Mike Gillis, Mats Sundin management duo could work for the Leafs
The 2025-26 season has come to a merciful end for the Toronto Maple Leafs, as they finished with 78 points, good for the second worst record in the Eastern Conference and the fifth worst record in the NHL. Now, the Leafs will wait for May 5th’s Draft Lottery to see if they’ll keep their top-five protected pick, or turn this season from bad to a disaster by handing it over to the rival Boston Bruins.
In the meantime, the powers that be at MLSE will have to fill the power vacuum that exists at the top of the Maple Leafs organization. The team currently has no general manager, after Brad Treliving was fired at the end of March, and they’ve yet to name a new president after Brendan Shanahan’s departure last offseason. Rumors have swirled recently about franchise legend Mats Sundin landing a role in the organization, and former Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis has been floated as someone Toronto could pursue.
On Friday’s episode of Daily Faceoff LIVE, host Tyler Yaremchuk was joined by The Sheet‘s Jeff Marek to discuss the possibility of Sundin and Gillis working together with the Leafs.
Tyler Yaremchuk: We saw the Blue Jays go with a Mark Shapiro, Ross Atkins duo. A president who could sit there at press conferences and do all the business stuff, and then a GM who could just soley focus on the on-field product. There was talk when the Leafs go to hire this new front office, it’ll be maybe a similar thing, where there’s a president who can sit and deal with all the outside stuff that comes with running the Toronto Maple Leafs, and there’d be a GM who could just focus on the team. That’s why people wondered a Mike Gillis, Sunny Mehta duo, potentially. Is there one of those spots where Mats Sundin could fit in? I saw his name popping up today.
Jeff Marek: I think they want Mats Sundin in the fold. Let’s not forget that Mike Gillis signed Mats Sundin with the Vancouver Canucks back in 2008. I think Mike would’ve been a rookie general manager at that point in the NHL. The thing about Gillis is he’s touched so many different areas. He’s been a general manager, he’s sat with executives in other business, he’s been a consultant, he’s worked as a player agent, and he’s still in some corners considered one of the godfathers that other agents will still turn to for advice on a consistent basis. He was a finalist for the NHL Players’ Association executive director position.
I think that Sundin and Gillis being part of a management group does make sense. I know that the Maple Leafs have wanted, even going back to the Shanahan era, Mats Sundin to be more involved in the organization. The interesting thing there is, generally, and Daniel Alfredsson sort of breaks this mold, when Swedish hockey players go home they kind of stay. They don’t come back, and you could understand why, it’s absolutely gorgeous there.
You can catch the full discussion and the rest of Friday’s episode here…