from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,

Who has the best general manager-coach combination in hockey?

The question seemed appropriate in the wake of the Leafs stunning hiring of Lamoriello.

Before this summer, I would have put the combination of Ken Holland and Mike Babcock at the top of any list. But with Babcock gone and Jeff Blashill about to coach his first NHL game, it’s impossible to speculate where they rank.

The Stan Bowman-Joel Quenneville combination in Chicago is certainly strong and at times contentious. The Dean Lombardi-Darryl Sutter duo in Los Angeles, coming off a dreadful season in so many ways, still has two Stanley Cups to their names. The next in line for a Cup is the Steve Yzerman-Jon Cooper tag team in Tampa Bay. Others that impress: Doug Armstrong and Ken Hitchcock in St. Louis; Peter Chiarelli and Todd McLellan in Edmonton; Jim Nill and Lindy Ruff in Dallas; Bob Murray and Bruce Boudreau in Anaheim.

The easiest to ignore: Jim Benning and Willie Desjardins in Vancouver; Ron Francis and Bill Peters in Carolina; Jim Rutherford and Mike Johnston in Pittsburgh.

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