The National Hockey League’s latest vacancy for a general manager opened up Monday with the Toronto Maple Leafs’ firing of Brad Treliving.

After two seasons of strong regular seasons, but more early playoff exits, and a 2025-26 campaign in which the Leafs plummeted down the NHL standings, the plug was pulled.

Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment president and CEO Keith Pelley held a brutally honest press conference Tuesday, adamant the team wouldn’t tank down the stretch run of the season, and about what he envisions in his next general manager of the Leafs.

“They have to be data-centric,” said Pelley, via TheLeafsNation. “They have to really understand the importance of data and where data is moving. We have just completed a complete rebuild of TFC (Toronto FC), all using data combined with cultural checks. That’s what we will do, and every single decision we make will be evidence-based.

“Evidence-based decisions are never wrong, and that’s not to say there’s not room for the heart, not to say there’s no room to check culture, but it’s all evidence-based.”

The comments imply Treliving may not have been as on board as the organization wanted him to be, and offer somewhat of a smoke signal to potential candidates. Teams around the league have made significant pushes in recent years to round out their analytics and data departments, including the Edmonton Oilers. What was once a small part of the front office has only grown in size, with the hires of CapFriendly co-founder Dominik Zrim and former Oilers blogger Michael Parkatti in recent years.Three potential candidates for the vacant Leafs GM role have ties to the world of Oilers blogs, The Nation Network’s Jeff Marek reported, as Tim Barnes, Tyler Dellow and Sunny Mehta — all assistant general managers in the league — could be options.

Based on the ‘data centric’ criteria Keith Pelley laid out for next Leafs GM the candidates are (all working at AGM level) – Tim Barnes (WSH), Tyler Dellow (CAR), Alexandra Mandrycky (SEA), Sunny Mehta (FLA), Darryl Metcalf (TOR).

Will the Leafs go this direction?

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Dellow, known in the Oilogosphere for his work as MC79Hockey, spent two years working for the Oilers as a consultant between 2014 and 2016 before being let go. He returned to the NHL in 2019-20, spending five years working as the director of analytics for the New Jersey Devils, before being hired by the Carolina Hurricanes as an assistant general manager in 2024, holding the role for the last two years.

Barnes, who wrote under the pseudonym Vic Ferrari running the blog Irreverent Oilers Fans, has been with the Washington Capitals for more than  a decade. He was hired by the club in 2014 as an analyst, holding the role for three years, before being bumped up to director of analytics in 2017, running the department for eight years. Ahead of this season, Barnes was promoted to assistant general manager.

Mehta, who also wrote at Irreverent Oiler Fans, joined Dellow with the Devils as an analyst in 2014, spending four years there. He was hired by the Florida Panthers in 2021 as an analyst, spending two seasons in the role, before being promoted to assistant general manager and director of analytics in 2023 — a role he has held for each of the last three seasons.

Marek listed two other names known from hockey blogging circles in Alexandra Mandrycky, who worked for public analytics site War-On-Ice, before being hired by the Minnesota Wild as an analyst. She has spent the last seven years in the Seattle Kraken organization, initially as a director of hockey administration, before being promoted to vice-president of hockey operations and assistant general manager in 2022, holding the role for each of the last four seasons.

Darryl Metcalf, meanwhile, has been with the Maple Leafs since 2014, initially hired as an analyst, before being promoted to special assistant to the general manager in 2019, holding the role for three years. He has spent the last four seasons as their assistant general manager, and had founded ExtraSkater.com before breaking into the NHL.

Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s managing editor, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the Daily Faceoff DFS Hockey Report. He can be followed on X at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.PRESENTED BY LeaseBustersLeaseBusters is Canada’s premier lease takeover marketplace, helping drivers get out of their current vehicle leases without costly penalties or negative equity. Instead of paying thousands to break a lease, sellers connect with qualified buyers ready to take it over—saving money and avoiding financial stress. Buyers benefit from shorter-term commitments and often better monthly payments, while dealerships retain a replacement customer and leasing companies keep contracts active. It’s a smarter, more efficient solution for everyone involved. Four parties, four wins—only with LeaseBusters.  For more information, check out www.LeaseBusters.com.