Nonis, Burke, Ferguson Jr Are Available to Be Toronto Maple Leafs GM

There was a great deal of talk throughout the season about the future of the Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas with the only NHL organization he’s ever been a part of.

After all the questions and speculation, Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan decided it was best if the general manager reins were in the hands of someone else.

While Lou Lamoriello is currently the president of hockey operations and general manager for the New York Islanders, all the rest of the previous three Leafs GMs are available.

Hard to believe!

Ex-Toronto Maple Leafs GMs Ready to Return to Service

Dave Nonis

Dave Nonis was the Toronto Maple Leafs general manager from 2013-2015. His time at the helm wasn’t an overly successful one. The team had a winning percentage of .460 while he held the position.

Nonis should be best remembered for the contracts he handed out. He was the king of contract extensions. In January of 2013, 11 days into being the team’s GM, he gave Joffrey Lupul, an often injured player, a five-year extension worth $26.25 million. Lupul’s injury woes continued after signing his deal in Toronto and was even unable to play the 2016-2017 season or beyond due to his health struggles.

Nonis also signed Tyler Bozak to a five-year, $21 million deal, David Clarkson to a seven-year $36.75 million extension, Phil Kessel to an eight-year pact worth $64-million, and former Toronto Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf to a seven-year $49 million contract. It was clear that Nonis’ style was to lock players in long term. It was also clear that the strategy wasn’t always in the team’s best interest.

Most recently, the Anaheim Ducks had employed Nonis as their assistant general manager. He became an available free agent after being fired in 2022.

Brian Burke

Brian Burke has done it all in the hockey world. From player to executive to broadcaster, he has acquired an incredible set of skills. In November of 2008, Burke joined the Toronto Maple Leafs as their president and general manager taking over for interim general manager Cliff Fletcher.

Burke will forever be known as the architect of the trade that brought the Maple Leafs Phil Kessel. In order to acquire the sniper, Burke game up far too much to the Boston Bruins. Burke shipped out the second-overall 2010 first round draft pick, which was used to select Tyler Seguin. A second round pick in that same draft was included, which the Bruins used to take right-wing Jared Knight, who never made it to the NHL.

If that was all the Toronto Maple Leafs gave up, perhaps the fanbase would be more forgiving, but since Burke went on record to say that he didn’t believe in giving offer sheets, he decided it would be more gentlemanly to agree on a trade with Boston.

An offer sheet at the time, would have meant that Toronto surrenders a first, second, and third round pick. The deal Burke made was for two first round selections and a second. The other first round pick the Leafs gave the Bruins was used in the 2011 draft, ninth overall. It was used to select defenseman Dougie Hamilton.

Burke was most recently working as president of hockey operations for the Pittsburgh Penguins. In April this year, he was relieved of his duties after the team failed to clinch a playoff berth.

John Ferguson Jr

John Ferguson Jr is the only man on this list who is currently employed in the NHL.

He is the assistant general manager for the Arizona Coyotes.

Since being general manager is a step up from his current position, the Yotes would surely allow JFJ to return to Toronto if they were interested in having him reclaim the general manager’s throne.

The Toronto Maple Leafs re-hiring Ferguson isn’t something anyone should wager their money on. Afterall, he is the man who fired  Leafs legend Patt Quinn. If that wasn’t bad enough, Ferguson is also responsible for the worst trade in the organization’s history. He sent the Bruins goaltending prospect Tuukka Rask in exchange for Andrew Raycroft.

While the search will be on for the Leafs new GM, none of the aforementioned men should even be considered. While they individually may have grown and improved since leaving Toronto, their legacies are all still stained in the city. The search committee needs to find someone else, anybody else.