The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking for a new General Manager, and one name they must consider is Jason Spezza, who has impressed at the AHL level for the Penguins organization.
The big news this week in the hockey world was the firing of Brad Treliving. The Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t wait until the end of the season to pull the plug, and they’ll begin their search for a new general manager (GM). The job isn’t easy with the Maple Leafs recovering from a terrible season and trying to juggle a competitive window with a retool while lacking future assets to turn things around quickly.
It’s why the Maple Leafs want to do their due diligence and extensive research on their next hire. The hiring process is underway but it wouldn’t surprise anyone if they took time to find the ideal GM, whether it’s a household name or an outside-the-box hire.
The American Hockey League has multiple up-and-coming GMs. Like the league itself, it’s full of young, hungry, and developing hockey people looking to make the leap to the next level. One of those names is Jason Spezza, someone hockey fans know from his playing days but has turned himself into a prime candidate for an NHL GM job, even in a pressure-packed market like Toronto.
Spezza’s Front Office Background
Spezza’s playing days gave him a head start for a post-playing career, as he spent 19 years in the NHL while taking on different roles in his career. He centered the top line for most of it but then adjusted into a depth player as his career went on. The ability to understand different positions and take on multiple roles is what helps players move into coaching or front office positions, and Spezza is no exception.
His front office career started when he retired in 2021 with the Maple Leafs. Spezza went straight to the front office to become a special advisor to Kyle Dubas, who, without question, has had a strong influence on how he thinks about the game. When Dubas left for Pittsburgh, he took Spezza with him to run the Wilkes-Barre Scranton team, their AHL affiliate.
For many Maple Leafs fans, they’ll see his ties to Dubas and immediately push back. Dubas was too young and unproven when he took over the Maple Leafs and was seen as an overhyped wunderkind who couldn’t get the team over the hump. Considering how the team has done since he left and how the Penguins have turned things around since 2023, there’s a good chance the fans miss him or want someone with his mindset in their front office. Spezza, who has learned a lot from Dubas, fits that bill.
Why Spezza Fits in Toronto
It’s hard to evaluate AHL GMs and figure out whether they’ll succeed at the NHL level, in part because there’s no telling whether they are the ones pulling the strings or if the NHL GM is the one in charge. Moreover, every team operates differently, with some having a GM who is there every day and overseeing everything, while others prefer to watch from a distance.
Spezza is in charge of the AHL team and, specifically, reports to Dubas when a player must get called up or when the team needs veteran help. In both areas, Spezza has done a good job of getting the most out of the Penguins.
Yes, the Penguins have a great farm system and prospects who will make the team look better. However, they’ve brought in veterans and built a culture to allow those prospects to take a step forward. Players like Phil Kemp and Rafael Harvey Pinard were brought in this offseason to build up a winning environment and serve as buffers for the coaching staff. It’s those signings that go a long way in the AHL, and a credit to Spezza for bringing them in.
It’s a small sample size but Spezza has shown he has an eye for talent and can find those missing pieces with high value. The Maple Leafs will need a GM who can make the under-the-radar free agent signing or bring in talent that allows them to retool on the fly and still get the most out of Auston Matthews and William Nylander in their prime years. Spezza’s AHL experience has shown he can do that.
The Pushback Against Spezza
The question is whether it’s Dubas or Spezza’s work, even with the AHL team. The Penguins have drafted, developed, and discovered talent in recent years, allowing the NHL team to overachieve. However, a lot of that can be credited to Dubas and the Penguins being in a good position to draft elite players (like Ben Kindel, who went straight to the NHL and never looked back).
Spezza doesn’t have any team-building experience, certainly not at the NHL level. Plus, he’s only reporting to Dubas and the AHL team compared to an NHL GM who oversees everything and manages upward as well. If the Maple Leafs hired Spezza, they would demand he work with the board, ownership, and more names below him as well. It’s a lot more on his plate, and it’s unknown whether he can handle it.
It’s also worth adding that Spezza helped the AHL team but isn’t the reason they have the second-best record in the Atlantic Division and have been great since he arrived. Wilkes-Barre has a great coaching staff and development team, most of which was assembled by Dubas, and the prospects, especially goaltender Sergei Murashov, can mask a lot of issues. Spezza is a young GM on the rise but understandably has his issues. And the Maple Leafs aren’t in a spot to take that risk.
If The Maple Leafs Don’t Hire Him, Someone Else Will
Spezza is one of the many GMs in the AHL who will garner interest in the summer. He’s only 42, so if he’s the next great GM, a team can have his work pay off for years to come. It’s why the Maple Leafs might want him in their front office because other teams will give him a shot, even with minimal team-building accolades on his resume.
The Maple Leafs aren’t the only team looking for a new GM. The Nashville Predators began their search halfway through the season, and a handful of teams might throw their hat in the ring, notably the Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, and Vancouver Canucks. If one of those teams wants a young GM on the rise, Spezza is one they’ll consider.
So, the Maple Leafs must consider Spezza, knowing they can miss out on a GM of the future. While they might have their eyes on an established name like Doug Armstrong, they should find a way to bring in Spezza, even in an assistant role, knowing the upside he can provide.