The Maple Leafs have been able to successfully land a new GM that was under contract with another team before. But the circumstances are very different this time around.
The Maple Leafs have been able to successfully land a new GM that was under contract with another team before. But the circumstances are very different this time around.
There's a good reason why Doug Armstrong's name persists in rumors about who will become the next general of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
[gallery ids="4945,4946,4947,4948"]
Simply put, Armstrong checks all of the boxes. He's got experience, which team president Brendan Shanahan described as an "attractive quality" in a GM. Currently the longest-serving general manager of any team, he built the St. Louis Blues into a consistently competitive club that won a Stanley Cup in 2019. He served on the management staff for Team Canada at the 2010 and 2014 Olympics and was named the GM of the 2022 team that was to go to Beijing before COVID put an end to the NHL's involvement in the tournament.
And he's from Ontario.
As far as career accomplishments go, leading the Maple Leafs as GM of a Stanley Cup-winning team doesn't get any better. But there's that simple fact that Armstrong has three years remaining on his contract. And by all accounts, it doesn't appear as though the Blues want to release him.
Leafs were interested in Armstrong 15 years ago
When the Toronto Maple Leafs were looking for a successor to John Ferguson Jr. in 2008, Armstrong, who was GM of the Dallas Stars at the time, was one of a handful of GMs the club was considering for the post. That was, of course, if they couldn't land Brian Burke, who had just won a Stanley Cup in a similar post with the Anaheim Ducks.
Leafs landed Burke when he was under contract with Anaheim Ducks
In January of 2008, Burke shot down rumors of him going to Toronto. He had the remainder of the 2007-08 season to play out and an additional year on his contract. The Samueli family — owners of the Anaheim Ducks — and Burke said it was their intent to extend the GM's contract beyond the expiry at the end of the 2008-09 season.
But in the fall, Burke announced he was stepping down from his post with the Ducks and that he wouldn't be signing a new contract with the club, citing family reasons. His kids lived on the east coast and he'd been travelling across the continent several times a month. The Leafs were granted permission to speak with Burke and he named the new President and GM of the club in November of 2008.
President of Hockey Operations is not on the table
Brendan Shanahan is still the team president and the one driving the bus on team operations. Armstrong has full autonomy in St. Louis and only has Blues owner Tom Stillman to answer to. If somehow he were to be released from the Blues, they'd likely have to give him the same level of decision-making that former Leafs GM Kyle Dubas wasn't able to achieve while in Toronto.
The timeline is too tight
The Maple Leafs need to make a decision quickly on a new GM. There are major decisions that need to be made before July 1 when the no-move clauses on the contracts of Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner kick in. It's unlikely that the Leafs would be able to move mountains to release Armstrong from his current obligations and have him in place for the big decisions that need to be made.
Could Armstrong join the Maple Leafs one day? It's possible. But the timing may not allow for it this time around. The Leafs will continue to interview candidates with many believing that former Flames GM Brad Treliving is the frontrunner for the position.
Related
Kyle Dubas Releases First Statement Following Dismissal as Maple Leafs GM
Gramma Dubie Stands By Grandson With Supportive Tweets Following Kyle Dubas' Exit as Maple Leafs GM