MOVERS & FAKERS
Ranking GMs from dominant to disappointing
JEFF Gorton, the third-year general manager plotting the course for a Rangers team attempting to retool on the fly, will face moments of truth as the fork-inthe-road trade deadline approaches in February.
Of his predecessors, perhaps only Neil Smith in 1994 — who, urged by coach Mike Keenan to change the club’s makeup heading into the playoffs, ripped up the NHL’s best regular-season squad — dealt with as weighty a challenge as Gorton will confront.
There are 10 who preceded Gorton, whose first day on the job was July 1, 2015, following four seasons as Glen Sather’s chief lieutenant and eight overall in the Rangers’ front office. And while it is too early to rate his performance, it is a good time to rank the men who came before him.
From top to bottom:
1. Lester Patrick Oct. 1926-Feb. 1946
The job description was somewhat less complex back then, but the Silver Fox was largely responsible for the procurement of players who formed the greatest generation of Rangers in winning the Stanley Cup in 1928, 1933 and 1940 while going to the finals three other times. Was behind the bench from the inaugural 1926-27 season through 1938-39. Owns the ultimate tiebreaker, when in Game 2 of the 1928 finals against the Montreal Maroon at age 44, the retired defenseman replaced the injured Lorne Carr in nets during the second period and eeked out a Blueshirts’ 2-1 overtime victory.
2. Neil Smith July 1989-March 2000
Despite the fact that it ended so darn bloody, it is impossible to minimize the GM’s role in building the only team to win the Cup on Broadway over the past 77 years. When Smith took over, the Blueshirts had not won a thing since finishing first in the seven-team NHL in 1941-42. The Rangers captured the Patrick Division title in Smith’s first year on the job in 1989-90, won the Presidents’ Trophy in 1991-92 and then again in 1993-94 on their way to the momentous ride up the Canyon of Heroes. Traded bold and traded big, not always to his benefit. All that followed 1994 has kept Smith from being officially recognized at the Garden, but does not diminish his standing in this ranking.
3. Emile Francis Oct. 1964-Jan. 1976
The beloved Father of the Rangers’ Modern Era, the Cat resurrected the franchise that had been an Original Six doormat and brought it to prominence by assembling what likely stands as the NHL’s best team never to win the Stanley Cup. Drafted brilliantly, traded aggressively but not always wisely in the eternal effort to find the one missing link. Greatest blunder was allowing Fred Shero to get away to Philadelphia after having coached in the Blueshirts’ minor league system.
4. Craig Patrick Nov. 1980-July 1986
Generated a handful of extremely popular clubs coached by Herb Brooks that ultimately came as close as possible to derailing the Islanders’ dynasty. Draft picks included Brian Leetch (ninth overall in the GM’s final act a month before his dismissal), Mike Richter, John Vanbiesbrouck, James Patrick, Tony Granato, Tomas Sandstrom and Jan Erixon.
5. Glen Sather June 2000-June 2015
The Last Lion of Winter’s reign was as polarizing as they come. Had a disastrous first four years on the job — that included the hiring of Bryan Trottier as head coach and a stint of his own behind the bench — after claiming from afar in Edmonton that he’d win the Cup every year with the Rangers’ payroll. But Sather reinvented himself and the team following the 2005-06 inception of the hard cap, first turning New York into Prague in welcoming Jaromir Jagr and a gaggle of Czechmates including Martin Straka, Martin Rucinsky, Petr Sykora, Michal Rozsival and Marek Malik, then importing Brendan Shanahan and Sean Avery, before constructing a conference finals team under John Tortorella and a Cup final squad under Alain Vigneault. Under his watch, the Rangers are one of only four teams — with Pittsburgh, Detroit and San Jose — to make the playoffs 11 of the 12 years under the hard cap.
6. Fred Shero June 1978-Nov. 1980
A minimalist in the front office, whose duties were largely assigned to his partner Mickey Keating, Freddie’s great achievement was bringing himself along to coach the charismatic Ooh-La-La club to a surprising run to the 1979 finals. Sympatico with Garden chairman Sonny Werblin, oversaw the Beck Job, the trade in which Barry Beck came to New York from Colorado for a package fronted by Mike McEwen, Pat Hickey and Lucien DeBlois.
7. Muzz Patrick April 1955-Oct. 1964
Chants of “Muzz Must Go” that rang out through the early sixties formed the soundtrack of the old Garden. Qualified for playoffs in first three years, but franchise thereafter fell into disrepute, though he did have the creativity to bring Doug Harvey to New York as player-coach for the 1961-62 season in which No. 2 won the Norris Trophy and led the team to its only playoff berth in what would be an eight-year stretch.
8. John Ferguson Jan. 1976-June 1978
Ran Rod Gilbert into retirement, had the audacity to change the traditional uniforms to the design he would later implement with the WHA Jets, hired Jean-Guy Talbot to coach the club, traded Rick Middleton for Ken Hodge, and oversaw the 1977 draft in which he selected Ron Duguay and DeBlois in the first round while Mike Bossy was on the board.
9. Frank Boucher Feb. 1946-April 1955
The fabled center, who had coached the club to the 1940 Cup, was in charge when the team made an unexpected charge to the finals in 1950 before losing a double overtime Game 7 to the Red Wings.
10. Phil Esposito June 1986-May 1989
The clown prince of Ranger management, who traded a f irstround pick to Quebec in order to hire Michel Bergeron as coach, whom he f ired with two games remaining in his second season so Espo himself could go behind the bench for what became a humiliating first-round sweep by Pittsburgh. Traded Mike Ridley and Kelly Miller to Washington fo r Bobby Carpenter on New Year’s Day of 1987 three months before wheeling Carpenter to LA for a last-legs Marcel Dionne.