Player Agents Turned GMs

Whenever GM positions open up around the league, names like former general managers Doug McLean, Neil Smith and Doug Armstrong always seem to get mentioned. Speculation also occurs about some assistant general managers around the league such as Steve Tambellini in Vancouver and Jim Nill in Detroit. The hiring of player agent Mike Gillis by the Vancouver Canucks presents many questions for Vancouver fans everywhere. The most important question being can a former player agent be a successful GM in the NHL?

Background to the New Canucks GM

Mike Gillis has plenty of experience in hockey, both as a player and as an agent. Unfortunately for Gillis, his career was cut short due to an ankle injury that he suffered in 1984. Prior to his hiring in Vancouver, he has been regarded as one of the best player agents in the game today. Some of his clients, both past and present, have included Pavel Bure, Mike Richter, Tony Amonte and Markus Naslund.

Moneyplayers

A good way to find out a little bit about Gillis is through a reading of the book "Moneyplayers" by Bruce Dowbiggin. The book discusses a big money contract that was signed by another one of Gillis' clients, Bobby Holik. As Holik's agent, the book describes the process that Gillis went through prior to the Rangers signing Holik to a contract of around $45 million over five years in 2002. The significance of "Moneyplayers" is that it discusses the negotiating process that occurred between Gillis and the Rangers organization when Holik officially became an unrestricted free agent. Beyond the Rangers, the book also discusses how Gillis dealt with other teams who were interested in Holik's services, such as the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Free Agents

"Moneyplayers" is a great way to find out about the world of the agent industry that Gillis is coming from. Holik did not make it to the end of his contract with the Rangers as he was eventually bought out by the club after the lockout. One area of interest to Vancouver fans may be the relationship that Gillis has with his former clients and how exactly this will impact his new position. Many of Gillis' former clients are set to become unrestricted free agents this July 1. Some of these people include the aforementioned Holik, Minnesota forward Pavol Demitra and perhaps the most important person of all, Vancouver captain Markus Naslund. Gillis is on the other side of the spectrum now as he is the General Manager and no longer the agent. How will his past relationship with Naslund affect negotiations if Gillis wants to keep him in the first place?

Markus Naslund

At 34 years of age, Naslund is coming off a deal where he made $18 million over three years. Naslund is also in a situation where he plays on a team that has a defense first mentality, and this may be a contributing factor to his declining numbers over the last few years. If Gillis wants to keep Naslund in a Canucks uniform, it will be interesting to see how Gillis the agent, becomes Gillis the GM. Does he offer the same money to Naslund as he would have demanded for him as his agent? What remains to be seen is whether Gillis will pursue any of his former clients as potential players for the Canucks franchise. The relationships that he has with many of these players goes back many, many years. Only time will tell whether the friendships that Gillis has developed helps the new Canucks GM in being able to pursue potential free agents.

Is History on the Side of Gillis?

Two recent examples of player agents getting into management are with former Avalanche GM Pierre Lacroix and former Coyotes general manager Mike Barnett. Lacroix was the one who enjoyed more success as GM as he helped the Avalanche win two Stanley Cups in 1996 and 2001. He orchestrated blockbuster trades that sent the likes of Rob Blake, Ray Bourque and Patrick Roy to Colorado. Barnett on the other hand was not exactly the success story that Lacroix was.

Mike Barnett

Like Gillis, Barnett also had a prominent clientele as an agent that included Wayne Gretzky, Dany Heatley, Alexander Mogilny and Mats Sundin. He served as Coyotes GM for six years, and in that time the organization had limited success. Perhaps one of Barnett's more lopsided deals included his trading of Daniel Briere and a third round pick to Buffalo for Chris Gratton and a fourth round pick in 2003. After six years as Coyotes general manager, Barnett was eventually let go in 2007. Despite the lack of success that Barnett achieved, there are nonetheless some prospects he drafted that are starting to make a name for themselves. Perhaps the biggest player of them all is rookie forward Peter Mueller, who is currently playing for the U.S. team at the World Championships in Halifax and Quebec City.

Player Development

When speaking at the press conference announcing his hiring, Gillis noted that as an agent, he had to recognize the potential of a player at a young age. Perhaps this is one way that Gillis might be able to have success at the draft table. One young player that made an impact with the Canucks this past season was 22-year-old defenseman Alexander Edler. Other prospects that are in the system for the Canucks include goalie Cory Schneider and defenseman Luc Bourdon. If Assistant GM Steve Tambellini remains with the organization, Gillis will surely have some experience beside him when he heads to the 2008 NHL entry draft in Ottawa.

Cap Room

One benefit that Gillis has going into the upcoming season is cap room. With a projected salary cap of about $55-58 million for the 2008-09 season, the Canucks should have about $20 million to work with. Many decisions concerning free agency may lie with Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini who will likely have the final say on whether Gillis is able to spend the money needed to bolster the Canucks offense. The future of head coach Alain Vigneault may also be in jeopardy. As is the case with most GMs coming into a new position, usually they want the opportunity to hire their own head coach rather than inherit one from the previous regime. The most recent evidence of this happened today when temporary Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher relieved Paul Maurice of his duties in order to allow the incoming GM an opportunity to hire the coach that he wants.

As new GM in Vancouver, Gillis may very well have an impact on player agents making the shift to the management industry. Former agent Mike Lawton has expressed his desire to be an NHL general manager and it remains to be seen whether he will eventually make it into the front office of a hockey club. Working with the Canucks, Gillis will have the pressure of being GM in a Canadian market that demands a winner. To this point, the organization is coming off a year where they just missed out on the postseason. If the Gillis move backfires, much of the blame will likely go to Aquilini, who was quick to target Gillis as the new GM in Vancouver.