A Bombshell Mistake By the Leafs Over 25 Years Ago May Have Cost Them a Stanley Cup

His name may not. be immediately associated with on of the greats, but David Poile is the most successful GM of all time. A bombshell has now been revealed.

Poile Was Offered Leafs GM Job in 1997

It's definitely not common for a GM to be in his post for 26 years, but David Poile has been at the helm of the Nashville Predators for longer than some of his players' lives.

In this time, Poile has become the most successful GM of all time, breaking the record for most wins as a GM in 2018. Imagine if this type of success could have been in Toronto instead... A new bombshell indicates that it could have been a very real possibility.


Poile took on the job for the Predators when they were formed, and has been with the team since the beginning, but when he took that job, it wasn't the only one on the table.

On an interview with Frank Seravalli, Poile revealed he was offered the post as Leafs GM.


Poile brought the Predators to a cup final, which is truly a dream for us Leafs fans.

Poile was cognizant that a big part of his tenure was thanks to joining an expansion team:


While it is impossible to know if Poile would have lasted 26 years in Toronto, it's entirely possible that this decision could have cost the team a Stanley Cup.

As Read on Maple Leafs Insider - More than two decades ago, the Leafs nearly made a move that would have drastically changed the course of the franchise