The Toronto Maple Leafs are facing stiff competition in their search for a new general manager. Toronto recently made headlines by firing now former GM Brad Treliving on March 30. The exec was in place for the team’s second playoff series win in 20 years, but received plenty of heat for a series of poor trades.
Immediately following Treliving’s departure, several candidates for the job emerged. Multiple NHL insiders specifically named St. Louis Blues president and general manager Doug Armstrong as the frontrunner. Along with the veteran exec, Hall of Fame defenseman Chris Pronger also became a potential choice as well. Pronger, however, does not have much experience in an NHL front office.
Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) President and CEO Keith Pelley discussed the situation in a heavily criticized press conference on March 31. Pelley claimed that the club was open to candidates with different backgrounds. Nevertheless, he did admit that Toronto favors a “data-centric” GM to replace Treliving.
The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun is now reporting that the Maple Leafs have received permission from the Florida Panthers to interview their assistant general manager, Sunny Mehta. Mehta would certainly align with Pelley’s needs. The former professional musician and poker player previously earned a Master’s Degree in data science from the City University of New York. He even co-authored a book on Texas hold ’em poker in 2009.
Toronto Maple Leafs Hope Sunny Mehta Can Deliver Similar Results as in Florida
GettySunny Mehta has been crucial to the Florida Panthers‘ success.
Although Mehta has an unusual background for an NHL exec, he does have hockey experience and a solid track record. He previously worked in various roles for at least three other professional hockey teams, including the New Jersey Devils, before landing the job with the Panthers in 2020.
With Mehta handling analytics for Florida, the team emerged as one of the top teams in the NHL. Thanks to a series of smart trades and solid draft picks, the Panthers collected back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2024 and 2025. Mehta is widely cited as a key piece of the puzzle in Florida’s recent rise.
Interestingly enough, NHL insider Chris Johnston has reported that Mehta is currently a client of Neil Glasberg. Glasberg is the founder and president of The Coaches Agency, a sports consulting firm recently hired by the Maple Leafs to help assist their search for a new general manager. The connection could very well give Toronto an edge in potentially landing the highly-rated Mehta.
Toronto Faces Competition from Conference Rival
Despite this, the Toronto Maple Leafs may have to hurry to strike a deal with Mehta. LeBrun has also revealed that the Devils have received permission from the Panthers to speak to the exec. New Jersey previously hired Mehta to lead their analytics department back in 2014. The former poker player grew up a Devils fan and is credited with unearthing star forward Jesper Bratt in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL draft.
Toronto clearly has tough competition if they truly want to hire Mehta. Pelley and the Maple Leafs will hope that their connections with The Coaches Agency could help land the rising star exec, though. Mehta could also become a candidate for other NHL GM jobs around the league as the 2025-26 season winds down.
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