BBKL GM evaluation *COMPLETE*
PostedCOLON Wed Nov 02, 2016 3:00 pm
BBKL GM evaluation Kimmer version
Disclaimer: This is for entertainment value only. I'd like to open up with the fact that I've been here long enough to get to know and learn about GMs in this league for the better or for worse over the years. This ranking reflects truly in accordance to my evaluations based on GM-temper, trade history and past/current success in standings.
*Warning SPOILER ALERT*
**may give away information at a GMs tendencies, personal life or possible strategies they use to succeed/falter in these analyses**
From worst to best:
30. Paul Kim (CAR) - This guy just loves to be in a league of this magnitude, difficulty level and capacity but he has failed to recognize the fact that dynasty league takes patience - something he thought could overcome by making series of daring and impressive trades over the years to contention. League parity is his Achilles heel, as no longer that sort of method is beyond approachable or even possible unlike the dog days of Scott Smith, Kareem and PIT Shiv that fed on teams that wanted to "rebuild" on purpose. He has woken up now with a direction but in the end he is one of the longest serving BBKL members whos managed to go nowhere in terms of roster depth, standings or consistency in trades he makes. Embarrassment to the league and quick to anger and substance abuse which enables him to take 5 steps back at every one step he takes.
Activity = *****
Trades = *****
Valuations = *
29. Loki (NJD) - Unfortunately, this is the spot I make for him until he improves or stays with us longer. I can't evaluate him based on evidence thus far. Welcome.
Activity = NO DATA
Trades = NO DATA
Valuations = NO DATA
28. Dave (CLB) - Dude absolutely loves to play fantasy hockey, much like Paul Kim (CAR). His age and ability to make time for himself surely makes for a great contributor all-around our league such as making standings page and being involved in the CC. However he is one of the few stagnant GM's who for whatever reason, isn't active enough on the trade front on a regular basis. I think he just is too busy managing 75 hockey leagues he's actively involved in. He doesn't necessarily make horrible trades but at the same time it is not indicative that he has made series of good ones to get out of his middle of the non-playoff team pack.
Activity = *****
Trades = *
Valuations = **
27. Shoalzie (DET) - Again, one of the most solid contributors of our league and he does something most of us wouldn't even think about doing for the league even if they were paid to do it. Although he's made significant progress with the way he approaches his player valuations and making deals by needs, there are several times throughout season where it's a "head-scratcher" why he made certain moves that he did. Choosing a direction probably isn't the main concern for him but rather, at which point do you stop or restock the cupboards for NHLers and what TYPE of players should he keep?, as depth has always been a problem for Detroit BBKL.
Activity = *****
Trades = **
Valuations = *
26. Cliff (ARI) - He's our "in and out" dude who knows all of us but knows just enough of us to stay away a safe distance. Maybe life is good for him. I believe it, I believe he got married not too long ago and plays some mean hockey for an amateur that could've gone pro only if he had size. That's about to the extent one could describe him positively. From his Anaheim days, he has struggled to either meet the playoffs or proper stock of futures to be considered a "threat" for a long time now. Activity has some to do with it, but rather, he makes a lot of valuations and deals off gut feeling, hesitation and other's opinions. Also valuation very easily shaken by external pressure or stimulant.
Activity = **
Trades = **
Valuations = **
25. Billy (OTT) - Mostly soft-spoken and well-respected bunch of the BBKL oldies, Billy never fails to chime in the popular or controversial threads using "LOL" as his most expressive form of gasp in the internet communication world. Otherwise he is a very dry and conflict-avoiding positive soul who just love hockey. He is one of the more currently active traders considering how long he's been in the league. However shaky player valuations and certain bad seasons or runs have left him no choice but to travel in a straight line with his franchise ever since he last made the playoffs in those 2008-2011 seasons where he could dangle with the likes of Scott Smith and Kareems of the league. He hasn't exactly ever chosen to go full rebuild with firsts and prospects yet, but wouldn't you think he should at some point? Time will tell. Also valuation somewhat easily shaken by external pressure or stimulant.
Activity = *****
Trades = ****
Valuations = **
24. Luke (WPG) - He knows it... he even named himself "Monk" on these boards. He is an example to the rest of us all who can stand to be told "Fantasy hockey is just a virtual reality game... life matters more". But maybe too much?.. yes he just isn't active enough on the trade fronts. He will make one deal a year if he has to. That's the way you want to run a team then nobody can discredit you. Not much can be said about this as I heard that he was a bit more active than this first five seasons here. Monk-style of team building definitely works, but would it take another ten years? One thing for sure though is, that his valuation is definitely up to par, as he hasn't made many mistakes regarding collecting or trading for the right assets for his build.
Activity = *
Trades = *
Valuations = ***
23. William (DAL) - This guy makes a shit ton of blocks... so many new and meaningless blocks that if internet forum pages were actual paper, he'd have already been sent to Guantanamo Bay for wasting so goddamn much of it. None of that would matter if he actually pumped out at least one trade PER block though... but never happens. He's what one would consider a Monk v2.0 particularly because of the fact that his team was in shambles when he took over. Patience is definitely necessary. He unlike Paul (CAR), knows the ins and outs of the rebuild process and most importantly knows how to have fun with it. One of the more valued new-ish guys of BBKL that give and take a lot of love. Time will tell if his team has hit a threshold point at which it takes off. Also valuation hardly shaken by external pressure or stimulant.
Activity = *****
Trades = **
Valuations = ****
22. Casper (COL) - I know I'm gonna hear from the guy about how low his ranking is when he deserves better. In retrospect, I do know one thing: his valuation and analytics is among the strongest of GM's I've seen. This to me is an outlier data that he is down here because I do know the kind of knowledge he possesses. However this ranking is not only based on ONE of trade/activity/standings success or for other leagues but it is combination of all those things in BBKL. That said, he is still one of the newer guys who came in and been solid. However as much as he is smart about player evals, he is that much more composed and stingy on moving assets. It is still a mystery how his barely-touched Colorado franchise will end up 3 years down the road but in terms of BBKL success, I cannot give him much credit for. Also valuation hardly shaken by external pressure or stimulant.
Activity = ****
Trades = *
Valuations = *****
21. Chris (FLA) - His trademark (for me anyway) that gets me exploding with laughter is when he writes nothing but "Happy birthday" to every single b-day threads guys make for members here. It never ever ever changes. That's funny as shit. Introduction aside, he doesn't shy away from making a block time to time, however direction of wanting to contend never worked out for him. One asks why? probably because he lacks valuation and research and most importantly self-confidence in his valuation to pan out. Wish you continued luck with it though.
