After a season that saw them miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Toronto Maple Leafs are conducting a search for a new general manager after they fired Brad Treliving. There is no secret that this is a huge hire coming up for Toronto and the future of their organization.
It is not guaranteed that the Maple Leafs have their first-round pick in June's Entry Draft as it is top 5 protected from the Boston Bruins. However, it's not a guarantee that it falls inside the top 5, and if it doesn't, then it's the Bruins from the Brandon Carlo trade in March of 2025.
Fast forward to 2026. Toronto is reportedly narrowing down its candidates to final interviews, and one name that has been linked to the position is current Bruins assistant GM Evan Gold. On his latest 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman revealed who he believes the finalists really are.
Elliotte Friedman gives update on Maple Leafs GM search
Friedman revealed who he believes are the finalists, and it appears that Gold is not part of the final round of interviews.
"I said the finalists were Ryan Martin from the Rangers, Scott White from the Dallas Stars, and either John Chayka or Evan Gold from the Bruins. I wasn't sure about the third one, and now I believe it was Chayka. It was Chayka, Martin, and White," Friedman said.
"I'm told that Ryan Martin from the Rangers was informed sometime after that meeting that even though he had a couple of great interviews and they were impressed, he wasn't advancing further and that he wouldn't be the next GM."
It wasn't surprising that Gold was part of Toronto's targets when the process began, but it appears that he's being passed and will remain under Sweeney in Boston. As far as who Friedman thinks gets the job when it is announced, well, he picked one candidate.
"I think Chayka gets it, but I think we're far from done,'' admitted Friedman.
We'll see where this ends up going, but whoever gets the job has a lot of decisions ahead of them for a fanbase that is frustrated.
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