Last week, there was a ranking of the top five overrated general managers (GMs) in the NHL. With the help of multiple writers here at The Hockey Writers, an opinion-based list was possible. Now, it’s time to look at the other end of the spectrum and dive into the underrated GMs in the league.
Related: 5 Most Overrated NHL General Managers for 2025-26
Like the overrated list, this ranking requires a lot of subjectivity. It’s about the public perception of a GM compared to the results, and once a GM has significant success, they aren’t underrated anymore (which happened to a few in the league). So, let’s dive in!
5. Kelly McCrimmon
It’s hard to call Kelly McCrimmon underrated since he’s regarded as one of the best GMs in the NHL. He built the Vegas Golden Knights to a Cup title in 2023 and has kept them near the top of the Western Conference. That being said, McCrimmon doesn’t get enough credit for the job he’s done.
When he was hired as the GM in 2019, the Golden Knights were a good team entering their third season of existence. They were a good team, but not in the Cup conversation. McCrimmon made the moves to put them over the top by signing Alex Pietrangelo and acquiring Jack Eichel.
Better yet, McCrimmon kept the Golden Knights in contention even after the successful 2022-23 season. Usually, teams regress after being dominant for a few seasons, and his willingness to keep pushing the chips into the middle of the table has kept them great and made them a destination. It’s why the Mitch Marner addition was possible, as the Golden Knights are a team that star players want to join.
4. Chris MacFarland
The job Chris MacFarland did last season was admirable. Sure, the Mikko Rantanen trade can be questioned, especially since the star player ended up with the Dallas Stars and single-handedly took over Game 7 to defeat the Colorado Avalanche in the playoffs. However, the lasting impression overshadows the work MacFarland did to transform this team.
He took a team with plenty of star power but no depth and made it a well-rounded group. The Rantanen deal gave the Avalanche Martin Necas and Jack Drury, a top-six forward and a depth skater, while the Brock Nelson deal gave them a top-six center to build around. Moreover, MacFarland overhauled the goaltending to turn the weakness into a strength.
It’s a tough act to follow up Joe Sakic, an icon for the Avalanche who won two Stanley Cup titles as a player and another in 2022 as their GM. Yet, MacFarland has succeeded, and his moves have set the Avalanche up for a big season ahead.
3. Craig Conroy
Craig Conroy was put into a tough situation as the Calgary Flames were stuck in no-man’s land. They weren’t good enough to make the playoffs, yet had veterans with long-term contracts attached to them, and the players weren’t living up to them either (notably Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri).
The Flames needed to retool or at least rebuild when Conroy came in. He did the teardown by trading away Tyler Toffoli, Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, Nikita Zadorov, and Jacob Markstrom all in a one-year span. The moves allowed Conroy to build up the farm system and let young players take on significant roles on the NHL roster.
It’s why this team is in a great spot heading into the 2025-26 season. They have a defense that is set up for the long run and an elite goaltender to build around with Dustin Wolf in the net. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if the Flames make the playoffs and people start to take notice of the job Conroy has done.
2. Kent Hughes
It’s difficult to have a successful rebuild in the NHL. It’s harder to take a team that was in last place for years and not only make it great but turn it into a borderline Cup contender. That’s what Kent Hughes did with the Montreal Canadiens.
It’s hard to call Hughes underrated when he’s in the Montreal market, a place where every move is dissected and heavily scrutinized. That said, he’s one of the best GMs in the NHL and doesn’t get the recognition for it.
Hughes had top-five picks in three drafts in a row, yet landed two elite talents to build around with Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov. Likewise, he was the one who snatched Lane Hutson late in the second round of the 2022 Draft to add a defenseman to build around. Along with the drafting, Hughes has made the trades to get this team into contention, notably, the Noah Dobson addition this summer, and he’ll make the big splash needed to bring the Cup back to Montreal.
1. Kevin Cheveldayoff
Considering the circumstances, Kevin Cheveldayoff doesn’t receive enough credit. The Winnipeg Jets and their market are regarded as the opposite of a destination, a place that players avoid, and it’s hard to bring in outside talent. The odds are stacked against the Jets, and there’s always the lingering question about whether the team will give up and relocate (which happened in the 1990s). And every season, Cheveldayoff delivers.
It’s the trades that go a long way and allow him to stand out. Cheveldayoff keeps adding talent to an already great team to prevent them from falling off. From the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade that gave the Jets Gabriel Vilardi and Alex Iaffalo to the Jacob Trouba for Neal Pionk move, he brings in players to make the team better in the short and long term. Cheveldayoff was with the Jets in 2011, when they moved to Winnipeg, so he’s been around for a while, and fans overlook him. At the same time, he’s the type of GM who can eventually build this team into a Cup contender.
The odds are stacked against Cheveldayoff and the Jets again. They lost Nikolaj Ehlers in the offseason and must replace a key part of their top six. It’s why many people are expecting a regression from this team, where they might miss the playoffs. However, it’s hard to doubt Cheveldayoff, who will make the moves to get this team into the Cup conversation.
Other Underrated General Managers
It’s hard to call Bill Zito underrated at this point. He’s built the Florida Panthers into the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions and turned a franchise known as a punchline into a destination. Likewise, it’s hard to call Jim Nill, the three-time Jim Gregory Award winner, underrated. Yet, they are the standards for the job, and it’s hard to appreciate their greatness.
It’s also early in the GM tenure of Steve Staios, who has made some impressive moves to put the Ottawa Senators into the playoffs. The same is true about Mathieu Darche, although in one offseason with the New York Islanders, he’s provided plenty of optimism.
Which GMs do you think are underrated? Let us know in the comments section below!
