NHL Three Stars: The GM Trio That Shined Brightest at the Deadline

The trade deadline may have been filled with over 20 deals, but those made by three specific general managers stood out above the rest to put their teams in a solid position.

Every Sunday, we here at THN.com post the Three Stars of the week – a celebration of the trio of NHLers who dominated on the ice. Today, we’re still going to name Three Stars, but we’re doing it a little bit differently; instead of the on-ice dominance, we’re looking at the three GM stars at the NHL’s trade deadline.

Hockey observers have known for years McCrimmon is one of the most astute hockey executives on the planet – and at the deadline, he proved his worth to the Golden Knights by pulling off excellent deals to make Vegas into one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup this season. McCrimmon added star forward Tomas Hertl, star defenseman Noah Hanifin, and capable winger Anthony Mantha, and he didn’t have to sell the farm to get them.

After winning the Cup this past season, McCrimmon has nothing to prove to anyone. Some fans can talk about salary cap circumvention, but the truth is, McCrimmon and the Golden Knights have operated under the rules as laid out in the collective bargaining agreement – and if there was a true circumvention, the NHL would’ve stepped in long ago. You can’t fault McCrimmon for pushing the envelope as much as the league allowed.

If there are changes in the CBA, it may be tougher for McCrimmon and the Golden Knights to stockpile talent, but as it stands, they’re doing whatever they can to emerge as the last team standing this spring, and there’s no question they’re now in a position where they can focus on winning back-to-back Cups.

Grier has made it clear the Sharks are in the midst of a full team rebuild, and at this year’s deadline, he amassed a slew of draft picks and prospects for talent that didn’t fit into the long-term plan for the organization. In return for veteran winger Anthony Duclair, depth defensemen Radim Simek and Nikita Okhotiuk, two seventh-round draft picks, goalie Kaapo Kahkonen, two third-rounders and star forward Tomas Hertl, Grier landed defense prospect Jack Thompson, a third-rounder, a fifth-rounder, a seventh-rounder, a first-rounder, and highly-regarded prospect David Edstrom. That’s a tremendous haul for Grier and the Sharks.

San Jose needs to make more of these kind of deals in the summer – veteran center and Sharks captain Logan Couture should be dealt at that time – but Grier has done very well at this year’s deadline, and he’s positioned his team to continue to build an organization that will thrive two or three seasons from now.

Sharks fans have another year or two of misery, but there’s a method to Grier’s madness, and in due time, San Jose will once again be a team that does significant damage in the post-season.

Don’t get it twisted – we understand that Treliving has a ton of pressure on him, and that pressure mounts each and every day the Leafs get closer to the playoffs. He didn’t blow the doors off anyone with his deadline moves, but you know what else didn’t happen? Toronto didn’t sell off its remaining first-round draft picks. The Buds also didn’t trade youngsters Nick Robertson, Fraser Minten, Matthew Knies or Easton Cowan. That may have prevented them from making blockbuster moves right now, but if things don’t go well for the Buds in the 2024 playoffs, Treliving can and will make many moves of consequence.

In landing a couple of bottom-pair defensemen in Ilya Lyubushkin and Joel Edmundson, Treliving did improve his defense corps, but he didn’t trade the world for a player who’ll be a true rental. That discipline on Treliving’s behalf could pay off years from now when those aforementioned youngsters and players they pick in the first round mature into NHL contributors.

In the past, the Leafs would always empty the cupboard in pursuit of a Cup, but this season was different, and Toronto’s future is likely to be brighter for it.