Like the overrated list, this ranking requires a lot of subjectivity. It\u2019s about the public perception of a GM compared to the results, and once a GM has significant success, they aren\u2019t underrated anymore (which happened to a few in the league). So, let\u2019s dive in!<\/p>\n
5. Kelly McCrimmon<\/p>\n
It\u2019s hard to call Kelly McCrimmon underrated since he\u2019s regarded as one of the best GMs in the NHL. He built the Vegas Golden Knights to a Cup title in 2023<\/a> and has kept them near the top of the Western Conference. That being said, McCrimmon doesn\u2019t get enough credit for the job he\u2019s done. <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s why the Mitch Marner<\/a> addition was possible, as the Golden Knights are a team that star players want to join. <\/p>\n 4. Chris MacFarland<\/p>\n The job Chris MacFarland did last season was admirable. Sure, the Mikko Rantanen trade<\/a> 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. <\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n It\u2019s 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<\/a>. Yet, MacFarland has succeeded, and his moves have set the Avalanche up for a big season ahead. <\/p>\n 3. Craig Conroy<\/p>\n Craig Conroy was put into a tough situation as the Calgary Flames were stuck in no-man\u2019s land. They weren\u2019t good enough to make the playoffs, yet had veterans with long-term contracts attached to them, and the players weren\u2019t living up to them either (notably Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri). <\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n It\u2019s 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\u2019t surprise anyone if the Flames make the playoffs and people start to take notice of the job Conroy has done. <\/p>\n 2. Kent Hughes<\/p>\n It\u2019s difficult to have a successful rebuild in the NHL. It\u2019s 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\u2019s what Kent Hughes did with the Montreal Canadiens. <\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to call Hughes underrated when he\u2019s in the Montreal market, a place where every move is dissected and heavily scrutinized. That said, he\u2019s one of the best GMs in the NHL and doesn\u2019t get the recognition for it. <\/p>\n Hughes had top-five picks in three drafts in a row, yet landed two elite talents to build around with Juraj Slafkovsky<\/a> 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<\/a> addition this summer, and he\u2019ll make the big splash needed to bring the Cup back to Montreal.<\/p>\n 1. Kevin Cheveldayoff<\/p>\n Considering the circumstances, Kevin Cheveldayoff doesn\u2019t receive enough credit. The Winnipeg Jets and their market are regarded as the opposite of a destination, a place that players avoid, and it\u2019s hard to bring in outside talent. The odds are stacked against the Jets, and there\u2019s always the lingering question about whether the team will give up and relocate (which happened in the 1990s). And every season, Cheveldayoff delivers.<\/p>\n It\u2019s 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\u2019s been around for a while, and fans overlook him. At the same time, he\u2019s the type of GM who can eventually build this team into a Cup contender.<\/p>\n The odds are stacked against Cheveldayoff and the Jets again. They lost Nikolaj Ehlers<\/a> in the offseason and must replace a key part of their top six. It\u2019s why many people are expecting a regression from this team, where they might miss the playoffs. However, it\u2019s hard to doubt Cheveldayoff, who will make the moves to get this team into the Cup conversation. <\/p>\n Other Underrated General Managers<\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to call Bill Zito underrated at this point. He\u2019s 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\u2019s hard to call Jim Nill, the three-time Jim Gregory Award winner, underrated. Yet, they are the standards for the job, and it\u2019s hard to appreciate their greatness. <\/p>\n It\u2019s 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\u2019s provided plenty of optimism. <\/p>\n Which GMs do you think are underrated? Let us know in the comments section below!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a> <\/a>![\"Kent](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Kent-Hughes-Montreal-Canadiens-1200x800.jpg\")
Kent Hughes, Montreal Canadiens general manager (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"Substack](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/THW_Substack_Banner4-e1693132124550-1200x148.jpg\")
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