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The Toronto Maple Leafs have missed out on Sunny Mehta as the Leafs are beat to the GM frontrunner.
Sunny Mehta, one of the leading candidates for the Toronto Maple Leafs general manager position, has been hired as the general manager of the New Jersey Devils, the team announced.
Mehta, previously the Florida Panthers assistant general manager, was linked to Toronto as a potential favorite as he fit the wants of the Leafs parent organization, MLSE, for an analytically savvy GM.
The New Jersey native Mehta was previously a director of analytics with the Devils before joining the Panthers, having also been linked to their own vacancy with the departure of outgoing GM Tom Fitzgerald.
Toronto, seeking a replacement for Brad Treliving as the team’s general manager, had been granted permission to speak with Mehta last week, along with New Jersey.
According to Elliotte Friedman, Mehta will lead team decisions, which includes the future of current head coach Sheldon Keefe, the former Leafs coach.
hy entirely missing out on the analytics guru forces the team to find a proven heavy hitter
The Toronto Maple Leafs search turns from Sunny Mehta, but Toronto are still seeking an analytical option that can reignite the team.
While young inexperienced options like John Chayka and Brett Peterson are floating around the boardroom may finally pivot to someone with actual heavy experience
Internally, a choice such as Brandon Pridham has been viewed as an outsider choice, with traditional hockey veterans such as Fitzgerald viewed as less likely.
Someone like Gillis with GM experience may be a pivot for the Toronto Maple Leafs with the team’s believed top target Mehta now off the table for Toronto.
How this intense boardroom shift perfectly sets up the exact culture shock the roster needs
MLSE has made clear that driving forward with analytics is a necessity for the team in their general manager search, and Sunny Mehta going elsewhere is doubtful to change things.
Losing Mehta isn’t going to make the Leafs suddenly shift to a traditional GM candidate, but their top choice has just slipped from their hands.
Multiple contenders still remain in what is known to be a vast Leafs GM search with multiple candidates to be interviewed for the position.
Toronto now has the opportunity to go out and secure a veteran manager like Gillis who can instantly clean up the soft dressing room and build a true playoff contender, hired as both GM and President of Hockey Operations.
The Leafs won’t be too disparaged by the swooping from New Jersey of Sunny Mehta in their general manager hunt, but forces Toronto’s hand to balance their analytical GM search with their best fit for the hire gone elsewhere.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs lose the Sunny Mehta sweepstakes and it forces an intense boardroom shift
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