Insider: Maple Leafs Have Specific Goal in Mind for Front Office Candidates

We're starting to learn more and more about the Toronto Maple Leafs search for a new front office. With the removal of Brendan Shanahan a year ago as president of hockey operations, and the disposal of Brad Treliving as GM two weeks ago, that leaves perhaps two spots open to fill.

But does it really?

According to insider Elliotte Friedman, speaking on Hockey Night in Canada, it sounds like MLSE President and CEO Keith Pelley wants to wrap the hockey operations into one top job:

What I can tell you right now is, that, No. 1, I think they're starting the search with the goal of one person (to fill the POHO/GM duties). It doesn't mean it can't morph into more, but they are starting the search with the goal of one person.

One of the frontrunners that's already been emerging is Florida Panthers assistant GM—and the man behind their analytics approach—Sunny Mehta. But Friedman now adds a new intriguing wrinkle on that front:

We've talked about one specific member of the Florida front office. But I don't think that's the only request that's going to be made of the Panthers. I think the Maple Leafs could ask for multiple permissions to talk to people with Florida. 

These are some interesting revelations. Especially due to the fact that one of the other top candidates making the rounds is 67-year-old Mike Gillis. It's thought among insiders that he wouldn't really have any interest in handling the day-to-day duties of a GM, preferring more of an overseeing role like a president of hockey ops would have. Gillis is reported to be in line for a second interview already.

Friedman tells us nothing is imminent in the Leafs search. "I think they're going to have a bunch of interviews next week. This is not going to be a short process. They're determined to talk to as many people as they can, and get as many opinions as they can about what they should do."