Activity = ***
Trades = **
Valuations = **
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20. Foofnik (SJS) - Time will tell, but for now he gets the bottom end of the middle tiered GMs. Most of the knock comes from his lack of activity in the trade market. As some of us understand it he is involved in managing multiple leagues as well but as not to use that as excuse, the positives include friendliness and willingness to hash out a deal when it is time for one no matter what it takes. Nobody is sure where he is going to take SJS to by the year's end. People who do know him know that his valuation is above par, and knowledgeable about the teams he follows. A truly a multi-faceted asset of our league that could be better with time and bonding. Also valuation hardly shaken by external pressure or stimulant.
Activity = **
Trades = **
Valuations = *****
19. KapG (NYR) - Never the one to tolerate any "tomfoolery" and nonsense, guys better watch out! All jokes aside, the biggest knock on this bright young man is the recent decline of activity and interest level. It happens. Better than quitting. He is also a victim of the league parity phenomenon where instead of blending in with the norm, chooses to hold strong on his belief. Don't blame him, thats what CAR GM did for centuries. However he possesses multiple elite pieces on his roster from his past success of trades that seemingly at first glance, could be a playoff team but as history has told us NYR has struggled year in year out of making the transition of being the top 8 in East. My knowledge does not serve me correct at this time but at best he has made the playoffs once(?) or at worst none at all. Player valuation also to be considered because of his recent multiple posts on the love of football taking away time from his passion for hockey. One does actually wonder how much of it is a joke when he time to time states in a trade "I have no idea who any of these players are", but it is coming apparent that NYR is in for a long season annually if he doesn't choose a direction and trade more actively. Also valuation hardly shaken by external pressure or stimulant.
Activity = ***
Trades = **
Valuations = ****
18. Mike (PIT) - Some say he's done a very nice job re-tooling Shiv's past kingdom. Some say he's "ruined" it. He's not our newest set of GMs but relatively new since the turn of the post-2014 era where I personally believe the parity phenomenon has begun to take shape. One might even say he and one other new BBKL GM is the pioneer in unintentionally engineering this parity altogether!! Asset-holding, pick-collecting is a game played by a lot of the bottom tiered GM's listed below but Mike has somehow managed to go deep in the playoffs ever since he took place here. First year sure, it was "Shiv's kingdom", but the year after even? Mike is the type of GM that will receive striking contrast of different opinions from the crowd because he doesn't possess super elite NHLers or crazy upside prospect worthy of note in the panel discussion. However he has GOOD depth all around with players who contribute and none of them are subject to pressbox or taxi squad duties. One would define the shape of the roster as a true "middle pack king" for now, but let us see when he's done with the final product.
Activity = *****
Trades = ****
Valuations = ***
17. Shiv (CHI) - Now if we are talking about Shiv of PIT, thats a legendary story to tell with this guy being listed at top 5. However we do take back quitters, we do forgive others and cry with luke warm tears whenever members need support. In terms of character and activity, he is second to none. However with the resurgence of Shiv with Chicago in the recent years have told us that he is simply not going to be able to invest enough time and effort to tend to his team, and it shows. He has opted the "trade like a madman before season and then stop" method since 2014. Never ever been a team to stay in rebuild mode, he is one of the prime candidates of victims of our newest parity phenomenon except he has still tried to work his "low-depth and dirty H2H" strategy magic only to see that a few injuries and assets that don't pan out equals disaster. Worst part of not conforming to the parity phenomenon is that you cannot TRADE your way back up to contention anymore because parity tells us GMs just don't trade for the sake of trading anymore even if there is value in it. Let's be patient and see what he's up to in the near future? Will he once again become the ticking time bomb that plays hot potato with his assets if chance arises?
Activity = ***
Trades = **
Valuations = ***
16. Arian (EDM) - Is he still the youngest in our league? Probably. Anyway he is one of the longer serving members who gets to have the pleasure of receiving the middle pack ranking mainly because of his patience and valuations coming to fruition in the recent year and a half. He has admitted to his past mistakes FAST... way faster than that pathetic CAR GM has, therefore EDM BBKL all of a sudden is a respected club in society. Some say patience game isn't a skill but you can tell that to any of the dudes in this league whose time spent rebuilding is paying dividends: you will likely find yourself looking up to them in standings soon enough. Constantly adored by the older members of the league, Arian is probably one of the FIRST BBKL clubs to make loud noise in the playoff bubble scene purely due to patience and rebuild. He needs to be a bit more active on the trade front to beef up what he lacks.
Activity = *****
Trades = **
Valuations = ****
15. Nick (TBL) - This will probably surprise many. "Beloved" Nick the talker of the league that blessed us with endless half a monitor-length paragraphs of debates which we all miss probably has life outside of this that prevents him from making too many improvements. Much like NYR, TBL doesn't seem to have many holes in the offence and elite-level of the assets he possesses. However his stobborn stance on placing periphs categories to a minimum has always haunted him from going deep into the playoffs the past 3 years. There was known injury issues with his goalies and players as well, but one could also suspect that the makeup of his team indicates he chases players he really likes rather than building for championship year in year out. That factor truly sets apart deep playoff teams from the rest. Nick likely possesses enough knowledge to know what kind of additional pieces are required on his team to succeed further; but does he stand firm in his own world and stay stingy? Main thing he lacks also is depth - which can only be achieved nowadays with stockpiling of picks and developing them. There doesn't seem to be much of a way out of this depth issues nowadays. If you are depleted of depth, you just aren't going to make it far. Also valuation hardly shaken by external pressure or stimulant.
Activity = ****
Trades = ***
Valuations = **
14. Koomzz (STL) - Is this a joke? Probably one of the most controversial ranking to date. He's one of our newest crops and hardly set foot in to led us to believe he's anywhere near this 14 number. Hold the thought... for one, his strong background in research and composure have quickly turned around Shep's abandoned ship of barely 14-15 active NHLer depth. Two, he understands the concept of H2H very well and one of the few who have displayed that balance of youth, scoring and periphs is the special blend for success. Before you know it, you will see that he's going to bring up STL to be a perrenial playoff team for years to come.
