Maple Leafs GM Search Gets a New Target

Could the Toronto Maple Leafs hire one of their alumni as the new general manager? Tom Fitzgerald was recently released by the New Jersey Devils. MLSE could have an interest in him for the role of GM, President of Hockey Operations, or both.

Fitzgerald spent the previous six seasons with the Devils. He was named interim General Manager in 2020, then transitioned into the full-time role that summer, and became President of Hockey Operations in 2024.

The 57-year-old could be the exact person MLSE needs to target. For starters, his resume speaks for itself. He transformed New Jersey into a playoff team and successfully drafted some impressive prospects along the way. Fitzgerald is a former player who knows the importance of playing for the crest.

Fitzgerald spent two seasons as a member of the Maple Leafs to finish out his NHL career. He managed to play in his 1,000th game with the club, coincidentally alongside a Toronto fan favourite, Gary Roberts, who was also celebrating his 1,000th NHL game.

Those seemed like less stressful days in Toronto. He was a part of a Maple Leafs team that was moderately successful in the playoffs, and his name brings back memories of a time when Toronto wasn’t exactly full of tension and criticism. I’m sure there was some there, but it was masked by the positives.

This current Toronto team feels like a team with nothing to lose from a management and coaching staff standpoint. As the team hunts for a new front office leader, they could also pursue an entirely new coaching staff. However, as we’ve seen with their lack of proactivity in pursuing Peter DeBoer, the team can’t afford to slack.

Maple Leafs Have an Internal Deadline for the End of May

Earlier reports stated that Keith Pelley and MLSE prefer to have someone in place by the end of May. So, with an executive like Fitzgerald now available, Toronto could accelerate that even more quickly by signing him. The Maple Leafs will need to act fast, as other teams have an interest in Fitzgerald, too.

One of the more interesting teams is the Nashville Predators. They could see Fitzgerald as the guy to potentially succeed Barry Trotz. Fitzgerald holds the distinction of being the first Nashville Predators captain in franchise history. He enjoyed four seasons in Nashville, and fans still hold him in high regard.

All the more reason why the Maple Leafs can’t wait to see what they could find elsewhere. If you are MLSE, you have a successful and now available leader sitting in front of you. Fitzgerald is someone who knows why winning matters for the Maple Leafs. It’s time for Pelley and MLSE to stop wasting time. Go out and get him before he’s gone.

As of Wednesday morning, Toronto sits in 26th place in the NHL with 78 points. They need to drop a minimum of two spots to finish in the bottom five. It is in the Maple Leafs best interest to have the Florida Panthers (78 points), Seattle Kraken (75), and New York Rangers (75) finish ahead of them. With each team only having four or five games remaining, it’s going to be close.

Toronto will then need to hope that the NHL Draft Lottery doesn’t push them out of the top five in draft order. If they come out of the Draft Lottery in the top five for drafting order, they will keep their first-round pick. If they don’t, that pick goes to the Boston Bruins. Owning a top-five pick is a nice way for Fitzgerald or anyone to start their GM journey with the Maple Leafs.

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