Insider identifies one potential GM candidate for the Leafs
What a mess. What an absolute mess. Just 24 hours ago, the Leafs were a team with a lot of question marks, but the answers seemed largely related to the on-ice personnel. Now, just a day later, the team is without a GM, Jason Spezza has left the organization, and we still don't know what lies ahead for the coaching staff.
The Buds have some pretty important work ahead, with Auston Matthews and William Nylander eligible to sign extensions on July 1st. They also have some NMCs and NTCs to consider, as both Matthews and Marner have full NMC's kicking in on that date, as well as a modified NTC for William Nylander. On top of that, there is a draft to consider, as well as a laundry list of UFAs and RFAs to make decisions on. And then, of course, there's free agency.
The Leafs need to get a GM in place and fast. The problem is, there doesn't appear to be a clear cut upgrade over Dubas available at the moment. There are some interesting candidates who could make sense for the Leafs, such as Eric Tulsky or Mike Futa. Some are even wondering about former Flames GM Brad Treliving, but a recent report had suggested that the Flames would not allow teams to approach Treliving before his contract is officially up on June 30th. That is, until now.
Per a report from DFO's Frank Seravalli, the Flames appear to be loosening their hold on Treliving and will not stand in the way of him securing employment before June 30th, if such an opportunity arises. He also hinted that the Leafs might be interested.
I'm not quite sure how I'd feel about the Leafs going after Treliving as the team's next GM. It's not as if he has a great track record of postseason success himself, and he also traded away a budding young superstar in Matthew Tkachuk. Yes, his hand was forced there, but in hindsight, he didn't exactly make away like a bandit in that deal the way it originally appeared. If we believe that a member of the core 4 needs to be moved, is Treliving the right guy to make that deal? I'm not convinced that he is.
With Brendan Shanahan and company likely to begin the GM search as soon as this weekend, I'm sure we'll have some rumours coming on who might be receiving an interview with the team. Stay tuned.
| POLL | ||
MAI 20 | 576 ANSWERS Insider identifies one potential GM candidate for the Leafs Who is the best option for the next GM in Toronto? | ||
| Mike Futa | 62 | 10.8 % |
| Eric Tulsky | 52 | 9 % |
| Brad Treliving | 105 | 18.2 % |
| Other | 357 | 62 % |
| List of polls | ||