Activity = ***
Trades = ***
Valuations = ****
13. Matthew (ANA) - Another surprise? No I didn't place him here because he raped me recently - this guys a monster in a way that puts no emotions or personal agenda in front of his trade talks. He does not make many trades, however every single deals he has made had been made with a purpose, effort and profit. Start with acquiring an elite piece in Kane for cheap... flip it for great prospects... Mike Smith for a lottery pick... excellent management of starting goalies and other assets to land #1 d-men of NHL teams (Subban/Suter). Did he get lucky with all this?? Every move he makes is fierce and refreshing. Almost makes us look at the opposing GMs with a raised eye-brow "you sure you wanna give him all that?" We don't know how he does it but he has been quietly putting together a monster franchise that has valuable lottery picks and some deep playoff team-esq row of defencemen. Possibility is endless for Anaheim as he can take and choose any direction he pleases. He understands asset currency rates very well, and well enough to exploit it within GM's that need desperately to get rid of it and finds them. Valuation factor stays neutral because we just aren't sure if he values players correctly but chooses to rob us blind or he truly believes his set of off the hook insane publicly stated valuations as being true? Biggest knock on Matthew is the absolute unwillingness to negotiate outside of his own agenda. Makes it for very difficult trade talks if there are any. Most contenders have given up talking to him so who are all these guys pumping his team up anyway??
Activity = ****
Trades = **
Valuations = ***
12. Chuck (MTL) - I won't speak for the lack of activity he's gone through the past two season because we all know what happened. That factor aside, I still remember him to be one of the MOST active traders of all time with PIT Shiv. Many would have liked him on the top 10 list but due to the lack of activity in those periods he is placed here. Truly family-oriented and a character guy who takes all of the lifes struggles in stride, we wish to see the MTL BBKL club heading back into the right direction with deep playoff runs and more trades with a purpose. That said, MTL's evaluations of players always have been above par and would make trades based on needs with sharp analytics. Also valuation hardly shaken by external pressure or stimulant.
Activity = *
Trades = **
Valuations = *****
11. Fraser (VAN) - Many have different opinion on who Fraser can be - either silly Canadian pretending to be an Aussie who tries to follow hockey, or a cut-throat beer chasing maniac who knows exactly what he's doing. VAN franchise had been riddled with thugs and wannabes over the years but he has come in and righted the ship in many great ways. Remember what was said in list #18? One believes he's that other piece GM who unfortunately conspired to make the league parity take place. One cannot say a single bad thing about his trades as he is concise and precise with the assets he wants. He's fairly active and strong on the talks once it gets going, and does not shy away from making huge deals but when they do happen, they are truly hockey deals with big big names. Understands thoroughly the concept of youth scoring and periphs to be the way to compete, and before you know it, as soon as he gets his hands on a legit goalie you won't see him drop below top 5 in the West. Also valuation hardly shaken by external pressure or stimulant.
Activity = ****
Trades = ****
Valuations = ****
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Top ten introduction
Most of these general managers who have made to this list below have through time and time again, proven to the rest of the league that choosing a direction is important as well as making swift changes when needed in relation to LEAGUE PARITY. Activity has some barometer, but accurate timeless effort spent researching and broadening their level of understanding of hockey in general is key. They also understand the significance of future impact on prospects and players who go through SHL/KHL/CHL/SM-LIIGA/DEL/AHL in transition to the NHL level. They also understand and display vast knowledge on on-ice strategies, advanced sabermetrics in relation to player impact and NHL coaching styles that fit a player's strengths/weaknesses. All the knowledge combined with decent marketing and GM relations equals recipe for grand success. They don't only get one or two things right, but combination of 5-6 things right to make the team the way it is today. Congrats and prepare to read.
10. Lee (PHI) - Hello Lee. You are Mr.Ten. Not one to care much about GM relations, General Lee is tough, stobborn and intense and loves the league more than his own family. He is the only GM to be put on the top ten considering his overall lack of playoff experience in the last 3 years. Got a question about prospects? Ask him...or dont. He will charge you a 7th round pick. This GM displayed perserverance and variety of knowledge to bring a forever basement team up to a team to talk about possessing a near full roster of sub-26 yr olds and they're all good quality players - all while still maintaining decent collection of B-level prospects and several 1st and 2nd round picks. Lee has chilled out since his last tidying up of Philly "ready to compete" but it doesnt appear that he is done just yet. Valuations on prospects and NHLers have been accurate and for a long time, otherwise building of this team would not have been possible. Seemed like he was just going through the tedious motion but this is hard to do. Although one of the most common phrases labeled against him start out with "you are constantly bitching/nagging about _____!" by fellow GMs, one is certain that Lee doesn't plan on leaving Philly any time soon because we aint giving him another BBKL franchise to tinker with. Keep up your Philly project and take it to the next level! In the end he gets the tail end of top ten for the reason that he is the longest serving member to implement a basement team to playoff ready club using one franchise and one chance without quitting. Never lets external pressure of stimulant to change his standards.
Activity = *****
Trades = ***
Valuations = *****
9. Thom (WSH) - I'm not even really sure when Kareem became Thom anymore. It's all a blur to me. Thom came in seemingly as a likable person who was about to put his own stamp on the franchise - well not for the first two years anyway he says... got a lotta GMs going for the way he handled or lack there of, the WSH caps. As mentioned previously multiple times, patience is a small part of what contributes to success. That's not all though. He has thoroughly used his one leg up than the rest--intelligence level to mix patience with frugal and ninja-like research to constantly re-tool and went way younger and h2h-friendly. Basically nobody likes his opening offers. Some have caused to block him from their trade list forever. How does he still make blockbusters?? Thoms main reason for a mention on this list is his ability to constantly improve and cycle older players for younger players all while losing ZERO quality. This requires tireless surgical-style research in conjunction with medical school duties. Impressive. We all miss Neel dont we? Could stand to get along with other a bit better as he could use some more friends around here. For now he a ruthless anti-Neel. Gotta give him full credit for activity here though.
Activity = *****
Trades = ***
Valuations = *****
8. Josh (CGY) - A lot of GMs have come and gone in the same era Josh came into play with us. Many didnt understand what he was trying to do with Franks masterpiece of failure in Stampede country. He wasnt much of one to reveal what and how much he knew about fantasy hockey in general and relatively kept a low profile while enjoying dipping into some meaningful debates and contributions on rules and the CC/CBA matters. Spoken and acting like a true scholar, this Ph.D candidate works hard and effortlessly on mutiple aspects of the league and constantly displays quality evaluations that translated to top notch understanding of prospects and drafting. When you have strong base of knowledge on this, it is only a matter of time this team becomes a force and it did. He knows exactly who stays in CGY and who can be used to upgrade or downgrade. Near-perfect conversion of futures for stud H2H players in a timely fashion isnt as easy to achieve on a consistent basis. Continued work is required to dangle a deep playoff team status but the way Josh runs the team it wouldn't be a stretch to say CGY will be in discussion for a cup favourite year in year out!
