Insider on Keith Pelley's GM search: "It is a mess."

For weeks fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs heard the name of Sunny Mehta bandied about as the likely next candidate to be general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, only for the New Jersey Devils to announce that they had hired Mehta on Thursday.

The question of course is where does that leave the Maple Leafs as far as their search is concerned? The answer may not be one that fans in Toronto want to hear, with National Hockey League insiders describing the process happening in Toronto as less than ideal.

During a recent radio hit, NHL insider Frank Seravalli was asked to share his thoughts on the GM search in Toronto and Seravalli's comments were not flattering to say the least.

"It is a mess," said Seravalli on the Big Show. "From everyone that I've talked to that's worked in there, the way that Keith Pelley has had his fingers on everything has not been a good look and the way that they've gone about this process is an even worse look."

Seravalli pointed to the recent controversy surrounding the Maple Leafs decision to hire Neil Glasberg, despite his previous business relationship ties to Sunny Mehta, as just one example of Pelley's mishandling of the situation.

"Unabashedly bringing in someone in Neil Glasberg that has a conflict of interest," said Seravalli. "It's not my opinion and it's not a perceived conflict of interest, it is an actual, authentic, literal, conflict of interest where he stands to gain financially. As the person either helping shape the list, vet the list, create the list, whatever it is, or help opine on who should advance when he is actively representing other candidates including Sunny Mehta."

Another big name that has been mentioned out there is that of Canadian hockey icon Hayley Wickenheiser, although Seravalli also expressed doubts about Wickenheiser's candidacy for the role.

"Too early to say and honestly, I don't know the answer to this but I think it's a question worth asking, is this a role she would be even interested in?" asked Seravalli. "She's a medical doctor, she is in the business of saving lives not running hockey teams."