The Maple Leafs are facing an intriguing offseason, coming off another disappointing performance in the NHL playoffs. However, before any trades or signings are made, a new general manager must be named.
Toronto elected not to give a new contract to Kyle Dubas, who was in the final season of a five-year deal he signed in 2018 when he was named the new GM of the Leafs. The 37-year-old helped build a Leafs roster that made it to the postseason in all five seasons with Dubas at the helm, however, one playoff series win is all the club had to show for their efforts.
That leaves the Leafs with a major hole in the management office. Team president Brendan Shanahan is in the process of finding a replacement for the data-driven Dubas. While he has stated that he is keeping an open mind when it comes to potential candidates, there is a quality that he is specifically looking for.
"Certainly having an experienced general manager would be an attractive quality," Shanahan said during his press conference last week.
Whoever gets the job has big decisions to make. Auston Matthews and William Nylander are each entering the final years of their contracts, and there are only two years left on the deals for Mitch Marner and John Tavares. Coming off another year where high expectations weren't met in the postseason, a personnel shake-up could be in order.
Holding the role of general manager of the Leafs is a daunting task given the pressure that comes with it. However, it's one that would come with great reward if the new GM were able to help navigate the team to its first Stanley Cup since 1967.
MORE: Why Kyle Dubas will not return to the Maple Leafs for the 2023-24 season
The Sporting News takes a look at potential candidates to become the next general manager of the Maple Leafs.
Maple Leafs general manager candidates
Brad Treliving
It may not be long before Treliving is back in an NHL management office. Treliving and the Flames agreed to mutually part ways in mid-April, with his contract set to expire at the end of June. The 53-year-old had been in the role since 2014.
Calgary made the playoffs five times during Treliving's nine years as GM but missed out two of the last three years. He has experience dealing with high-profile trades, most notably the Matthew Tkachuk move last summer with the Panthers that saw Jonathan Huberdeau and Mackenzie Weegar come to the Flames. The Leafs may need someone to make a similar move with one of their star players
Eric Tulsky
Tulsky is the up-and-coming name to look out for. He is currently one of two assistant general managers to Don Waddell in Carolina, finishing up his second season with the team in the role and eighth total with the organization.
He does not come from a hockey background. Tulsky has a B.A. from Harvard in chemistry and physics, as well as a Ph.D. in chemistry from Cal Berkeley. He's data-driven, similar to Dubas, which may turn the Leafs away from him as they look to move toward a different strategy. But it's only a matter of time before Tulsky is seated in a general manager role in the NHL.
Brandon Pridham
From capologist to general manager? That could be the route for Pridham, currently the assistant general manager for the Leafs. He has been in the role since his promotion in 2018, acting as second-in-command to Dubas.
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No one knows the Leafs' cap situation better than Pridham. He has become known for his mastery of working the salary cap, stemming from his time with the NHL's central registry department. But does he have enough of the experience that Shanahan mentioned? And is he different enough from Dubas to warrant him getting a crack at managing Toronto's roster?
Marc Bergevin
Bergevin was the general manager of the Canadiens from 2012 to late 2021 when he was fired from the club. He currently is a senior advisor to the general manager for the Kings, working closely with Rob Blake.
Montreal made the playoffs in six of the nine seasons with Bergevin at the helm, including two trips to the conference finals and a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2021. He was involved in the P.K. Subban-Shea Weber trade in 2016 which sent Subban to Nashville and brought Weber to Montreal.
Mark Hunter
Hunter was nearly promoted to Leafs GM when Lou Lamoriello left in 2018, but the job went to Dubas instead, leading to Hunter resigning from his role as assistant general manager. He is currently the vice president and general manager for the OHL's London Knights, working with his brother, Dale, in his second stint with the club.
The 60-year-old Hunter has plenty of management experience between his time in Toronto and London, but he has never been a GM in the NHL. His past history with the team makes him a candidate that Shanahan is at least considering.
Maple Leafs general manager odds
Brad Treliving is the clubhouse leader to get the Leafs GM job according to Sports Interaction.
The full list and odds are laid out below:
| Candidate | Odds |
| Brad Treliving | +125 |
| Eric Tulsky | +396 |
| Brandon Pridham | +800 |
| Mark Hunter | +1200 |
| Marc Bergevin | +1500 |
| Stan Bowman | +2000 |
| Jason Botterill | +2100 |
| Peter Chiarelli | +2100 |
| Laurence Gilman | +2100 |
| Jim Benning | +2600 |
| Scott Mellanby | +2600 |
| Michael Futa | +3300 |
| Ron Hextall | +3400 |
| Hayley Wickenheiser | +3600 |
| Ray Whitney | +4100 |
| Brian Burke | +4100 |
| Brad Pascall | +5200 |
| Doug Gilmour | +7600 |
| Eric Lindros | +7900 |
| Mike Keenan | +10200 |
