In part one, the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild and Carolina Hurricanes took spots four through seven in our ranking of the best front offices.

Each of those teams has made a few mistakes over the years, but big wins have far overshadowed the mistakes.

The Avs won big in the draft multiple times and have made adding depth through trades and free agency look easy. The Stars are the best drafting team of the past 15 years in the NHL, and have pulled off major trades for Tyler Seguin and Mikko Rantanen. 

The Wild acquired their top defensive pair, Quinn Hughes and Brock Faber, by nailing multiple trades. They also drafted top-line forward Kirill Kaprizov with the 135th pick in 2015. Great moves over the years have put them at the top of the Central Division with the Avs and Stars, both powerhouses of the last five years.

The Hurricanes built their core through the draft and made one of the best coaching hires in recent memory, Rod Brind’Amour.

While those four franchises’ front offices have done a fantastic job, the top three stand out even more. These three front offices pull off the unthinkable time and time again. They consistently make moves to get the missing puzzle pieces and will find loopholes like the long-term injured reserve (LTIR).

Their choices seem questionable at times, but always turn out for the better in the long run. The success this produces, by no coincidence, also makes these three teams some of the most hated in the NHL.

3. Tampa Bay Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning are the greatest franchise of the 21st century thus far. They’ve appeared in five Stanley Cup Finals, winning three of them. Other than the two seasons impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, they haven’t had a sub-94-point season since the 2012-13 season. Their 94-point season in 2016-17 was the only time they missed the playoffs since Jon Cooper first coached a full season there, and they were only off by one point.

The building blocks of the modern Lightning dynasty were assembled in the late 2000s, when the team draftedSteven Stamkos and Victor Hedman. Stamkos was the first pick in 2008, and Hedman was the second pick in 2009. 

Stamkos served as captain when the team won back-to-back titles in 2020 and 2021. Meanwhile, Hedman remains a key component of the roster to this day.

Nikita Kucherov, selected by the Lightning in the 2011 NHL Draft, became one of the greatest second-round picks in NHL history. The electrifying (pun intended) right winger has been averaging a point per game for the last decade and still has juice left in the tank at 32 years old.

Later in that same draft, the Lightning selected Ondrej Palat all the way at pick 208.

In the next few years, Tampa also drafted legendary goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, along with forwards Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli. Both Point and Cirelli were third-round picks. The franchise has demonstrated skill in picking several great prospects in multiple rounds.

Perhaps most important was the man who could glue everything together, Jon Cooper. The Lightning hired Cooper as their head coach in 2013, and the franchise hasn’t looked back since. He now has a list of accolades that gives him an argument to be the greatest head coach ever.

Building on Top of the Foundation

Tampa’s best trades of the decade have been crucial to their championship runs. In 2017, they tradedJonathan Drouin for Mikhail Sergachev. Drouin never blossomed into a star, while Sergachev greatly improved during his time in Tampa. The Lightning also made a deal with the Rangers in 2018 to acquire Ryan McDonagh, a quality, experienced defenseman.

Furthermore, the team got forward Pat Maroon at a massive bargain. Maroon not only brought a hyper-physical presence, but championship experience too.

The Lightning’s 2022 trade to acquire Brandon Hagel was another good deal that helped the team after their cup runs. And while trading Mikhail Sergachev and letting Steven Stamkos walk in 2024 was arguably ruthless, it is the nature of the sports business. In fact, other teams have been even worse in that department (more on that later). It ultimately turned out to be the right move, as it freed up cap space to sign top forward Jake Guentzel.

The Lightning front office also abused a loophole through the LTIR to spend more on their roster. Until it was patched, teams were able to exceed the salary cap by the LTIR player(s)’ contract amount and have those players return in the playoffs.

While it felt like cheating, it was within the rules, and the innovative idea set a precedent for another team (that will be mentioned later).

2. Florida Panthers

Remember how, in part one, I said the Hurricanes’ playstyle works 90% of the time? The majority of the remaining 10% is when they play this team. The Panthers and Hurricanes matched up in the Eastern Conference Finals in both 2023 and 2025, and the Panthers were close to completing both sweeps before the Canes took Game 4 in 2025.

The Panthers have been the more physical team and have nullified the Canes’ aggressive forecheck these past few years. The result? Domination of the Eastern Conference whenever healthy.

After an injury-riddled 2026 season where captain Aleksander Barkov never played, the Panthers are favorites to win the 2027 Stanley Cup. This would mark their fourth appearance in five seasons, and their third Cup.

This Offseason Alone

The Panthers are already arguably the most physical team in the NHL. They added multiple new physical players this offseason. They acquired Brady Tkachuk, the younger brother of their second-line winger Matthew.

After failed negotiations with former star goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, they then traded for Jacob Markstrom and Akira Schmid. It’s crazy to think Evan Rodrigues was going to be a fourth-liner on this team after scoring some key goals for Florida the past few years. The team got their value in return by dealing him for a positional need in Markstrom.

The Panthers also traded for Radko Gudas and Garnet Hathaway. Both of whom have a history of dirty plays, especially Gudas, who endedAuston Matthews’ season with a knee-on-knee hit last season.

