While the Maple Leafs appear to have their leadership in place, the revealed pursuit of Julien Brisebois shows the Leafs did try to get one of the most proven GMs for the job.
Barring any last-minute snags in finalizing contracts, it appears as though the Toronto Maple Leafs management is set with Hockey Hall of Famer Mats Sundin taking on a Vice President of Hockey Operations-type role and John Chayka serving as General Manager. However, it looks like the Leafs were aiming to speak with another currently employed GM with another franchise.
On the latest episode of the ’32 Thoughts’ podcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman revealed who he believes the Leafs tried to speak to. “I believe that was Julien Brisebois of the Tampa Bay Lightning,” Friedman said. “I don’t think anyone is shocked here the Lightning would say no.”
A look at his resume makes it clear to see why the Leafs would be interested in Brisebois. He started with the Lightning in 2010 when he was hired by Steve Yzerman as an Assistant GM and oversaw the AHL team’s hiring of Jon Cooper and subsequent Calder Cup championships. When Yzerman departed to run the Detroit Red Wings, Brisebois was promoted to GM, and the club won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021.
Brisebois is known for his ability to weaponize the salary cap while being aggressive in making deals to compete in a championship window. An example of that was acquiring David Savard and Barclay Goodrow for first-round picks during that period. He has also been able to effectively sign players to cap-friendly deals, securing stars like Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point to long-term contracts with salary cap hits of $9.5 million. While these were seen as possibly below market value, the take-home pay remains high given Florida is a state with no
In Toronto, Brisebois wouldn’t necessarily have that specific tax luxury, but he would have had the full resources of MLSE at his disposal. He certainly fits MLSE CEO Keith Pelley’s desire for a data-driven GM, making it easy to see why the Lightning were quick to decline the request.
The Leafs appear to be in no rush to make a formal announcement on their new management structure as all the i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed. Beyond the front office shuffle, the team's immediate future hinges on the NHL Draft lottery this Tuesday, May 5. The Leafs currently have the fifth-best chance of moving to the No. 1 spot, but they also face a 58.9 percent chance of losing their pick if they move down in the order. The Leafs lose their pick to the Boston Bruins if it does not land in the top five—a condition of the March 2025 trade that brought veteran defenseman Brandon Carlo to Toronto.