The list of potential job candidates continues to grow as the job search for the Toronto Maple Leafs intensifies, with new names surfacing fast and furious in recent days.
Amid the mounting buzz, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported Saturday that more changes than initially expected could be on the horizon, meaning an even bigger shake-up to the organization's structure as the Leafs reshape their front office.
Friedman Reports Maple Leafs Eyeing "Major Changes," Adds New Name to Job Search
On the Saturday Headlines segment during the second intermission of the Leafs-Kings' game, Friedman gave the latest update on where things stand in Toronto's job search.
He first stated that the Maple Leafs have yet to seek permission to talk to anyone under contract with another team. Friedman then reported that after MLSE president Keith Pelley dismissed former GM Brad Treliving, he held a virtual meeting with all members of the Leafs hockey operations department.
The insider said that after talking to "a few people after it (the meeting) was over, in the last couple of days, it's pretty clear they are expecting major change." Friedman noted the changes that former president Brendan Shanahan made when first taking over that role.
Friedman said it was how Pelley talked about using "our resources to the fullest capacity" that made some feel that large changes were coming. Those present at the meeting were left with the impression that, in Pelley's view, the organization had not been doing that. That has left several people expecting many more changes (in addition to the firing of Treliving).
Next, Friedman gave an update on the list of potential candidates to fill roles within the Leafs organization. First, he discussed the frequently mentioned Doug Armstrong. On that front, he said, "It just doesn't seem like the timing is right for the Blues, and the Maple Leafs, and Doug Armstrong."
"It just doesn't seem like the timing is right for the Blues, and the Maple Leafs, and Doug Armstrong."Elliotte Friedman on Leafs' job search
From there, Friedman dropped a new name to watch moving forward in the Maple Leafs' job search, Sunny Mehta, currently an assistant GM with the Florida Panthers. The insider stated he thinks Mehta will be a factor during the Leafs' search.
As Pelley continues the process of filling key roles and determining the structure of the Maple Leafs organization, uncertainty remains in how the final front office will take shape. With new names emerging, this evolving situation is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing storylines in hockey, with plenty of twists and turns in the weeks ahead.