Report: Leafs actually offered Brad Treliving a new contract

Last night the the Toronto Maple Leafs finally, mercifully dismissed GM Brad Treliving... just weeks after contract negotiations on an extension.

Today, TSN insider Darren Dreger reported that at one point Leafs CEO Keith Pelley was considering signing Treliving to a contract extension. "At one point during the Olympic break Pelley and Treliving actually talked about a contract extension," Dreger said on TSN today. "But coming out of the break things really began to unravel and Pelley and ownership decided they had to go in a different direction."

Now, Pelley is reportedly wasting no time in holding people accountable and Treliving was the first person to walk the plank for the Leafs' wasted 2025-26 season.

While most of the speculation and reporting in the past day has been on who's next to face the axe in Toronto, there's still a big question out there: Who will be the next GM of the Leafs?

There are rumors that Pelley has spoken to long-time St. Louis Blues executive Doug Armstrong, but the 61 year old Armstrong has also lined up a nice little gig for him as the Blues' Director of Hockey Operations starting next season.

Then there's Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill. With Nill's contract set to expire, there has been speculation that he would be high on the Leafs' wish-list, if not at the top of that list.

Well... you can go ahead and scratch Nill's name off because NHL insider Elliotte Friedman is reporting today that Nill has signed an extension with the Stars.

Personally, I didn't put much stock in the Nill to Toronto rumors that sprang up yesterday. After all, Nill has constructed a very strong team in Dallas and he likely wants to see things through with his core. The Stars have been knocking on the door of Stanley Cup contention for years now and Nill has been a big part of the team's success. It would be quite a surprise to see him leave such a good situation for a team like the Leafs, a team facing so much uncertainty.

So... who else then?

Former Leafs assistant GM Mark Hunter is an option. Dismissed by the team when they opted to go with Kyle Dubas as their GM in 2018, Hunter returned to the OHL's London Knights where he has continued a long run of success as co-owner of the team with his brother Dale Hunter, the Knights' head coach.

Then there's Hall of Famer Chris Pronger. The former defenseman has been working behind the scenes in hockey for the better part of a decade now and looks like he's ready to make the jump to a more defined management role. The question is... is he ready for the responsibility of a full scale rebuild?

In any case, NHL insider Nick Kypreos reported yesterday that Pelley is continuing his investigation into his team and will meet with all members of the team's management, coaching and player staff to determine what went wrong for the Buds in 2025-26.

From Kypreos for Sportsnet :

In Toronto, Keith Pelley has already started his internal investigation into what went wrong this season. The CEO has scheduled debriefings with various staff members to get a range of opinions regarding management, coaching, and player evaluations. This will also include feedback on player leadership. 

It's important to note that Pelley didn't hire any of the team's incumbents and there's a belief that he's looking for a fresh start for the team in 2026-27.

Could this mean a full scale rebuild?

The GM is gone, so what about the coach? Then maybe look at trading off some of the team's high value assets like Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Matthew Knies?

Time will tell. Stay tuned, Leafs Nation.