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O Canada: Grading the 7 general managers' seasons

Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Every Tuesday, theScore's editors will examine the fortunes of the north's seven NHL franchises. Welcome to "O Canada."

The Stanley Cup Playoffs begin in just over three weeks, and as it stands right now, five Canadian teams are in line for the dance - a far cry from last season, when six of seven clubs picked in the top 10 of June's draft.

As we wind down the stretch run, let's take a look at the men in charge, and dole out some grades for the seasons the seven general managers of Canadian teams have commanded.

Calgary Flames

Grade: A

Take: Brad Treliving has been on fire since the offseason, beginning with a trade for Brian Elliott, who is finally beginning to pay dividends, winning his last 11 consecutive starts.

Treliving also inked cornerstones Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau to long-term contract extensions in the summer, and may have won the deadline with his acquisition of defenseman Michael Stone.

Now it's time to pay him.

Edmonton Oilers

(Photo Courtesy: Getty Images)

Grade: B

Take: Peter Chiarelli still catches flak for dealing Taylor Hall and signing Milan Lucic until 2023, and while it's difficult to quantify a difference in the Oilers' team dynamic since those deals were made, Edmonton's going to the playoffs for the first time in over a decade - and that's worth something.

Montreal Canadiens

Grade: B+

Take: Likely the busiest of all Canadian general managers this season, Marc Bergevin remains steadfast in having a firm grasp on the makeup of his team.

Shea Weber has shown positive returns in Year 1, and the Canadiens are in fact deeper since making a slew of less-than-glamorous trades at the deadline.

Perhaps most importantly, Bergevin's decision to let Michel Therrien go once Claude Julien became available may have saved Montreal's season.

Ottawa Senators

(Photo Courtesy: USA Today Sports)

Grade: B

Take: Pierre Dorion sure looked like a genius when Alex Burrows scored four points in his first three games as a Senator, but the two-year extension included in the acquisition remains questionable.

Dorion's best move this season was hiring head coach Guy Boucher, whose clear defensive directive has helped Ottawa into a comfortable playoff position to this point.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Grade: B

Take: The plan for Lou Lamoriello and the Maple Leafs has been the same all season long - surround the kids with veterans, and teach them how to win.

With such a great infusion of youth, Toronto's roster has mostly run itself, save for a few in-season call-ups and waiver transactions, though trading for Brian Boyle looks like a win to this point.

Vancouver Canucks

Grade: B-

(Photo Courtesy: Getty Images)

Take: Jim Benning and the Canucks are looking to the future, and that's a good thing.

Usually a punching bag for the deals he orchestrates, Benning quietly obtained solid returns in trading Burrows to the Sens and Jannik Hansen to the Sharks. However, the six-year, $36-million contract he awarded to Loui Eriksson in July doesn't look so good right now.

Winnipeg Jets

Grade: C+

Take: It's been an underwhelming season in Winnipeg, as the talented roster Kevin Cheveldayoff assembled was overrun by poor goaltending.

With few moves made this season, it's difficult to evaluate Cheveldayoff's 2016-17 body of work. That said, the Jets are the second-youngest team in the league, and have all the makings of an elite offense with quality blue-line pieces to boot, so it's not all that bad.

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