Toronto Maple Leafs: Ranking All 32 NHL General Managers
By Jeff Borsuk
The 18th Ranked GM – Kevin Cheveldayoff (Winnipeg Jets)
In June, Kevin Cheveldayoff celebrated being the Winnipeg Jets’ Executive Vice-President and General Manager for ten years. It was a run that started with the Thrashers. It’s been a roller coaster ride for Cheveldayoff and the team who have made it as far as the Western Conference Finals in 2018.
The Good – Without question, the best move Chevaldayoff made was in 2014 when he released Claude Noel mid-season and replaced him with Paul Maurice. The coaching change set up the team for six and half seasons and Maurice remains the bench boss today.
From a drafting and signing perspective, Chevaldayoff can be given the nod for selecting Mark Scheifele seventh overall in 2011. He has gone on to be the Jets best player, which is why their GM deserves credit for also locking up the center with an eight year contract in July of 2016 worth $49M. It carries an AAV of just $6.125M.
The Bad – In the summer of 2012, Chevaldayoff manage to win the Olli Jokinen sweepstakes. He paid a big price for the Finish center. Jokinen was given a two year $9M contract. It carried both a $4.5M cap hit and a no-trade clause. In his first season Jokinen posted putrid numbers. In 45 games, he scored seven goals and had seven assists. Jokinen bounced back in the second year of the deal as he became known to be a lame duck stud.
The Ugly – Jokinen wasn’t Chevaldayoff’s worst signing. That might be reserved for current Maple Leafs defenseman, Zach Bogosian. The Jets loved what Bogosian brought to the table so they locked him up long term in 2013. Chevaldayoff extended the blue liner for seven-years in a deal worth $36M.
Things didn’t work out for Bogosian and the Jets. Chevaldayoff must have recognized the ugly situation for what it was and decided to cut bait in 2015 when he included Bogosian as part of a package with Evander Kane and Jason Kasdorf and shipped them to the Sabres. In return, Chevaldayoff received Joel Armia, Brendan Lemieux, Tyler Myers, Drew Stafford, and a first round draft pick which was used to draft Jack Roslovic. Not a single one of those players is with the organization today.