NHL insider names 'favourite' to take over as Maple Leafs GM.

Chaos has erupted in the Toronto Maple Leafs front office after a shocking decision from Maple Leafs president Brendan Shannon on Friday, one that led to the firing of now former Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas.

The Maple Leafs are a team with a number of critical issues on their plate in the coming month, including contract negotiations, the 2023 National Hockey League Entry Draft, and of course free agency on July 1st, but now they find themselves without a general manager to steer the ship. This will leave the Maple Leafs with relatively little time to find a suitable replacement for Dubas, but less than 24 hours after the firing of Dubas a favorite for the role has already emerged.

NHL insider Chris Johnston has quite confidently declared that the former Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving is the clear frontrunner to take over the mantle of GM for the Leafs.

From Johnston:

Let it be said here that Brad Treliving is now the favourite to replace him as Leafs GM because there are so few obvious options who meet Shanahan’s requirement that “having an experienced general manager would be an attractive quality.”

That might seem a little confusing given reports that the Calgary Flames have been blocking Treliving from interviewing for other jobs around the NHL, but on Friday NHL insider Frank Seravalli revealed that the Flames have reversed course when it comes to Treliving.

"Hearing Flames have reconsidered their approach with former GM Brad Treliving, after our report last week, and will not get in the way if any future employment opportunity arises before his contract expires on June 30," wrote Seravalli on Friday.

This would appear to put Treliving back on the table as an option for the Maple Leafs, and if Chris Johnston is correct in his prediction he could very well be their next GM.