Gillis' last job in the NHL was as general manager of the Canucks, from 2008 to 2014.
Even before MLSE (Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment) CEO and president Keith Pelley stepped in front of a microphone on Tuesday to discuss the dismissal of former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving, the hockey club had reportedly already been looking at replacements.
Pelley and MLSE fired Treliving on Monday evening, hours before Toronto was set to face the Anaheim Ducks in California. Pelley, not even 24 hours later, said the hope is that a new head of hockey operations is brought in by the end of May or by the NHL Draft in late June at the latest.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported on Tuesday's edition of The Fan Hockey Show that one name that has surfaced is Mike Gillis, who last served as GM of the Vancouver Canucks in 2014.
"One of the names that is kind of floating around because they're interested in what he did in his past job, I think, potentially is Mike Gillis," Friedman said.
"That’s a name that they have kind of looked at, and I can see why. He took a team that was really struggling and took them to the edge of the Stanley Cup Final. I don't know that it's gonna be Mike Gillis, but I think that he is the kind of person that they've been looking at so far."
Gillis served as the Canucks' GM from 2008 to 2014, during arguably one of the most successful periods in the club's 55-year history.
During Gillis' tenure, the club won five playoff series, including a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2011 against the Boston Bruins. They ultimately fell to the Bruins in seven games.
Not only did the Canucks have playoff success, but they also had regular-season success. Vancouver won back-to-back Presidents' Trophies (awarded to the team with the most points in a season) in 2010-11 and 2011-12.
Since being dismissed by the Canucks in April 2014, Gillis hasn't had another job in the NHL. He did, however, serve on the board of directors with Swiss National League team Genève-Servette HC from 2016 to 2018.
When it comes to Toronto's next potential hire for head of hockey ops, Pelley said he wants whoever is hired to be "data-centric."
"They have to really understand the importance of data and where data is moving," Pelley continued. "We have just completed a complete rebuild of TFC, all using data combined with cultural checks. That's what we will do, and every single decision we make will be evidence-based.
"Evidence-based decisions are never wrong, and that's not to say there's not room for the heart, not to say there's no room to check culture, but it’s all evidence-based."
Pelley also noted on Tuesday that he's already had seven candidates reach out about the position, but that he wants to have a search firm in place to find the right person for the job.
"[The field of candidates is] absolutely wide open," Pelley added.
"I think nothing has been determined with the final structure (of the management group). We currently have six assistant general managers. Is that the right structure? What is the right structure? It might come down from after interviewing candidates, after talking to people. But we are open.
"At the end of the day, this is the most important decision that I will likely make in my tenure at MLSE."