New GMs Graded After Offseason Moves | NHL News

0:00It's September 12th. Welcome in. This is NHL News Today, where team coverage meets AI. We're breaking down the first off-season for some of the NHL's newest general managers. Four GMs stepped into new roles and had to make some big moves. We're talking about John Chaco with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Chris McFarlane in Nashville, Sonny Metta with the New Jersey Devils and Jarmo, Kekeleinen in Buffalo. It's tough to grade them definitively since only Buffalo has played games, but we've got some takes. Chris McFarlane in Nashville gets a C+. He brought in guys like Ross Colton and Jack Jury to boost the middle of the lineup, but he traded away former first-round picks like Fador Spechkov. The jury still out on how competitive the predators will be, but he seems to have avoided the lottery. John Chaco in Toronto was the busiest, earning a B. He made a ton of trades and signings, even overhauling the front office and coaching staff. Landing Gavin McKenna with the first overall pick was huge, and acquiring Nick Paul was a solid move. The big gamble is the

1:04three-year deal for Sergei Babroski, which could either be genius or a bust. Jarmo, Kekeleinen in Buffalo gets a B+. He had to deal with losing Alex Touch and Bowen Byrum, but he managed to get significant assets back, including a high draft pick and young defenseman. Olin, Zellweger. He also locked up Zach Benson long-term. The main critique is not landing a top goalie, though he still linked to Connor Hellabike. Sunny Metta, with the new Jersey Devils, stands out with an A. He made two major trades, flipping Simon Nemek for multiple first-round picks and acquiring Alex Evangelista. Adding Anthony Mantha on a reasonable contract also looks smart. The biggest question mark for the Devils is in net, as they'll be relying on Jake Allen and others.