{"id":542432,"date":"2026-04-05T17:48:19","date_gmt":"2026-04-05T17:48:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/542432\/"},"modified":"2026-04-05T17:48:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T17:48:19","slug":"3-surprising-gm-candidates-for-the-maple-leafs-the-hockey-writers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/542432\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Surprising GM Candidates for the Maple Leafs – The Hockey Writers –"},"content":{"rendered":"

As of Saturday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs have not yet asked anyone for permission to speak with candidates in their search for a new GM. Still, there is plenty of speculation about whom the Leafs and MLSE President, Keith Pelley, might want to talk to when the search for a new GM begins. <\/p>\n

Some names are predictable. For example, Doug Armstrong, out of St. Louis, is a name that has been linked to the Leafs for some time. However, he can\u2019t just up and leave without permission as he\u2019s still under contract. Other well-known names will get attention as well. Brandon Pridham, who is already with the Maple Leafs, is another. <\/p>\n

But what about the names we\u2019re hearing that aren\u2019t obvious choices?<\/p>\n

Mike Gillis <\/p>\n

The former Vancouver Canucks GM\/president (2008\u20132014), Mike Gillis is suddenly being talked about again. Following his stint with the Canucks, Gillis wasn\u2019t seen or heard from much, but he was around. He worked at the University of Victoria from 2021-2023, then took on a job with the NHL as a consultant for the NHLPA. <\/p>\n

Related: Maple Leafs Talking Big Blue Line Trade Despite No GM<\/a><\/p>\n

Elliotte Friedman brought Gillis up in a recent report, saying, \u201cOne of the names that is kind of floating around because they\u2019re interested in what he did in past job, I think potentially is Mike Gillis.\u201d He added, \u201cThat\u2019s a name that they have kind of look at, I can see why. He took a team that was really struggling and took them to the edge of the Stanley Cup Final. I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s going to be Mike Gillis but he\u2019s the kind of person they\u2019ve been looking at, so far.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"VancouverVANCOUVER, CANADA \u2013 JANUARY 19: Vancouver Canucks General Manager Mike Gillis stands in front of the bench during their season-opening NHL game against the Anaheim Ducks at Rogers Arena January 19, 2013 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick\/NHLI via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

A former lawyer and agent, he thought outside the box and had success with the Canucks. The Leafs seem to be looking for a more radical thinker, but one with experience. Still, he\u2019s not the first to come to mind because he hasn\u2019t held a top NHL front-office role since being fired by the Canucks in 2014.<\/p>\n

Chris Pronger<\/p>\n

A Hall of Fame defenseman, who has become a popular voice in the hockey and speaking world, Chris Pronger is garnering some unexpected attention as a possible candidate for the Leafs. Nick Kypreos hinted recently that there has been contact between the two about a potential role within the organization.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s a Stanley Cup winner and an obvious leader who values culture and personal growth. He was also one of the most intimidating players of his era. If culture is being valued over front-office experience, Pronger could get a long look. <\/p>\n

He does have some experience with the Florida Panthers and Philadelphia Flyers, so it wouldn\u2019t be a completely new gig for him. And, of all the executives who might be able to handle the pressure of being in the Toronto market, Pronger seems like someone who would be the least phased. <\/p>\n

Sunny Mehta<\/p>\n

Sunny Mehta is a name many Leafs fans won\u2019t recognize. He is the Assistant GM of the Florida Panthers and a key architect behind their recent success, including two Stanley Cup Final championships. <\/p>\n

Friedman mentioned him recently, saying on Saturday\u2019s Headlines that he is hearing Mehta might be a serious candidate. He noted, \u201cIt doesn\u2019t seem like the timing is right with the Maple Leafs and Doug Armstrong,\u201d however, one name expected to be interviewed is Sunny Mehta.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a non-traditional background in data science, he represents a modern, analytics-driven approach. Keith Pelley said the ideal candidate would take a data-centric approach. Mehta has been heavily involved in contracts, analytics, and team-building under Bill Zito.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s a surprising but intriguing candidate for the Toronto Maple Leafs GM role.<\/p>\n

\"SUBSCRIBE<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As of Saturday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs have not yet asked anyone for permission to speak with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":542433,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5106],"tags":[1794,5,20,5172,29096,4,12877,66,31,5171],"class_list":["post-542432","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-toronto-maple-leafs","tag-chris-pronger","tag-hockey","tag-maple-leafs","tag-mapleleafs","tag-mike-gillis","tag-nhl","tag-sunny-mehta","tag-toronto","tag-toronto-maple-leafs","tag-torontomapleleafs"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/116353362077158124","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/542432","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=542432"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/542432\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/542433"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=542432"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=542432"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=542432"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}