TSN\u2019s Hockey Insiders on Toronto\u2019s hope to have a search firm hired by the end of next week, how the Leafs hope to copy Carolina with a data-driven hire, the next phase of Nashville\u2019s general manager search and GM Patrik Allvin remaining a big part of the Canucks\u2019 future.<\/p>\n
Gino Reda: With the Insiders, Pierre LeBrun and Darren Dreger. Gentlemen, from the moment Keith Pelley fired Brad Treliving, Maple Leafs fans have been wondering who will be his replacement and how long until he is in place? <\/p>\n
Before anyone gets ahead of themselves, what\u2019s the first step, Pierre?<\/p>\n
Pierre LeBrun: Before anyone starts saying \u2018the short list has been shortened,\u2019 there has to be a search firm hired, and that hasn\u2019t happened quite yet. <\/p>\n
I was told on Thursday that MLSE hopes to have a search firm in place by the end of next weekend at the latest.<\/p>\n
Once that happens then this process starts more formally. It doesn\u2019t mean that Keith Pelley, the head of MLSE, is sitting on his hands until then.<\/p>\n
My understanding is that he continues to have dialogue with a number of people around the league so that when that search firm is hired he will probably hand over a list of eight to ten names to get the process going.<\/p>\n
What is this interview process labelled, is it for a GM? Is it for a president of hockey operations? I was told on Thursday that it is for a head of hockey operations, and from there we\u2019ll see where it goes.<\/p>\n
I think Keith Pelley wants to stay as flexible as possible in terms of whether it\u2019s just a GM hire, or a GM and a president of hockey operations and whether it\u2019s one person that handles both or not, they don\u2019t want to get boxed in.<\/p>\n
So they\u2019d like to get someone hired by the end of May.<\/p>\n
Darren Dreger: And it was suggested to me on Thursday that it\u2019s more likely that Keith Pelley and the Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a> just hire a general manager, and that seems like a bit of a miss when you look at the mammoth task ahead for whomever that head of hockey operations is.<\/p>\n I think most of the hockey world believe that managing the Maple Leafs through the next phase requires somebody with a wealth of management experience.<\/p>\n However, there is a strong consideration being given to copying the Carolina Hurricanes<\/a> model. We all heard Keith Pelley speak glowingly of the work of Eric Tulsky, who\u2019s general manager of the Hurricanes, and many believe that Keith Pelley – who\u2019s a believer in evidence-based decisions – feels strongly that the next GM of the Maple Leafs has to be entrenched in that analytics world.<\/p>\n