Activity = ****
Trades = ***
Valuations = *****
7. Tony (NYI) - BIGGEST question with this team for years have got us asking "when does this team die of natural causes?" He would gracefully say each time "I had a dream I fucked your brains out. Right on that desk, and you loved it" and blow past them in standings. How is this possible? Well one can see that he runs a tight ship. This is a style of asset management that isn't preferred by many, but being this good for this long? There's gotta be a reason right? It is truly special watching this team plow through teams of all difficulty level. NYI works off slow but steady incremental upgrades by needs basis. He would never compromise his agenda of small upgrades no matter how small. Winning is winning. Many are not a fan of his usual public offer of "Shit + 2nd" intended upgrade attemps, but most of his trades aren't far off from this format, and that's why he succeeds over others. He is one of the best in utilizing less attractive pieces a lot of contenders don't want. One can't even remember when the last time NYI missed the playoffs. Time to wake up though Tony, you don't want to be the Sharks of BBKL. We do welcome you to come to the rebuilder world anytime you are ready to come over.
Activity = ****
Trades = **
Valuations = ****
6. Hong (MIN) - Jou-San in Hong Kong sir. He often seems distant with the league as he is in real life compared to most of us geographically. That is not the reason to deserve the shaft from being mentoned in the top 5 but rather unwillingness to work with many GMs here being the only knock. We all know Asians are smart as fuck, but he shows us that not only he book smart but fantasy smart. He has shown us he is more than able to make blockbusters as well as small pick swaps to carry the franchise to the next level. His overall vision, prediction and prospect upside analysis can't be topped by many who "study" hockey even in native North American soil. Imagine he was actually still in Canada and actually liked talking trades every day? Top 3 is likely the case. What he has built over the years is just amazing because most of his core is actually from drafting (Toffoli Ristolainen Larsson Lindholm etc). A lot of the future outlook of these contenders is interesting to note because of cap ceiling issue. He seems to have handled it very well yearly. In the end thanks for never leaving us and providing us with a sexy roster to look at. I will still try to find you a Korean girlfriend soon.
Activity = **
Trades = *
Valuations = *****
5. Matt (BUF) - Not many will be able to testify that they have taken a 29th overall team to having a perrenial allstar lineup in less than a calendar year. Yes this team had tons of good assets from Phion Keneuf collection, it wasn't exactly Cartier material though but rather a big quantity of Michael Hill stuff - middle round 1sts and borderline A or B-level prospects. I take a look at Buffalos cycle of deals over the years and can say boy this looks effortless. He has a lot of assets to work with though. But stop there. Finding the balance of asset type to acquire and when to take that advantage is not something you can teach yourself because anticipation of real life events is difficult to read. He seems to have read it all pretty accurately and relatively fast - it isnt like Hong's development eye or Lee's all or nothing conversion, but Matt has managed to make BIG upgrades step by step and has elite names in both H2H and skills department. Never the one to shy away from controversial or fun topics, he is a rare breed of a GM in a cut throat environment that nobody could hate because he is a fantasy hockey angel. Kudos to all your work and hope to see you more in the top 2 conversations soon enough.
Activity = *****
Trades = ****
Valuations = *****
4. CAM (BOS) - What was your real name again? Fuck it who cares. One of the older and voiced OG of BBKL has slowed down from his prime for sure, but what do old people do for a prosperous life? Work hard and invest and then reap benefits. One can't say much about how prosperous his life is outside of BBKL but he sure has enjoyed the life BBKL had to offer over many many years through his diligent investment of hockey knowledge that paid huge dividends to success. He is among one of the longest serving pioneers of running a stacked 20 active BBKL juggernaut players and he is ever slowly being affected by the parity world. However the reason why his team hasn't fallen off the earth yet is because of the amount of riches he's gained over the golden years. Better polish up his watch though soon enough. His ability to read NHL talent is deadly. Investing and trading for all the right players in Couture and Tarasenko, I assume that while he's not yelling at children or tryin to figure out how to work Chromcast or NHL Game Centre, all he does is read football and hockey. He doesn't even know where his family is half of the time. Not much of his strategy or knowledge base is shared with the public, which is a common indicator of a top tier GM. BBKL champion status under his belt, CAM does not plan on rebuilding any time soon, but conforming slowly into asset collection like many contenders are. Pick and choose your fight and 2 more d-men acquisitions later you will see him in a top 4 conversation probably until he dies.
Activity = ****
Trades = *
Valuations = *****
3. Mik (NSH) - You might feel like you're taking a tour of the Willy Wonka's factory of hockey with one look at his Fantrax roster - tasty. The top 3 conversation probably comes down more to the overall impact of roster in relation to success in standings than any other comparable GM's around the league. If I were to rate the style of GM-ing and overall depth and scouting, Mik gets my #1 vote. Only because of the sheer mystery of how he does it with Euro's. Borderline bath tub rubber plug stubborn-ness combined with team South Korea archery skill accuracy of player evaluation makes it all worthwhile to see his draft selections year in year out. While many GM's have accumulated what they call small depth in the minors through drafting, Kyuss scoffs with confidence that he can dress nearly 18 skater depth of farm lineup that actually plays and contributes in the NHL level. Something like this has never even been on anybody's radar of plans when they're either too busy competing or rebuilding one way or another. Secret of his scouting services will probably never be revealed but we will continue to enjoy your output here on and off the tireless league administrative duties you are involved in. True Peter Forsberg of BBKL hockey. I wanna see you win more cups before being considered a true #1 though.
Activity = *****
Trades = **
Valuations = *****
2. Mike (TOR) - Surgical asset-shifting seasonally and being the first GM to near-perfectly predict and read the 30-team league's goalie market in a ruthless fashion has gotten a lot of our hands absolutely tied and left no choice to pay the man. History have told us time and time again that lottery picks are worth holding onto. Well if you're Mike, you will just casually offer up the best package to buy it from you instead without losing any of his core. Father of our BBKL nation and the brains behind league, activity isn't as what it used to be, but why touch something you can manage on cruise control for years with McDavid and Matthews? This is one team that does not need to worry much about if or how he will win the cup, but how many 1st round picks he will need to possess the year after going for the cup. Truly a scary first world problem isn't it?
Activity = **
Trades = **
Valuations = *****
1. Steve (LAK) - GM relations, timely player acquisitions, prospect analysis, potential NHL impact on young players breaking in, overall perceived respect in the league and oh and two BBKL championships winner in 3 seasons to round off, I'm not sure I missed anything that contributes to #1 status. Only GM to average close to 30 to 50 trades a year in active duty and has a winning tradition is basically why he sits here. Many of us do lurk the forums every day as often as he does but how to integrate yourself into the league and be the good guy AND win? Double edged sword mindset that controls the league valuation on a regular basis, the kind of influence he carries cannot be measured in quantity.
