Maple Leafs Should Consider Penguins AHL GM Jason Spezza for NHL Job

The big news this week in the hockey world was the firing of Brad Treliving. The Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t wait until the end of the season to pull the plug, and they’ll begin their search for a new general manager (GM). The job isn’t easy with the Maple Leafs recovering from a terrible season and trying to juggle a competitive window with a retool while lacking future assets to turn things around quickly.

Related: BREAKING: Maple Leafs Officially Fire GM Brad Treliving It’s why the Maple Leafs want to do their due diligence and extensive research on their next hire. The hiring process is underway but it wouldn’t surprise anyone if they took time to find the ideal GM, whether it’s a household name or an outside-the-box hire. The American Hockey League has multiple up-and-coming GMs.

Like the league itself, it’s full of young, hungry, and developing hockey people looking to make the leap to the next level. One of those names is Jason Spezza, someone hockey fans know from his playing days but has turned himself into a prime candidate for an NHL GM job, even in a pressure-packed market like Toronto. Spezza’s Front Office Background Spezza’s playing days gave him a head start for a post-playing career, as he spent 19 years in the NHL while taking on different roles in his career.

He centered the top line for most of it but then adjusted into a depth player as his career went on. The ability to understand different positions and take on multiple roles is what helps players move into coaching or front office positions, and Spezza is no exception. His front office career started when he retired in 2021 with the Maple Leafs.