The 2015-16 NHL season is coming to a close and what better way to cap off the year than by taking a look at the front-runners for the NHL Awards? The league’s ceremony, held in Las Vegas, does not take place until after the Stanley Cup has been hoisted, but there is no harm in getting our predictions in now. Don’t forget to checkout our previous predictions for the Norris and the Vezina.

The General Manager of the Year Award is awarded annually to the top National Hockey League general manager as voted by a 40-member panel that includes all 30 general managers, five NHL executives and five media members.

Predictions for the 2015-16 GM of the Year Award

Honorable Mention:

Bob Murray, Anaheim Ducks: 2nd in the Pacific Division, $65.85 million cap hit.

Murray was nominated by LWOS for the GM of the Year Award last season as well, and has made some shrewd moves this year to keep the Ducks competitive in a tough Western Conference.

The team lost two key players in forward Matt Beleskey and defenseman Francois Beauchemin to free agency last summer, but Murray was proactive in covering those losses, signing forwards Chris Stewart, Shawn Horcoff and Mike Santorelli after July 1, 2015.

Murray was also active on the trade market, moving out the disappointing Emerson Etem to the New York Rangers in exchanged for speedy Carl Hagelin (whom Murray would later swap for David Perron, who has 20 points in 28 games with the club). He also picked up backup netminder Anton Khudobin from the Carolina Hurricanes, somehow managing to get rid of defenseman James Wisniewski’s contract in the process, in addition to bringing in Kevin Bieksa for defenseive depth. At the trade deadline Murray was able to snag Brandon Pirri, who has scored five points in nine games with the club.

Murray hasn’t been without his missteps, certainly a two-year, $8 million contract for Bieksa is looking awful already, while signing Hagelin to a four-year deal and then shipping him off to Pittsburgh after half a season is a bit unsavory.

With that said, it’s impossible to ignore the results for the Ducks: Sitting on top of the Pacific Division and looking like the same playoff threat they’ve been for years now. Lest we forget the biggest move Murray made, or rather didn’t make, in keeping coach Bruce Budreau, one of the greatest regular season coaches in NHL history, during a tough stretch early in the season (the Ducks started 1-7-2 and didn’t hit .500 until the end of 2015). Add in a young blueline which is the envy of the NHL and a payroll in the bottom third of the league (for now), and Murray would be a worthy nominee. However, he certainly has some work to do this summer, with a multitude of key free agents.

Finalists:

Dale Tallon, Florida Panthers: 1st in the Atlantic Division, $75.29 million cap hit.

Tallon was the architect of a large part of the current Chicago Blackhawks core, and it looks like the same game plan he employed in the Windy City is starting to bear fruit in Florida.

Tallon’s nomination comes less from the work he’s done over the past year to get the Panthers over the hump, and more the body of work which has propelled the club to the best regular season in its history. Tallon was nominated for this award in 2011-12 after the Panthers won the southeast division, yet the club stumbled the next three years, finishing out of playoff contention.

However, Tallon has been patient, remaking the roster through a mix of cagey veterans and youth with superstar potential. In 2013 he drafted Aleksander Barkov, who has had an outstanding season this year with 58 points, drawing comparisons to Jonathan Toews and Anze Kopitar.

In 2014 he drafted Aaron Ekblad 1st overall, and the big blueliner has shown no signs of slowing down after winning the Calder Trophy last season. He also added veterans Jussi Jokinen, who is quietly tied with Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau for second on the team in scoring with 58 points, and Roberto Luongo, who at 37 years old has been in the Vezina Trophy conversation for much of the season.

Then of course there’s Jaromir Jagr, who may prove to be Tallon’s best move of all, not just for what the ageless wonder brings on the ice (he leads the club with 65 points), but what he brings to the dressing room. Jagr’s work ethic is as legendary as his accomplishments, and having his example and experience rubbing off on youngsters like Huberdeau, Vincent Trochek and Nick Bjugstad has been a boon for coach Gerald Gallant’s roster.

For perhaps the first time in their history, the Panthers finally look like a team which could be a contender for years to come, and that’s because of the groundwork Tallon has laid since he took the helm back in 2010.

Jim Nill, Dallas Stars: 1st in the Central Division, $73.46 million cap hit.

Similar to Tallon, Nill’s nomination comes largely on the back of years of hard work coming together at the right time. Yes, a few key pieces of the roster, including star winger Jamie Benn, defensemen John Klingberg, Alex Goligoski and goaltender Kari Lehtonen, were already in place when Nill took over in 2013. However, the team has shown continual improvement under the guidance of Nill, and now stands poised to be a Stanley Cup contender.

Shortly after his arrival in Dallas, Nill showed he wasn’t afraid to make a splash, acquiring superstar center Tyler Seguin from the Boston Bruins in a blockbuster deal. In 2014, sensing his team was on the upswing, Nill was again proactive, picking up winger Ales Hemskey and center Jason Spezza in separate deals. While Hemsky has been productive but underwhelming, Spezza has been spectacular, with back-to-back 60-point seasons in Dallas, including 30 goals this year for the team averaging the most goals per game in the NHL.

This year Nill has continued to tinker with the formula, resulting in the best Stars squad in recent memory. He added Antti Niemi to shore up the goaltending and traded for Patrick Sharp and Kris Russell to add depth at forward and defense, respectively. The club’s defense is still somewhat flawed (228 goals against, worst among playoff teams), but the best offensive team in hockey (264 goals for) has been able to make up for any shortcomings on the backend, and while some have questioned their ability to make a post-season run this year, there’s no debate the Stars have been one of the top teams in the league all season.

Winner Pick:

Brian MacLellan, Washington Capitals: 1st in the Metropolitan Division, $71.14 million cap hit.

The story of the Washington Capitals in the Alex Ovechkin era has been one of great regular season success followed by post-season disappointment. MacLellan’s work since moving into the GM’s chair in 2014 after years in the Caps front office looks poised to break that cycle, which gives him the GM of the Year nod here.

MacLellan’s first order of business was to address the defense, which he did in short order by signing Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik, two of the biggest fish available on the blueline in the summer of 2014. Next he worked to incorporate scoring depth and veteran leadership, bringing in T.J. Oshie and Justin Williams last summer, in part to offset the loss of Joel Ward. In January he put the finishing touches on the roster, taking a chance on Mike Richards to anchor the fourth line.

The result? The best team in hockey. Washington has already clinched the President’s Trophy, their second in club history (2010). They also sit near the top of the league in a number of categories, including wins (55, 1st), goals for (243, 2nd), goals against (188, 2nd), PP% (22.4, 4th) and PK% (84.8%. 4th).

Thanks to MacLellan’s savvy moves to augment a talented roster, the Capitals may finally have the depth up front and on the blueline in addition to the top-flight scoring needed to take a real run at a championship.

Coming up next: The Calder. Don’t forget to check out our previous predictions for the Norris and the Vezina.

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