Activity = *****
Trades = *****
Valuations = *****
Disclaimer: This is for entertainment value only. I'd like to open up with the fact that I've been here long enough to get to know and learn about GMs in this league for the better or for worse over the years. This ranking reflects truly in accordance to my evaluations based on GM-temper, trade history and past/current success in standings.
*Warning SPOILER ALERT*
**may give away information at a GMs tendencies, personal life or possible strategies they use to succeed/falter in these analyses**
From worst to best:
30. Paul Kim (CAR) - This guy just loves to be in a league of this magnitude, difficulty level and capacity but he has failed to recognize the fact that dynasty league takes patience - something he thought could overcome by making series of daring and impressive trades over the years to contention. League parity is his Achilles heel, as no longer that sort of method is beyond approachable or even possible unlike the dog days of Scott Smith, Kareem and PIT Shiv that fed on teams that wanted to "rebuild" on purpose. He has woken up now with a direction but in the end he is one of the longest serving BBKL members whos managed to go nowhere in terms of roster depth, standings or consistency in trades he makes. Embarrassment to the league and quick to anger and substance abuse which enables him to take 5 steps back at every one step he takes.
Activity = *****
Trades = *****
Valuations = *
29. Loki (NJD) - Unfortunately, this is the spot I make for him until he improves or stays with us longer. I can't evaluate him based on evidence thus far. Welcome.
Activity = NO DATA
Trades = NO DATA
Valuations = NO DATA
28. Dave (CLB) - Dude absolutely loves to play fantasy hockey, much like Paul Kim (CAR). His age and ability to make time for himself surely makes for a great contributor all-around our league such as making standings page and being involved in the CC. However he is one of the few stagnant GM's who for whatever reason, isn't active enough on the trade front on a regular basis. I think he just is too busy managing 75 hockey leagues he's actively involved in. He doesn't necessarily make horrible trades but at the same time it is not indicative that he has made series of good ones to get out of his middle of the non-playoff team pack.
Activity = *****
Trades = *
Valuations = **
27. Shoalzie (DET) - Again, one of the most solid contributors of our league and he does something most of us wouldn't even think about doing for the league even if they were paid to do it. Although he's made significant progress with the way he approaches his player valuations and making deals by needs, there are several times throughout season where it's a "head-scratcher" why he made certain moves that he did. Choosing a direction probably isn't the main concern for him but rather, at which point do you stop or restock the cupboards for NHLers and what TYPE of players should he keep?, as depth has always been a problem for Detroit BBKL.
Activity = *****
Trades = **
Valuations = *
26. Cliff (ARI) - He's our "in and out" dude who knows all of us but knows just enough of us to stay away a safe distance. Maybe life is good for him. I believe it, I believe he got married not too long ago and plays some mean hockey for an amateur that could've gone pro only if he had size. That's about to the extent one could describe him positively. From his Anaheim days, he has struggled to either meet the playoffs or proper stock of futures to be considered a "threat" for a long time now. Activity has some to do with it, but rather, he makes a lot of valuations and deals off gut feeling, hesitation and other's opinions. Also valuation very easily shaken by external pressure or stimulant.
Activity = **
Trades = **
Valuations = **
25. Billy (OTT) - Mostly soft-spoken and well-respected bunch of the BBKL oldies, Billy never fails to chime in the popular or controversial threads using "LOL" as his most expressive form of gasp in the internet communication world. Otherwise he is a very dry and conflict-avoiding positive soul who just love hockey. He is one of the more currently active traders considering how long he's been in the league. However shaky player valuations and certain bad seasons or runs have left him no choice but to travel in a straight line with his franchise ever since he last made the playoffs in those 2008-2011 seasons where he could dangle with the likes of Scott Smith and Kareems of the league. He hasn't exactly ever chosen to go full rebuild with firsts and prospects yet, but wouldn't you think he should at some point? Time will tell. Also valuation somewhat easily shaken by external pressure or stimulant.
Activity = *****
Trades = ****
Valuations = **
24. Luke (WPG) - He knows it... he even named himself "Monk" on these boards. He is an example to the rest of us all who can stand to be told "Fantasy hockey is just a virtual reality game... life matters more". But maybe too much?.. yes he just isn't active enough on the trade fronts. He will make one deal a year if he has to. That's the way you want to run a team then nobody can discredit you. Not much can be said about this as I heard that he was a bit more active than this first five seasons here. Monk-style of team building definitely works, but would it take another ten years? One thing for sure though is, that his valuation is definitely up to par, as he hasn't made many mistakes regarding collecting or trading for the right assets for his build.
Activity = *
Trades = *
Valuations = ***
23. William (DAL) - This guy makes a shit ton of blocks... so many new and meaningless blocks that if internet forum pages were actual paper, he'd have already been sent to Guantanamo Bay for wasting so goddamn much of it. None of that would matter if he actually pumped out at least one trade PER block though... but never happens. He's what one would consider a Monk v2.0 particularly because of the fact that his team was in shambles when he took over. Patience is definitely necessary. He unlike Paul (CAR), knows the ins and outs of the rebuild process and most importantly knows how to have fun with it. One of the more valued new-ish guys of BBKL that give and take a lot of love. Time will tell if his team has hit a threshold point at which it takes off. Also valuation hardly shaken by external pressure or stimulant.
Activity = *****
Trades = **
Valuations = ****
22. Casper (COL) - I know I'm gonna hear from the guy about how low his ranking is when he deserves better. In retrospect, I do know one thing: his valuation and analytics is among the strongest of GM's I've seen. This to me is an outlier data that he is down here because I do know the kind of knowledge he possesses. However this ranking is not only based on ONE of trade/activity/standings success or for other leagues but it is combination of all those things in BBKL. That said, he is still one of the newer guys who came in and been solid. However as much as he is smart about player evals, he is that much more composed and stingy on moving assets. It is still a mystery how his barely-touched Colorado franchise will end up 3 years down the road but in terms of BBKL success, I cannot give him much credit for. Also valuation hardly shaken by external pressure or stimulant.
Activity = ****
Trades = *
Valuations = *****
21. Chris (FLA) - His trademark (for me anyway) that gets me exploding with laughter is when he writes nothing but "Happy birthday" to every single b-day threads guys make for members here. It never ever ever changes. That's funny as shit. Introduction aside, he doesn't shy away from making a block time to time, however direction of wanting to contend never worked out for him. One asks why? probably because he lacks valuation and research and most importantly self-confidence in his valuation to pan out. Wish you continued luck with it though.
