NHL’s 5 Most Underrated General Managers – The Hockey Writers – Commentary

Last week, The Hockey Writers (THW) compiled a list of the five most overrated general managers (GM) in the NHL. The reviews came in hot, mostly in defense of Steve Yzerman, the Detroit Red Wings GM who is regarded as one of the best in the league yet enters his sixth season with the team without a playoff berth.

Related: NHL’s 5 Most Overrated General Managers

With this in mind, it’s time to look at the other side of the coin. Who are the most underrated GMs in the NHL? It’s important to note that underrated and overrated for that matter can’t be measured in any metric and the rankings are subjective. It’s why this list took the opinion of multiple writers from THW. So, let’s dive right in!

5. Craig Conroy

Craig Conroy is one of the GMs on this list who has been part of a rebuild. He took over a Calgary Flames team in a difficult spot when he was hired in the 2023 offseason. Either he had to tear it down and trade away any players who could bring back a considerable return in a deal or try to keep the Flames competitive.

The teardown was tough and required the Flames to take their medicine for some bad contracts that were handed out during the Brad Treliving years. That said, it’s safe to say that Conroy has done a good job restocking the farm system with talent and adding young skaters to the NHL roster. The Tyler Toffoli deal for example gave the Flames Yegor Sharangovich and a draft selection for a rental who would end the season on a different team (he was traded to the New Jersey Devils then dealt to the Winnipeg Jets at the trade deadline). The same could be said about the Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, and Jacob Markstrom trades, all of which have reshaped the roster for success down the road.

With the Flames near the bottom of the Pacific Division last season, Conroy’s work went unnoticed and it will remain that way until they start improving in the standings. However, the Flames are a team on the rise in the Western Conference and it’s in part because of the big deals Conroy has made in only a short time as the GM.

4. Chris Drury

Since Chris Drury was hired as the GM in the 2021 offseason, he’s had an impressive tenure. It’s easy to say that his job wasn’t difficult as the New York Rangers already had the pieces in place to go from rebuilding to competitive when he arrived but he catapulted this team to another level. Drury has not only made the…