New York, NY – Doug Armstrong of the St. Louis Blues, David Poile of the Nashville Predators and Dale Tallon of the Florida Panthers have been named the finalists for the NHL's General Manager of the Year award.
Armstrong added to a talented nucleus of Blues draft picks by signing veteran forwards Jason Arnott and Jamie Langenbrunner, along with defenseman Kent Huskins, over the summer. He also signed unheralded free agent goaltender Brian Elliott, who led the NHL with a 1.56 goals-against average and .940 save percentage.
Armstrong's moves helped guide the Blues to a 49-22-11 record, which was good for the team's first Central Division title since 1999-2000.
Poile's hard work resulted in a 48-26-8 record for the Predators, who started the playoffs at home for the first time since the 2006-07 season. Nashville earned a postseason berth for the seventh time in eight seasons.
Poile was a key part in the late-season return of star forward Alex Radulov. He also acquired forward Andrei Kostitsyn, center Paul Gaustad and veteran defenseman Hal Gill prior to the trade deadline.
Tallon's comprehensive off-season overhaul saw him trade for or sign 10 new players. The extreme roster makeover was a big success, with the Panthers going 38-26-18 and capturing their first division title in franchise history.
Florida earned a spot in the playoffs for the first time in 12 years under first-time coach Kevin Dineen.
The winner will be announced June 20 during the NHL Awards program in Las Vegas.
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