2010-11 NHL Marginal Cap Efficiency

In attempting to measure NHL management effectiveness, I've looked at a number of different takes on Marginal Cap Efficiency, a term borrowed from The Falconer at Bird Watchers Anonymous.  Through reader comments and feedback, we've created Marginal Floor Efficiency, Marginal Playoff Efficiency and looked at a number of different averages and rolling averages in an attempt to rank the NHL's General Managers. 

For more on the topic, check out these articles:

Marginal Cap Efficiency

Marginal Cap Efficiency Averages

Marginal Floor Efficiency

Marginal Playoff Efficiency

Dollars Per Win

As the 2011-12 season approaches, I thought it was a good time to update all of those stats with the 2010-11 data.  After the jump, we'll look at the basic Marginal Cap Efficiency of all 30 teams in 2010-11.

• Steve Yzerman's low-cost moves paid off for Tampa Bay last year - names like Moore, Bergenheim, Thompson, Jones, Downie, Lundin, Jones, and Purcell might not have been headliner signings, but Yzerman brought cheap and effective depth to a team loaded with stars and it paid off.
• The Atlanta Thashers were above the league efficiency average just once while employing Ilya Kovalchuk; as soon as he leaves, they move well north of the average.  Why spend $7 million extra to earn the same 85 points?  Cutting Kovalchuk loose was the biggest favor Don Waddell did for the Jets' owners.
  
• Doug Wilson continues to steer the Sharks in the top tier by this measure.  One interesting point:  if he had gone with a low-cost option rather than Niclas Wallin, the Sharks would stand alone in 5th place.
• The Maple Leafs got close to the league average, but they weren't quite efficient enough.  The Leafs have yet to move above the league average in the six seasons since the lockout.
• The Blue Jackets' owners should be concerned -- they were well below league average and didn't get close to the playoffs, and Scott Howson piled on even more salary in the off-season.
• There's a reason Darryl Sutter is no longer in charge in Calgary - he's not a good General Manager and it shows in these numbers.
• The Wild are in the same boat as the Jackets - they're spending loads more money this season after showing no ability to be efficient since Jacques Lemaire left.
• Even though the Oilers ranked 25th in cap expenditure, they still come in 28th in efficiency.  Edmonton's efficiency ranking since the lockout is abysmal, far and away the worst in the league.
• The New Jersey Devils should be concerned.  Prior to Ilya Kovalchuk, they were one of the most efficient teams in the league.  Atlanta drops Kovalchuk and moves quite high in the rankings while New Jersey adds him and plummets to the bottom of the league.