Florida already had three of the dirtiest players in the NHL in Brad Marchand, Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk. Their new additions can guarantee that this squad will lead the league in controversial plays in the upcoming season.

This team is built on a formula that works and has two of the past three years’ rings to show for it. They aren’t going away anytime soon.

Looking Back

The Florida Panthers have been built over 13 years of great decisions. They drafted Selke Trophy-winning captain and first-line center Aleksander Barkov in 2013 and top defenseman Aaron Ekblad in 2014.

Then came the man who doesn’t miss: Bill Zito. The Panthers hired Zito as their GM in 2020. He signed now-first-line left winger Carter Verhaeghe to a great deal after Verhaeghe never broke through in Tampa. He claimed Gustav Forsling off waivers. Forsling developed into one of the best two-way defensemen in hockey.

Zito then proceeded to fleece multiple other teams in trades. Sam Bennett, Brandon Montour, Sam Reinhart and Matthew Tkachuk all came to South Florida for a great price. While criticized at the time, Bill Zito had the insight to trust his bet that the Matthew Tkachuk trade would pan out.

Four years later, he was right. The hockey world was wrong. The Panthers know how to keep their talent too. Tkachuk has praised the organization for their roster construction and the way they take care of the players.

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Zito hired Paul Maurice, who is responsible for their aggressive style that makes other aggressive teams look weak. He rented Anthony Stolarz, who became one of the best backup goalies on Earth in his one season with Florida. Bill Zito knows what it takes to win and how to get there, whether it’s in Florida or winning gold at the Olympics.

1. Vegas Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights are hands down the most ruthless front office in hockey. The franchise started in 2017 as an expansion team and immediately got to work. Marc-Andre Fleury was the franchise’s first starting goalie and led the team to a Stanley Cup appearance in their first year. The expansion draft provided the Knights with numerous crucial pieces for years to come.

The team made plenty of fantastic trades. They made a massive trade with the Ottawa Senators to bring in Mark Stone, their now-captain. Brett Howden even became a key piece after the New York Rangers dealt him to Vegas.

The Knights gambled in a trade for Jack Eichel. Their reward? One of the best puck handlers and passers in the sport. Vegas also stoleIvan Barbashev, their top-line left wing, from the St. Louis Blues. Soon after, they brought in Jonathan Quick, a legendary goalie who still had more left in the tank.

In 2024, they pulled the LTIR trick à la Tampa with Mark Stone to gain more cap space to get top-tier two-way defenseman Noah Hanifin and big-time two-way center Tomas Hertl. And with heavy anticipation, Stone magically was ready to play to start the playoffs. The internet didn’t hold back with their reactions, jokingly making posts targeting the Knights captain.

While they couldn’t get past the first round, where the Dallas Stars knocked them out in seven games, that year’s roster was one of the best ever assembled…on paper.

The next year, they pulled out a trick no one saw coming by poachingMitch Marner from the Toronto Maple Leafs through a sign-and-trade, providing a boost to their top six.

Beyond the Trade Block

The Knights don’t only succeed on the trade block, though. While they’re notorious for trading picks, Pavel Dorofyev turned out to be a brilliant selection with the 79th pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. Alex Pietrangelo was one of the team’s best free agent signings. He provided the team with size, championship experience and great defense.

Perhaps one of Vegas’ strongest points is always having the right coach. Gerard Gallant, their first coach, was able to bring the misfits together and make it all the way to the Stanley Cup in one season. When the team’s performance under him worsened, they brought in Pete DeBoer, who got the team back to the Western Conference Finals.

The team did the same when they later brought in Bruce Cassidy, who brought them a Cup. And when the team was buckling under Cassidy, they brought in John Tortorella. The Knights went from possibly missing the playoffs to winning two games in the Stanley Cup Finals. GM Kelly McCrimmon’s intuition in this regard is incredible. Now Ryan Craig is in. Don’t be surprised if he succeeds too.

Many have criticized the Knights for their lack of heart towards their players. Jonathan Marchessault won the Conn Smythe trophy en route to the Stanley Cup, notching 13 goals in the last 15 games. A year later, the Knights let him walk. They traded Alex Tuch to get Jack Eichel. These are emotionally tough moves, just like the coach firings, but in retrospect, they were the right calls.

Mistakes and Outlook

The Golden Knights have made a few mistakes in their short history. Trading Nick Suzuki for Max Pacioretty didn’t age well. Their other mistakes have been in the net. Ever since they traded Marc-Andre Fleury, their goalie rotation has been disastrous.

They committed to Robin Lehner, who later stepped away from the NHL for off-ice reasons. Adin Hill took over in the 2023 playoffs and gave the Knights a fantastic run to the championship, but that was as good as he’d get. Logan Thompson requested a trade since the Knights wouldn’t make him the starting goalie over Hill, and he has put up better numbers than Hill in both of the past two seasons for the Capitals.

The Knights still suffer a goalie problem to this day, as their goalie tandem doesn’t reflect the caliber of the rest of the roster. However, the willingness of the organization to put feelings aside and prioritize what helps the team win has made them a perennial contender. According to Statmuse, they boast the best winning percentage of any franchise since 2000. At the end of the 2027 season, expect the Knights to be in the hunt for Lord Stanley once more.

