General Manager Candidates for Toronto Maple Leafs

The general manager search is on for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Who will be Brad Treliving’s successor?

Treliving is leaving the Leafs in worse shape than when he took over in May 2023. He ultimately constructed a roster that is missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

His record of 139-92-27 is blemished by the Maple Leafs’ nine-year playoff streak ending on his watch. According to MLSE CEO Keith Pelley, no timetable for a replacement is set. One would hope that the next general manager is in place before the NHL draft in June.

Will the Leafs enter a full rebuild, or will they try for a re-tool in the hopes of getting the most out of the Auston Matthews era? What kind of team will be built after Treliving’s tenure has created a team that is too slow? What will happen to head coach Craig Berube?

General Manager Options for Toronto

Could there be more than one hire in the works? Will the next GM also take on the role of president of hockey operations? MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley has faced criticism for not replacing Brendan Shanahan. The question of whether the Leafs should reconsider this approach is up for debate.

So, who might be in line to take over for Treliving? Let’s take a look at five possible candidates to run the Maple Leafs.

Mike Gillis

Mike Gillis, 67, could be a good fit in the president’s role more than as a general manager. However, if the Leafs are hiring someone for both roles, he would be a top candidate.

Originally a lawyer and player agent, Gillis was hired by the Vancouver Canucks in 2008. He led that franchise up the standings and came within one win of the Stanley Cup in 2011. During his six seasons in Vancouver, the Canucks had the fifth most wins in the NHL and won the Presidents’ Trophy as the top regular season team in both 2010-11 and 2011-12.

Gillis hasn’t held a top front office role since he was fired by the Canucks in 2014. However, he is the type of candidate who would be willing to think outside the box and bring an innovative approach. He was most recently a candidate for a GM or president’s role with the Penguins in 2021.

Doug Armstrong

Doug Armstrong, who is set to relinquish his duties as GM with the St. Louis Blues, is still under contract as team president. It would likely take some work by Toronto to pry him away from St. Louis.

Armstrong began working in NHL front offices in 1992. During his time with the Dallas Stars and Blues, Armstrong won two Stanley Cups: one as assistant general manager of the Stars in 1999 and the other as GM and president of the Blues in 2019.

Sunny Mehta

Sunny Mehta has a resume that is vastly different from everyone else on this list. Mehta is a former data scientist, blogger, and professional poker player. However, Mehta has won two Stanley Cups as an analytically inclined assistant general manager for the Florida Panthers.

Mehta has helped put the Panthers on the cutting edge of the NHL. MLSE should want to consider as many forward thinkers as possible for their general manager position. After all, the most notable success they have had as of late came under Dubas, who was never afraid to think outside the box.

Mark Hunter

Mark Hunter is a former co-assistant general manager with Toronto. He didn’t get the big job when Leafs president Brendan Shanahan picked the younger, more analytically inclined Kyle Dubas ahead of him.

After losing the general manager job in Toronto, Hunter went back to the OHL London Knights. He’s enjoyed a long run of success as co-owner with his brother, Dale, who is also the head coach. He never received any other GM offers from other NHL teams, but it could be Toronto or nothing for Hunter.

The Hunter brothers certainly know CHL junior talent. They have already supplied the Maple Leafs with plenty of star players in recent years, with Nazem Kadri, Mitch Marner, and now Easton Cowan.

Brandon Pridham

Is there anyone in the NHL who knows the Leafs organization better than Brandon Pridham? The longtime assistant GM did valuable work under both Dubas and Treliving. There’s a reason both of the Leafs’ previous general managers valued Pridham as highly as they did.

His strength is salary cap analysis. Before joining the Leafs, he helped develop the salary cap model the NHL uses. He also has experience at the league’s Central Registry office and has familiarity with Toronto’s off-ice resources and the Toronto market.

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