Activity = ***
Trades = **
Valuations = **
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20. Foofnik (SJS) - Time will tell, but for now he gets the bottom end of the middle tiered GMs. Most of the knock comes from his lack of activity in the trade market. As some of us understand it he is involved in managing multiple leagues as well but as not to use that as excuse, the positives include friendliness and willingness to hash out a deal when it is time for one no matter what it takes. Nobody is sure where he is going to take SJS to by the year's end. People who do know him know that his valuation is above par, and knowledgeable about the teams he follows. A truly a multi-faceted asset of our league that could be better with time and bonding. Also valuation hardly shaken by external pressure or stimulant.
Activity = **
Trades = **
Valuations = *****
19. KapG (NYR) - Never the one to tolerate any "tomfoolery" and nonsense, guys better watch out! All jokes aside, the biggest knock on this bright young man is the recent decline of activity and interest level. It happens. Better than quitting. He is also a victim of the league parity phenomenon where instead of blending in with the norm, chooses to hold strong on his belief. Don't blame him, thats what CAR GM did for centuries. However he possesses multiple elite pieces on his roster from his past success of trades that seemingly at first glance, could be a playoff team but as history has told us NYR has struggled year in year out of making the transition of being the top 8 in East. My knowledge does not serve me correct at this time but at best he has made the playoffs once(?) or at worst none at all. Player valuation also to be considered because of his recent multiple posts on the love of football taking away time from his passion for hockey. One does actually wonder how much of it is a joke when he time to time states in a trade "I have no idea who any of these players are", but it is coming apparent that NYR is in for a long season annually if he doesn't choose a direction and trade more actively. Also valuation hardly shaken by external pressure or stimulant.
Activity = ***
Trades = **
Valuations = ****
18. Mike (PIT) - Some say he's done a very nice job re-tooling Shiv's past kingdom. Some say he's "ruined" it. He's not our newest set of GMs but relatively new since the turn of the post-2014 era where I personally believe the parity phenomenon has begun to take shape. One might even say he and one other new BBKL GM is the pioneer in unintentionally engineering this parity altogether!! Asset-holding, pick-collecting is a game played by a lot of the bottom tiered GM's listed below but Mike has somehow managed to go deep in the playoffs ever since he took place here. First year sure, it was "Shiv's kingdom", but the year after even? Mike is the type of GM that will receive striking contrast of different opinions from the crowd because he doesn't possess super elite NHLers or crazy upside prospect worthy of note in the panel discussion. However he has GOOD depth all around with players who contribute and none of them are subject to pressbox or taxi squad duties. One would define the shape of the roster as a true "middle pack king" for now, but let us see when he's done with the final product.
Activity = *****
Trades = ****
Valuations = ***
17. Shiv (CHI) - Now if we are talking about Shiv of PIT, thats a legendary story to tell with this guy being listed at top 5. However we do take back quitters, we do forgive others and cry with luke warm tears whenever members need support. In terms of character and activity, he is second to none. However with the resurgence of Shiv with Chicago in the recent years have told us that he is simply not going to be able to invest enough time and effort to tend to his team, and it shows. He has opted the "trade like a madman before season and then stop" method since 2014. Never ever been a team to stay in rebuild mode, he is one of the prime candidates of victims of our newest parity phenomenon except he has still tried to work his "low-depth and dirty H2H" strategy magic only to see that a few injuries and assets that don't pan out equals disaster. Worst part of not conforming to the parity phenomenon is that you cannot TRADE your way back up to contention anymore because parity tells us GMs just don't trade for the sake of trading anymore even if there is value in it. Let's be patient and see what he's up to in the near future? Will he once again become the ticking time bomb that plays hot potato with his assets if chance arises?
Activity = ***
Trades = **
Valuations = ***
16. Arian (EDM) - Is he still the youngest in our league? Probably. Anyway he is one of the longer serving members who gets to have the pleasure of receiving the middle pack ranking mainly because of his patience and valuations coming to fruition in the recent year and a half. He has admitted to his past mistakes FAST... way faster than that pathetic CAR GM has, therefore EDM BBKL all of a sudden is a respected club in society. Some say patience game isn't a skill but you can tell that to any of the dudes in this league whose time spent rebuilding is paying dividends: you will likely find yourself looking up to them in standings soon enough. Constantly adored by the older members of the league, Arian is probably one of the FIRST BBKL clubs to make loud noise in the playoff bubble scene purely due to patience and rebuild. He needs to be a bit more active on the trade front to beef up what he lacks.
Activity = *****
Trades = **
Valuations = ****
15. Nick (TBL) - This will probably surprise many. "Beloved" Nick the talker of the league that blessed us with endless half a monitor-length paragraphs of debates which we all miss probably has life outside of this that prevents him from making too many improvements. Much like NYR, TBL doesn't seem to have many holes in the offence and elite-level of the assets he possesses. However his stobborn stance on placing periphs categories to a minimum has always haunted him from going deep into the playoffs the past 3 years. There was known injury issues with his goalies and players as well, but one could also suspect that the makeup of his team indicates he chases players he really likes rather than building for championship year in year out. That factor truly sets apart deep playoff teams from the rest. Nick likely possesses enough knowledge to know what kind of additional pieces are required on his team to succeed further; but does he stand firm in his own world and stay stingy? Main thing he lacks also is depth - which can only be achieved nowadays with stockpiling of picks and developing them. There doesn't seem to be much of a way out of this depth issues nowadays. If you are depleted of depth, you just aren't going to make it far. Also valuation hardly shaken by external pressure or stimulant.
Activity = ****
Trades = ***
Valuations = **
14. Koomzz (STL) - Is this a joke? Probably one of the most controversial ranking to date. He's one of our newest crops and hardly set foot in to led us to believe he's anywhere near this 14 number. Hold the thought... for one, his strong background in research and composure have quickly turned around Shep's abandoned ship of barely 14-15 active NHLer depth. Two, he understands the concept of H2H very well and one of the few who have displayed that balance of youth, scoring and periphs is the special blend for success. Before you know it, you will see that he's going to bring up STL to be a perrenial playoff team for years to come.