The post Which NHL Franchises Have the Best Front Offices? Part 2 appeared first on The Lead.

The New Mexico Goatheads announced their first roster move Friday. On Monday, the Colorado Avalanche’s ECHL affiliate revealed its first addition to coach Zack Storini’s staff.

Former longtime minor-league defenseman Matt Register was named assistant coach ahead of the Goatheads’ inaugural season. New Mexico begins its 2026-27 campaign Oct. 16 against the Allen Americans at Rio Rancho Events Center.

This will be the 36-year-old’s second coaching stop. After appearing in four games last season with the ECHL’s Allen Americans, Register transitioned into an assistant for the team.

It capped a professional career for the Calgary, Alberta native that spanned 15 seasons between the Central Hockey League, ECHL, American Hockey League and the United Kingdom’s Elite Ice Hockey League.

Most of his time and success came in the ECHL.

During his 14 years in the league, Register won the Kelly Cup — the ECHL’s version of the Stanley Cup — three straight seasons (2016 with the Americans and 2017 and 2018 with the Colorado Eagles). He was named the Kelly Cup MVP in 2017. Register earned All-ECHL honors six times and was named the league defensive player of the year on three occasions.

Overall, Register played in 843 ECHL games between the regular season and playoff, and finished with 147 goals, 521 assists and 571 penalty minutes.

David Glovach covers New Mexico United and other sports for the Journal. Reach him at dglovach@abqjournal.com or via X @DavidGlovach.

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LAKE PLACID — As America continues to celebrate the 250th anniversary of its berth, the legacy of one of the nation’s greatest moments continues to be chronicled at a studio in Loveland, Colorado.

Sculptor Rob Eccleston has made significant progress on the "Monument to a Miracle" sculpture honoring a time when 20 U.S. hockey players shocked the world at the 1980 Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid by defeating the heavily favored Soviet Union in the Miracle on Ice. The team, coached by Herb Brooks, then overcame Finland two days later to secure an improbable gold medal.

“When I presented the sketches to the team, they said it was really nice, but we really want it to be based on the photo of them on the podium because on our backs is USA, not our names,” Eccleston said. “It’s not about us as individuals. It’s about the team. And that spoke volumes to me. It made me more interested in doing the project than ever before because it showed the humility of these amazing hockey players.”

'ONE OF THE MOST COMPLEX SCULPTURES'

Eccleston’s work depicts all 20 players on the top rung of the Olympic podium at the medal ceremony.

Last year, Eccleston made significant progress toward the creation of the full "Monument" sculpture ensemble. Admittedly, he has been challenged by this particular work.

“It’s not only the most complex sculpture I’ve ever created. It might be one of the most complex sculptures ever created. This is basically a 20-person jigsaw puzzle."

At his Rocky Mountain location, Eccleston has completed half scale figures of Steve Janaszak, Mark Pavelich, Dave Silk, Bob Suter, Buzz Schneider, Dave Christian and Mike Ramsey.

In addition to the half scale figures, Eccleston also milled and sculpted seven full-scale busts of these same players. According to Eccleston, they are essential for capturing accurate likenesses and will guide the transition to full scale figures.

Looking ahead through 2026, his goal is to complete an additional seven half-scale figures, bringing the total to 14.

To date he has completed 10.

Eccleston anticipates completing a corresponding number of full scale busts, as well, keeping the project on pace with the long-term fabrication schedule.

Working six days a week, he is currently focused on the half scale figures of Jim Craig, Steve Christoff and Mark Johnson.

2027 GOALS

Eccleston’s long range goal is to complete the remaining six half-scale figures and busts by the end of 2027. Once all 20 players are sculpted at half scale and in bust form, Eccleston will shift his attention to the figure of speedskater Eric Heiden, the winner of five Olympic gold medals at those Winter Games.

The Heiden figure will be developed in parallel with the "Monument to a Miracle’s" scanning and 3D printing process.

He said this sequencing ensures the artistic work and the technical fabrication pipeline remain aligned as the project advances toward full-scale production in 2028 and 2029.

At the end of this journey, all sculpting will have been completed in time for Lake Placid’s 50th anniversary of the Olympic Games. That celebration is planned for February 2030.

But first, the fundraising project that has sustained these initiatives forges ahead. Creating a total of 21 figures requires substantial financial outlay, so organizers are asking fans and supporters, near and far, to consider donating to the mission.

'250 FOR 250' CAMPAIGN

To celebrate America's 250th birthday throughout the month of July, the Friends of the 1980 Miracle on Ice Team have launched the "250 for 250" campaign. The goal is to inspire 250 people to make a symbolic $250 donation in honor of our nation's 250 years of freedom.

Every contribution, regardless of size, helps move the "Monument to a Miracle" one step closer to becoming a permanent tribute to teamwork, perseverance, patriotism and one of the greatest moments in American sports history. Supporters across the country are invited to be part of preserving this legacy for future generations.

For more information, to learn details about the 10 giving levels or to donate to this goal, visit 1980miraclemonument.org.