The Washington Capitals have had six general managers in their franchise history. We thought about making a top 5 list but that wouldn’t have been fair to the odd man out. So we decided to go with a top 3 list narrowing it down to the three best general managers of all-time with the Caps.
These guys constructed brilliant rosters and helped lead the Caps to runs to the playoffs. One general manager was lucky enough to come out on top. The other two helped build the winning foundation and culture in Washington. If it wasn’t for any of these three, who knows where the Caps would be right now?
#3 David Poile
David Poile was named the fourth general manager in Washington Capitals history on August 30, 1982. He held that role until May 12, 1997. He helped lead the Caps to 14 playoff appearances and one division title. The Caps had a winning record of 594-454-124 in his 15 seasons with the team.
Poile was 33 years old at the time of his hiring by then team owner Abe Pollin. He was the youngest general manager at the time. His hiring was vital. The Caps were about to relocate but Poile’s roster construction helped save the team. He wasted no time starting out on the job as he acquired Rod Langway, Doug Jarvis, Craig Laughlin and Brian Engblom from the Montreal Canadiens. They would make the playoffs for the first time that season.