NHL Rumors: Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils, and the Nashville Predators

Neil Glasberg’s agency was hired to add value and not influence the Toronto Maple Leafs decisions

TSN: Toronto Maple Leafs president and MLSE CEO Keith Pelley is still talking to people and creating his own list of head of hockey ops candidates, to go along with Neil Glasberg’s Coaches Agency eventual list of candidates, according to Darren Dreger.

“But look, Glasberg has not been hired to influence this process. He’s been hired to bring in added value, if you will. Do some deeper investigating. Find out which candidate is the best fit. Why is this individual good at certain things? Why is he not so good at other things?

So it’s just part of managing the search. That’s why this firm has been brought in to the fold.”

Glasberg’s list will have names that are under contract with NHL teams, and it’s up to Pelley to ask for permission.

The Devils and Predators GM situation and will teams need to move fast?

TSN: The Nashville Predators are well down their GM path search, but recently fired Tom Fitzgerald has a history with the organization, and he’s still interested in being a GM somewhere, according to Darren Dreger.

As for the New Jersey Devils, Martin Brodeur will play some role in the GM search/hiring, but it’s not known how big of a role. If Doug Armstrong is available, could he be a fit? Sunny Mehta has hired by one of the Devils owners, David Blitzer, years ago.

If a team is interested in hiring someone like Sunny Mehta, they may need to act a little faster in naming a GM as currently both the Leafs and Devils may be interested. With some of the other GM candidates, there may not be as much pressure to move fast.

Dreger adds that he thinks the Maple Leafs would like to have a GM in place by mid-May, and likely the same for the Devils.

The fate of two other New Jersey Devils employees is unknown at this time

TSN: New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe was told on Tuesday that it’ll be up to the new GM if he’ll remain with the team or be replaced, according to Pierre LeBrun. He’s not two years left on his deal. Chuck Fletcher was brought in by Tom Fitzgerald to be a special advisor to the GM, and his fate isn’t known yet either. LeBrun adds that it’s still not known if the Devils will split up the GM and president of hockey hockey ops, or it they’ll find one person for both roles again.

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