Joe Sakic won many awards as a player, and now he has one as an executive. The Colorado Avalanche GM has won the Jim Gregory GM of the Year Award. Sakic edged out Chris Drury of the New York Rangers and Julien Brisebois of the Tampa Bay Lightning for the award.
Sakic led the Avalanche to a Stanley Cup title this year, and his work, especially this year, went a long way to getting them there. Savvy trades for Darcy Kuemper, Artturi Lehkonen, and Nazem Kadri provided the team with crucial difference-makers that all played a role on their cup run. His trade for Devon Toews especially is one of the most lopsided trades in recent NHL history. Sakic’s shrewd free-agent moves, highlighted by his acquisition of Valeri Nichushkin, helped support the core of players the Avalanche drafted.
Sakic, a Hall of Fame player, is now building an executive career that could eventually come to rival the success of his playing career. The Avalanche look like they could be contenders for many years to come, and they’re in that position thanks in large part to the work Sakic has done. Now, Sakic has even more recognition to show for that work, in addition to the Stanley Cup ring he won earlier this summer.
Must be tough inheriting a roster full of top 10 picks…
Figured that at least one of the local cranks would toss fits over a GM award, and look, you delivered like a champ. Not shockingly, you came in with a completely uninformed tantrum. Since Joe Sakic has had the last say on personnel matters since May, 2013, it does not seem that he inherited many of the players on the current roster.
I’m sorry, did Sakic draft the consensus first overall choice fourth overall? I didn’t think so…
Bowman didn’t win for quitting before he was fired? This was rigged. I want my money back.
Much deserved award. Years ago I thought he was over his head as GM but his recent moves have been very good.
The only two players Sakic inherited were Erik Johnson and Gabe Landeskog that were on the team that raised the cup. He dealt matty duech for Bowen and Sammy G. He traded a couple picks for Toews. He signed Val off the waiver wire. He traded some guy named Chris Bigras straight up for Ryan Graves. Should I continue?
One other thing I’d like to add, I’m from Baltimore. We always had a saying here, in Ozzie we trust. Ozzie Newsom, hall of fame TE in the NFL and hall of fame GM for my Ravens. For years I’ve been saying in Joe we trust. Dare I say, he enters the hall of fame twice. He’s already there for his playing career which was a ton of fun to watch and I believe he’s on pace to enter as a GM as well.
Much deserved. Credits also to coach Bednar for getting the most out of their players. (and to Seattle for deliberately taking Donskoi on)