From his post as general manager of the Coyotes the past nine seasons, Don Maloney acquired a reputation of being able to do more with less.
He executed trades, dipped into the free-agent pool and accumulated draft picks like all bosses do, but he stood out among his peers because of the unique working conditions he operated under – namely, three changes in ownership that included a four-year spell as wards of the NHL.
And yet perhaps his most meaningful endeavor was going to be the rebuild he triggered a year ago, a process he now will have to watch unfold from outside the organization.