Amid a nightmare season, especially after the trade deadline, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been in a rut. When all was said and done, Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment decided enough was enough, showing Treliving the door.
Treliving’s exit sparked a wave of changes across the league, starting with the Vegas Golden Knights firing Bruce Cassidy, followed by the New York Islanders firing Patrick Roy on Sunday evening.
Despite those changes, the spotlight’s not going away from Toronto. Whether the franchise embraces a full-fledged rebuild or dabbles in a retool, the priority to spot a suitable General Manager for the team is paramount.
Toronto Maple Leafs Add Ex-Canadiens Boss Marc To List of GM Candidates
Hardcore Maple Leafs fans have stuck by their team through all odds, including a painfully lengthy Stanley Cup drought, but this season put everyone’s patience and loyalty to the test. For most of the season, the Leafs looked uninterested and demotivated, plagued by numerous injuries and a lack of camaraderie that was evident on the ice.
In the days to come, the Leafs are expected to witness a few more changes as the team tries to become competitive again. MLSE chief Keith Pelley decided to set the reconstruction process in motion by showing Treliving the door, raising questions about who will be the next candidate to take charge of the Leafs’ front office at a particularly volatile time.
Among several other candidates, former Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin is expected to be on the Maple Leafs’ radar to succeed Treliving, per The Fourth Period.
Bergevin was at the helm of the Canadiens’ front office from 2012 to 2021 and led the team to six postseason appearances, including one trip to the Stanley Cup final in 2021.
Bergevin has also served in other capacities, including as a senior advisor to the Los Angeles Kings, and is currently with the Buffalo Sabres as associate GM. Bergevin joined the Sabres in December 2025 and is part of a front office that has played a critical role in Buffalo’s resurgence this season.
Bergevin will bring extensive experience and knowledge to the Maple Leafs’ front office, but he is far from the only candidate on their radar.
St. Louis Blues head honcho Doug Armstrong could be right up the Leafs’ alley, but with a caveat: Armstrong is expected to transition into the role of President of Hockey Operations for the remaining three seasons with the Blues on July 1, with former Leaf Alex Steen stepping in to fill his shoes as the GM.
“I don’t think the timing is going to work out here between the Maple Leafs and the Blues on Doug Armstrong,” Elliotte Friedman stated on his ’32 Thoughts’ podcast, extinguishing any hope for development on that front.
Another name that has frequently come up is Sunny Mehta’s.
Mehta is currently with the Florida Panthers, serving as Assistant GM, Head of Analytics. Mehta’s background in Data Science could significantly raise his odds of being hired by the Leafs: Pelley had previously stated that the management will be looking for a “data-centric” GM to head the Maple Leafs.
