Former Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving & Another Surprising Name Linked to Current NHL Opening

Brad Treliving's days as the Toronto Maple Leafs general manager will likely be remembered for one of the worst trades in recent memory for the team, when he dealt a first-round pick plus top prospect Fraser Minten—who has flourished with the Boston Bruins this season—for Brandon Carlo at last year's deadline.

He then bungled the 2025 offseason, to the point where the Leafs have plummeted out of the playoffs this season for the first time in a decade. He was dumped by Toronto with a couple of weeks to go in the regular season.

Then there's Kevyn Adams, who was let go by the Buffalo Sabres after a tumultuous reign, only to see the club explode into one of the best teams in the league after he left.

But at least one pundit feels that those two still have a future in NHL front offices.

Insider Elliotte Friedman has suggested, on his 32 Thoughts podcast, that the Nashville Predators are looking for an experienced general manager-type to fill their opening.

I'm curious to see here if the Predators take a look at either Kevyn Adams or Brad Treliving. They want an AGM or GM that has recently served in the position. And I think the fact that they've opened it to (Tom) Fitzgerald... I do wonder if they talk to the other two guys.

Insider links Brad Treliving & Kevyn Adams as potential Predators candidates

The Predators have established their interest in experienced candidates, as they're strongly linked now to Fitzgerald, who was fired by the New Jersey Devils last week. Additionally, they were turned down in their requests to speak with Carolina Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky (not surprisingly), and also by the Vancouver Canucks in regards to their AGM Ryan Johnson.

There are a number of key candidates still in the mix in Nashville, however, including assistant GMs Bill Scott of the Edmonton Oilers, Scott White with the Dallas Stars, and Brett Peterson of the Florida Panthers.