Toronto Maple Leafs Front Office Needs to Be Reshuffled

The Toronto Maple Leafs are in line for changes to their lineup this off-season. I think it’s time to shake up the front office as well.

The regime of Brendan Shanahan (President), Kyle Dubas (GM), and Brandon Pridham (Asst. GM) have not lived up to the hopes of Toronto Maple Leafs fans. A complete overall is not needed, but rather, some reshuffling.

I think it’s time for Brendan Shanahan to step down as team president. On Monday, Kyle Dubas told the media that he doesn’t want to be the GM anywhere else. What about shifting to team president? Shanahan stepping down could open the door for Dubas to receive a promotion. If Dubas is promoted or fired, who should become the general manager?

The most obvious choice would be current assistant GM Brandon Pridham. On Monday, it was reported that the Calgary Flames were seeking permission from Toronto to speak with Pridham. The Flames are probably not the only team interested in Pridham for their vacant GM position. Dubas would love to keep his right-hand man with him in Toronto, so if Dubas gets promoted, so too should Pridham.

Toronto Maple Leafs Need Changes

Keeping Brandon Pridham should be a top priority for Toronto. He is the master of making everything work under the salary cap. Losing his expertise is not an option. Keeping former player Jason Spezza as an assistant GM will continue to allow him to learn the management side of the business.

As for head coach Sheldon Keefe, I think it’s time for a change. Keefe has helped Toronto achieve great regular-season numbers. However, in the playoffs, when the games have more meaning, Keefe seems to get out-coached time and time again. Toronto needs a coach with a proven winning record in the playoffs.

Toronto Maple Leafs Head Coach Options

Spencer Carbery

The Toronto Maple Leafs should seek a veteran coach with playoff success to be the team’s next head coach. However, they might decide to promote from within. If they promote from within, the obvious choice is Spencer Carbery.

He is considered one of the hottest up-and-coming coaches in the NHL. The Maple Leafs hired Carbery in 2021 to help improve Toronto’s power play, which he certainly has. Toronto’s power play finished top-two in the NHL the last two seasons. Past success includes the 2021 AHL Coach of the Year. Carbery helped the Hershey Bears to a 24-7-2 record that season.

Peter Laviolette

Peter Laviolette has been a head coach in the NHL since the 2001-02 season. He coached the Carolina Hurricanes to a Stanley Cup championship in 2006. Laviolette also coached the 2009-10 Philadelphia Flyers and the 2016-17 Nashville Predators to the Stanley Cup finals. Making it to the Stanley Cup finals isn’t easy, and Laviolette has been fortunate enough to do it with three different teams. He knows what it takes to win.

Gerard Gallant

Gerard Gallant has never coached a team to Stanley Cup victory, but he has made it to the finals. He coached the 2017-18 expansion Vegas Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup final in the team’s first NHL season. Last season he coached the New York Rangers to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Bruce Boudreau

Although Bruce Boudreau is considered a fan favourite for Toronto’s head coaching job, he hasn’t had much success in the playoffs. He only coached one team past the second round, and that was the 2014-15 Anaheim Ducks.

Boudreau coached the Ducks to the Western Conference final that season. He is a huge Toronto Maple Leafs fan, and the fans would love having him here, but if he fails to find playoff success, that love will start to fade.