April 29th: According to Nick Alberga of Leafs Morning Take, a third candidate has made it to the final stages of the Maple Leafs GM search. Michael Futa, currently serving as a special assistant to the General Manager with the Carolina Hurricanes, has joined White and Chayka as a finalist for the role. Futa spent many years with the Los Angeles Kings organization as the team’s Director of Amateur Scouting, Vice President of Hockey Operations, and Assistant General Manager.
April 24th: In a new update from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on his 32 Thoughts podcast, the Toronto Maple Leafs are likely down to their final two candidates for their open General Manager position. Still, Friedman doesn’t expect anything to be announced soon as the Maple Leafs continue to do their due diligence on each candidate, who couldn’t be more different.
One of the candidates is Scott White, Assistant General Manager of the Dallas Stars, as reported a few days ago. White was hired by the Stars organization after the 2005 lockout, working his way up from their AHL affiliate to the AGM position in 2016. In his developmental philosophy, White typically values players of high character, often providing prospects and draft options with numerous character assessments.
That’s not to say he doesn’t value talent, but he is keenly aware of what a bad locker room can create, even with the necessary talent to win. Unsurprisingly, the Maple Leafs are interested in allowing that philosophy to dictate the future of the organization. Toronto has undeniable talent, but the team has struggled to mesh well in recent years. White would be an interesting candidate to come in and make some blunt changes to reshuffle the team’s chemistry.
Meanwhile, Friedman shared that John Chayka, former General Manager of the Arizona Coyotes, is the other finalist, and likely the favorite. Chayka has not worked in the NHL since he left the Coyotes organization in 2020, as he’s largely focused on his company, Compass Restaurant Group, along with his wife.
Additionally, it was unlikely he would find another General Manager role before that due to some controversy surrounding him toward the end of his time in Arizona. Chayka was suspended from the NHL by Commissioner Gary Bettman for pursuing opportunities with other clubs while under contract with the Coyotes. Additionally, the Coyotes were forced to forfeit a second-round pick in 2020 and a first-round pick in 2021 for hosting a private scouting combine for draft-eligible prospects under Chayka.
Still, Chayka has what the Maple Leafs want. He has a shrewd analytical mind, similar to Eric Tulsky of the Carolina Hurricanes and Sunny Mehta of the New Jersey Devils. Like White, Chayka would likely implement changes to enhance the team’s talent; however, concerns about the locker room atmosphere may persist.
Friedman pointed out that although the team has narrowed its choices down to two finalists, neither White nor Chayka has advanced to the second round of negotiations, which involves meeting with the Maple Leafs’ ownership group. The first candidate to reach this stage is likely to be named the team’s next General Manager in a few weeks.
MLE is just stupid enough to hire Chayka considering all the baggage & Red 🚩s from the past.
Nobody is paying attention to this embarrassing franchise.
Wilf, Leafs are going to hire Ron Francis as GM just to spite you.
@Jamesz 2 – I hope for Wilf’s sake he was wearing a cup for that one! 😀 Worst case scenario? Ronnie Francis declines just to spite us!
Wilf, you are paying attention to the Leaves.
Team has talent. In 10 seasons, has run through 5 coaches.
Starting to believe there is some underlying conflict in the talent pool.
At least Leafs have had a crack at the playoffs in recent times, unlike the Wings.
Count your blessings Toronto, it CAN be worse.
It’s the culture of the organization for 30 years.
This is what they do. Scape goat and know better and always have too many cooks in the kitchen with different agendas
It’s bay street corporate culture at work.
No one is paying attention to your embarrassing comment grapes Do us all a favor and leave this site
Why? He’s golden
Yet here you are, reading and commenting on an article about said team. The Leafs have more haters than most teams have fans.
I suspect the haters are largely former, disillusioned Leafs fans. This is often how it goes in life
No I understand the nonstop coverage can upset other fanbases. I had a Wings fan tell me he’d be ok if Detroit never won again as long as Toronto didn’t win a cup.
You got it born and raised in Toronto surrounded by these entitled bunts
Of course they booed their best player out of town.
Was it Blashill?
MLSE are idiots. They want to hire Sundin to “change the culture” on the team. As someone who works in upper management for an international company, I can say with experience that culture change starts from the top. The CEOs, etc need to stay out of the hockey ops. They need to lead by example and lend support only when needed. They also need to remove the players impeding the change to a team focused group. That means AM and WN have to go. They stripped Tavares of the C for AM and kept him on the team. That was a slap in the face to John and showed the rest of the team that management will cater to their “stars”.
Hope Mike Futa has a legit interview and shot at the job.
The Leafs are exhausting.
@30. Agreed. And I’m a fan….🤔
It’s not the Leafs but the ppl that surround them. Imagine you have to deal with Steve Dangle every single day as a player and you cant do anything about this
Yep agents board members coaching staffs, season ticket holders etc…..
The only time the team does well is when they hire an American that doesn’t love the team.
Ps: they self implode every three to five years for my entire life — the management can’t get out of its own way.
You’re on the verge of a dynasty and you replace lou lamorreillo with a random 33 year old wonder kid.
Classic maple leafs. Lol
@grrr. To be fair this team has never been on the cusp of a dynasty. That would mean having won at least ONE Cup or gone to the finals 2-3 consecutive years. This team is on a dynasty of losing, if anything.
> Michael Futa, currently serving as a special assistant to the General Manager with the Carolina Hurricanes, has joined White and Chayka as a finalist for the role.
Currently!!! How many years has it been since Futa’s one year working for Don Waddell? 4? 5?
Is Futa doing anything other than acting as co-host of Sportsnet’s The FAN Hockey Show on radio or podcast?
@InRodWeTrust – You should visit his EP page and see what he’s done since 2007-2008. From that time through 2019–2020 he was with the Kings in various roles, finishing with Carolina in 2021–2022 when he worked with Don Waddell as Special Assistant to the GM.
This is a team in need of Mike Keenan.