Halford & Brough in the Morning A New Mike Gillis Era In Toronto?
Apr 6, 2026
James Mirtle, senior NHL writer for The Athletic, breaks down the buzz around Mike Gillis as a fit for Toronto’s next GM and why ownership’s “retool” message matters. He weighs other front-office candidates, the need for both a president and GM, Auston Matthews’ status, and compares Toronto’s path to Vancouver and Pittsburgh in multiple sharp takes.
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Mike Gillis Emerges As A Serious Leafs Candidate
- Mike Gillis is likely to get an interview for the Maple Leafs' president/GM search given ownership wants a data-driven leader and someone to use extensive resources.
- James Mirtle spoke with Gillis who sounded semi-retired but league contacts say Gillis is interested and will be a candidate.
Leafs Could Pair Experienced President With Analytics GM
- Toronto could hire a president like Mike Gillis and pair him with an analytics-first GM who lacks prior NHL GM experience.
- Mirtle highlighted Sonny Mehta as an analytics specialist who could serve as a radical GM under a veteran president.
Huge Leafs Front Office Calls For A President Role
- Toronto's front office size makes a president role sensible to manage many departments and multiple assistant GMs.
- Mirtle compared Toronto's ~50-person operation to Carolina's tiny office and said managing 'managing up' needs a president.