan base is looking for a replacement to help the Islanders advance.
The Islanders’ 32nd-place finish may be interpreted by some as evidence of egregious ineptitude, but it is more likely a result of other teams improving their game. It was inevitable that one team would come last, and it seems sense that this team would be the one in need of new leadership as it appears to be lagging behind. The 2.4 score, which is the highest ever awarded to a club placing last in these rankings, is what matters here, not the ranking or the D-minus grade.
With the exception of the Islanders from the previous season (who scored 2.3), the average rating for the worst club for the preceding five seasons was 1.76, which indicated a great deal more disdain. All around, the front offices of the NHL are improving significantly.
That said, following two seven-year contracts for depth players last summer, the brain trust that exists on Long Island does not exactly inspire much confidence. This is merely a framework for the degree of trust accorded despite ranking last. If Lamoriello stays in charge, the Islanders front office could easily be said to be the worst in the league right now due to its lackluster performance. However, it is a significant improvement over some of the terrible regimes that used to run teams into the ground and is not entirely awful.
(Photo of Panthers GM Bill Zito celebrating with the Stanley Cup: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
