The most pressing offseason storyline for the Toronto Maple Leafs is their ongoing GM search. There’s no question that the GM situation will essentially determine everything else that’s going to happen this summer.
An earlier piece here on Heavy reported that the Maple Leafs could have a new GM in place by the end of this week. That report seems on target, as insider Frank Seravalli noted on Monday that the Maple Leafs will be interviewing their two “finalists” for the GM position.
The candidates in question are two current assistant GMs. There’s Evan Gold of the Boston Bruins and Ryan Martin of the New York Rangers.
There is likely a third (or more?) candidate to meet with the team for a second in-person interview this week.
Seravalli’s report makes sense. With the New Jersey Devils becoming the first team to hire a new GM following the end of the regular season, it’s reasonable to assume the Maple Leafs and the Nashville Predators would be right behind.
Seravalli mentioned a potential third candidate. That situation remains unclear. Several names have floated around. So, it’s not quite certain who that other candidate could be.
The latest name to float around has been former captain Mats Sundin. However, Sundin might be more suitable for a consulting role, similar to the one Jason Spezza and Shane Doan have held over the last couple of seasons.
Why Evan Gold Makes Sense for Maple Leafs
Evan Gold is a very interesting candidate for the Maple Leafs. He’s currently an assistant GM for the Bruins and the GM for the club’s AHL affiliate in Providence.
Providence had a fantastic season this year in the AHL. The team finished first in the AHL Atlantic Division with a 54-16-2-0 mark. As such, it would make sense that Toronto would show interest in an executive like Gold.
But there’s another crucial point here. The Bruins had a dreadful season last year, much like the Maple Leafs had this season. In one year, the club turned the ship around. Now, the Bruins are back in the postseason.
While Boston may not be a Stanley Cup contender, the experience in turning things around is something the Maple Leafs would like to do. That’s why Gold makes plenty of sense in the Maple Leafs’ minds.
What to read next: Maple Leafs Trading for Jets Goalie May Not Be Totally Insane IdeaThe
Martin Could Be Solid Fit for Toronto
As for Ryan Martin, he’s a current associate general manager of the Rangers and the GM of the organization’s AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Unlike the Providence Bruins, the Wolf Pack had a tough season. The team finished in last place in the AHL’s Atlantic Division with a 26-38-5-3 mark. Still, Martin seems like a decent choice for the Maple Leafs.
He’s an up-and-coming executive, and one interesting point is that he knows what it’s like to function in a high-pressure environment. The Rangers, like the Maple Leafs, are one of the most pressure-packed organizations in the NHL. That experience is something that could translate very well to the fishbowl that is the Toronto hockey market.
It’s worth underscoring that while Martin and Gold could be solid fits even as first-time GMs, there might always be a name out there that might have flown under the radar. So, it will be interesting to see what happens in the coming days.
Maple Leafs GM Search Down to 2 ‘Finalists’ Insider Claims