Activity = ***
Trades = ***
Valuations = ****
13. Matthew (ANA) - Another surprise? No I didn't place him here because he raped me recently - this guys a monster in a way that puts no emotions or personal agenda in front of his trade talks. He does not make many trades, however every single deals he has made had been made with a purpose, effort and profit. Start with acquiring an elite piece in Kane for cheap... flip it for great prospects... Mike Smith for a lottery pick... excellent management of starting goalies and other assets to land #1 d-men of NHL teams (Subban/Suter). Did he get lucky with all this?? Every move he makes is fierce and refreshing. Almost makes us look at the opposing GMs with a raised eye-brow "you sure you wanna give him all that?" We don't know how he does it but he has been quietly putting together a monster franchise that has valuable lottery picks and some deep playoff team-esq row of defencemen. Possibility is endless for Anaheim as he can take and choose any direction he pleases. He understands asset currency rates very well, and well enough to exploit it within GM's that need desperately to get rid of it and finds them. Valuation factor stays neutral because we just aren't sure if he values players correctly but chooses to rob us blind or he truly believes his set of off the hook insane publicly stated valuations as being true? Biggest knock on Matthew is the absolute unwillingness to negotiate outside of his own agenda. Makes it for very difficult trade talks if there are any. Most contenders have given up talking to him so who are all these guys pumping his team up anyway??
Activity = ****
Trades = **
Valuations = ***
12. Chuck (MTL) - I won't speak for the lack of activity he's gone through the past two season because we all know what happened. That factor aside, I still remember him to be one of the MOST active traders of all time with PIT Shiv. Many would have liked him on the top 10 list but due to the lack of activity in those periods he is placed here. Truly family-oriented and a character guy who takes all of the lifes struggles in stride, we wish to see the MTL BBKL club heading back into the right direction with deep playoff runs and more trades with a purpose. That said, MTL's evaluations of players always have been above par and would make trades based on needs with sharp analytics. Also valuation hardly shaken by external pressure or stimulant.
Activity = *
Trades = **
Valuations = *****
11. Fraser (VAN) - Many have different opinion on who Fraser can be - either silly Canadian pretending to be an Aussie who tries to follow hockey, or a cut-throat beer chasing maniac who knows exactly what he's doing. VAN franchise had been riddled with thugs and wannabes over the years but he has come in and righted the ship in many great ways. Remember what was said in list #18? One believes he's that other piece GM who unfortunately conspired to make the league parity take place. One cannot say a single bad thing about his trades as he is concise and precise with the assets he wants. He's fairly active and strong on the talks once it gets going, and does not shy away from making huge deals but when they do happen, they are truly hockey deals with big big names. Understands thoroughly the concept of youth scoring and periphs to be the way to compete, and before you know it, as soon as he gets his hands on a legit goalie you won't see him drop below top 5 in the West. Also valuation hardly shaken by external pressure or stimulant.
Activity = ****
Trades = ****
Valuations = ****
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Top ten introduction
Most of these general managers who have made to this list below have through time and time again, proven to the rest of the league that choosing a direction is important as well as making swift changes when needed in relation to LEAGUE PARITY. Activity has some barometer, but accurate timeless effort spent researching and broadening their level of understanding of hockey in general is key. They also understand the significance of future impact on prospects and players who go through SHL/KHL/CHL/SM-LIIGA/DEL/AHL in transition to the NHL level. They also understand and display vast knowledge on on-ice strategies, advanced sabermetrics in relation to player impact and NHL coaching styles that fit a player's strengths/weaknesses. All the knowledge combined with decent marketing and GM relations equals recipe for grand success. They don't only get one or two things right, but combination of 5-6 things right to make the team the way it is today. Congrats and prepare to read.
10. Lee (PHI) - Hello Lee. You are Mr.Ten. Not one to care much about GM relations, General Lee is tough, stobborn and intense and loves the league more than his own family. He is the only GM to be put on the top ten considering his overall lack of playoff experience in the last 3 years. Got a question about prospects? Ask him...or dont. He will charge you a 7th round pick. This GM displayed perserverance and variety of knowledge to bring a forever basement team up to a team to talk about possessing a near full roster of sub-26 yr olds and they're all good quality players - all while still maintaining decent collection of B-level prospects and several 1st and 2nd round picks. Lee has chilled out since his last tidying up of Philly "ready to compete" but it doesnt appear that he is done just yet. Valuations on prospects and NHLers have been accurate and for a long time, otherwise building of this team would not have been possible. Seemed like he was just going through the tedious motion but this is hard to do. Although one of the most common phrases labeled against him start out with "you are constantly bitching/nagging about _____!" by fellow GMs, one is certain that Lee doesn't plan on leaving Philly any time soon because we aint giving him another BBKL franchise to tinker with. Keep up your Philly project and take it to the next level! In the end he gets the tail end of top ten for the reason that he is the longest serving member to implement a basement team to playoff ready club using one franchise and one chance without quitting. Never lets external pressure of stimulant to change his standards.
Activity = *****
Trades = ***
Valuations = *****
9. Thom (WSH) - I'm not even really sure when Kareem became Thom anymore. It's all a blur to me. Thom came in seemingly as a likable person who was about to put his own stamp on the franchise - well not for the first two years anyway he says... got a lotta GMs going for the way he handled or lack there of, the WSH caps. As mentioned previously multiple times, patience is a small part of what contributes to success. That's not all though. He has thoroughly used his one leg up than the rest--intelligence level to mix patience with frugal and ninja-like research to constantly re-tool and went way younger and h2h-friendly. Basically nobody likes his opening offers. Some have caused to block him from their trade list forever. How does he still make blockbusters?? Thoms main reason for a mention on this list is his ability to constantly improve and cycle older players for younger players all while losing ZERO quality. This requires tireless surgical-style research in conjunction with medical school duties. Impressive. We all miss Neel dont we? Could stand to get along with other a bit better as he could use some more friends around here. For now he a ruthless anti-Neel. Gotta give him full credit for activity here though.
Activity = *****
Trades = ***
Valuations = *****
8. Josh (CGY) - A lot of GMs have come and gone in the same era Josh came into play with us. Many didnt understand what he was trying to do with Franks masterpiece of failure in Stampede country. He wasnt much of one to reveal what and how much he knew about fantasy hockey in general and relatively kept a low profile while enjoying dipping into some meaningful debates and contributions on rules and the CC/CBA matters. Spoken and acting like a true scholar, this Ph.D candidate works hard and effortlessly on mutiple aspects of the league and constantly displays quality evaluations that translated to top notch understanding of prospects and drafting. When you have strong base of knowledge on this, it is only a matter of time this team becomes a force and it did. He knows exactly who stays in CGY and who can be used to upgrade or downgrade. Near-perfect conversion of futures for stud H2H players in a timely fashion isnt as easy to achieve on a consistent basis. Continued work is required to dangle a deep playoff team status but the way Josh runs the team it wouldn't be a stretch to say CGY will be in discussion for a cup favourite year in year out!
Activity = ****
Trades = ***
Valuations = *****
7. Tony (NYI) - BIGGEST question with this team for years have got us asking "when does this team die of natural causes?" He would gracefully say each time "I had a dream I fucked your brains out. Right on that desk, and you loved it" and blow past them in standings. How is this possible? Well one can see that he runs a tight ship. This is a style of asset management that isn't preferred by many, but being this good for this long? There's gotta be a reason right? It is truly special watching this team plow through teams of all difficulty level. NYI works off slow but steady incremental upgrades by needs basis. He would never compromise his agenda of small upgrades no matter how small. Winning is winning. Many are not a fan of his usual public offer of "Shit + 2nd" intended upgrade attemps, but most of his trades aren't far off from this format, and that's why he succeeds over others. He is one of the best in utilizing less attractive pieces a lot of contenders don't want. One can't even remember when the last time NYI missed the playoffs. Time to wake up though Tony, you don't want to be the Sharks of BBKL. We do welcome you to come to the rebuilder world anytime you are ready to come over.
Activity = ****
Trades = **
Valuations = ****
6. Hong (MIN) - Jou-San in Hong Kong sir. He often seems distant with the league as he is in real life compared to most of us geographically. That is not the reason to deserve the shaft from being mentoned in the top 5 but rather unwillingness to work with many GMs here being the only knock. We all know Asians are smart as fuck, but he shows us that not only he book smart but fantasy smart. He has shown us he is more than able to make blockbusters as well as small pick swaps to carry the franchise to the next level. His overall vision, prediction and prospect upside analysis can't be topped by many who "study" hockey even in native North American soil. Imagine he was actually still in Canada and actually liked talking trades every day? Top 3 is likely the case. What he has built over the years is just amazing because most of his core is actually from drafting (Toffoli Ristolainen Larsson Lindholm etc). A lot of the future outlook of these contenders is interesting to note because of cap ceiling issue. He seems to have handled it very well yearly. In the end thanks for never leaving us and providing us with a sexy roster to look at. I will still try to find you a Korean girlfriend soon.
Activity = **
Trades = *
Valuations = *****
5. Matt (BUF) - Not many will be able to testify that they have taken a 29th overall team to having a perrenial allstar lineup in less than a calendar year. Yes this team had tons of good assets from Phion Keneuf collection, it wasn't exactly Cartier material though but rather a big quantity of Michael Hill stuff - middle round 1sts and borderline A or B-level prospects. I take a look at Buffalos cycle of deals over the years and can say boy this looks effortless. He has a lot of assets to work with though. But stop there. Finding the balance of asset type to acquire and when to take that advantage is not something you can teach yourself because anticipation of real life events is difficult to read. He seems to have read it all pretty accurately and relatively fast - it isnt like Hong's development eye or Lee's all or nothing conversion, but Matt has managed to make BIG upgrades step by step and has elite names in both H2H and skills department. Never the one to shy away from controversial or fun topics, he is a rare breed of a GM in a cut throat environment that nobody could hate because he is a fantasy hockey angel. Kudos to all your work and hope to see you more in the top 2 conversations soon enough.
Activity = *****
Trades = ****
Valuations = *****
4. CAM (BOS) - What was your real name again? Fuck it who cares. One of the older and voiced OG of BBKL has slowed down from his prime for sure, but what do old people do for a prosperous life? Work hard and invest and then reap benefits. One can't say much about how prosperous his life is outside of BBKL but he sure has enjoyed the life BBKL had to offer over many many years through his diligent investment of hockey knowledge that paid huge dividends to success. He is among one of the longest serving pioneers of running a stacked 20 active BBKL juggernaut players and he is ever slowly being affected by the parity world. However the reason why his team hasn't fallen off the earth yet is because of the amount of riches he's gained over the golden years. Better polish up his watch though soon enough. His ability to read NHL talent is deadly. Investing and trading for all the right players in Couture and Tarasenko, I assume that while he's not yelling at children or tryin to figure out how to work Chromcast or NHL Game Centre, all he does is read football and hockey. He doesn't even know where his family is half of the time. Not much of his strategy or knowledge base is shared with the public, which is a common indicator of a top tier GM. BBKL champion status under his belt, CAM does not plan on rebuilding any time soon, but conforming slowly into asset collection like many contenders are. Pick and choose your fight and 2 more d-men acquisitions later you will see him in a top 4 conversation probably until he dies.
Activity = ****
Trades = *
Valuations = *****
3. Mik (NSH) - You might feel like you're taking a tour of the Willy Wonka's factory of hockey with one look at his Fantrax roster - tasty. The top 3 conversation probably comes down more to the overall impact of roster in relation to success in standings than any other comparable GM's around the league. If I were to rate the style of GM-ing and overall depth and scouting, Mik gets my #1 vote. Only because of the sheer mystery of how he does it with Euro's. Borderline bath tub rubber plug stubborn-ness combined with team South Korea archery skill accuracy of player evaluation makes it all worthwhile to see his draft selections year in year out. While many GM's have accumulated what they call small depth in the minors through drafting, Kyuss scoffs with confidence that he can dress nearly 18 skater depth of farm lineup that actually plays and contributes in the NHL level. Something like this has never even been on anybody's radar of plans when they're either too busy competing or rebuilding one way or another. Secret of his scouting services will probably never be revealed but we will continue to enjoy your output here on and off the tireless league administrative duties you are involved in. True Peter Forsberg of BBKL hockey. I wanna see you win more cups before being considered a true #1 though.
Activity = *****
Trades = **
Valuations = *****
2. Mike (TOR) - Surgical asset-shifting seasonally and being the first GM to near-perfectly predict and read the 30-team league's goalie market in a ruthless fashion has gotten a lot of our hands absolutely tied and left no choice to pay the man. History have told us time and time again that lottery picks are worth holding onto. Well if you're Mike, you will just casually offer up the best package to buy it from you instead without losing any of his core. Father of our BBKL nation and the brains behind league, activity isn't as what it used to be, but why touch something you can manage on cruise control for years with McDavid and Matthews? This is one team that does not need to worry much about if or how he will win the cup, but how many 1st round picks he will need to possess the year after going for the cup. Truly a scary first world problem isn't it?
Activity = **
Trades = **
Valuations = *****
1. Steve (LAK) - GM relations, timely player acquisitions, prospect analysis, potential NHL impact on young players breaking in, overall perceived respect in the league and oh and two BBKL championships winner in 3 seasons to round off, I'm not sure I missed anything that contributes to #1 status. Only GM to average close to 30 to 50 trades a year in active duty and has a winning tradition is basically why he sits here. Many of us do lurk the forums every day as often as he does but how to integrate yourself into the league and be the good guy AND win? Double edged sword mindset that controls the league valuation on a regular basis, the kind of influence he carries cannot be measured in quantity.
Activity = *****
Trades = *****
Valuations = *****
