Former Maple Leafs GM finalist Evan Gold may still be heading to Toronto

With the news that Evan Gold was departing the Boston Bruins, and him being linked previous to the Maple Leafs job then there may be a chance he still comes over.

Since the second the Maple Leafs fired Brad Treliving on March 30, speculation ran rampant about who would be the next person to run the front office of hockey's biggest team. We heard names from Chris Pronger to Doug Armstrong though the team settled on John Chayka who admittedly had some concerns coming in - but has quietly put together a very solid offseason.

We also heard some other names who didn't exactly get a lot of attention either such as Ryan Martin and Evan Gold. Both are fantastic assistants who may be looking for a GM job in the future, but Toronto clearly preferred whatever Chayka sold them on, though both men were certainly cut at the last second.

Toronto may still end up striking 'Gold' with a heated rival's brightest mind

Either would give the team a great handle on analytics and money management and with the team departing with Brandon Pridham, they need a new face - and Gold may be in the cards once again.

Boston went through a huge staff turnover which included Gold, who is parting ways officially with the team on August 1 in order to pursue other opportunities, one that could be leading to a Bay St. office:

The Bruins also announced that, effective August 1, Evan Gold will be departing the organization to pursue other opportunities in the National Hockey League.

Gold was also the GM of Boston's AHL affiliate Providence, and there is no word yet on who will replace him there though Jeremy Rogalski looks to be taking over Gold's position as assistant GM with a heavy focus on analytics.

Reporter Kevin Paul Dupont also revealed that some sources around Gold were under the impression he could be indeed taking a job with the Maple Leafs:

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If that is the case, then with the turnover in Toronto's front office as well it makes sense that John Chayka would look to replace his departed minds like Darryl Metcalf with the experienced and wise Gold.

What Evan Gold is aiming to do with the Maple Leafs if he joins

Well, Gold was focused on analytics so that's a good place to start. Odds are he would take over Pridham or Metcalf's job. While the team had too many assistants, they do need someone to take over for at least one of them, and Gold's comfort level allows him to fit either role.

But he's not just looking to help the Maple Leafs win now, but he's going to be working hard to prove that he has the ilk to run a team on his own. This is as much a job for the present as it is an audition for the future.

Much like Daniel Alfredsson coming in as associate coach, Gold's arrival in the front office means that he's coming in with the hope that the experience and knowledge he gains here will translate to a GM job further down the line. Can't fault him for that, and Gold has the potential to be one of the best.

But he needs to get his feet wet first, and getting into Toronto is the first step. While there's nothing concrete that is bringing Gold over to the Maple Leafs, with how much change there's been between both the Bruins and Leafs, don't be surprised if you hear about another front office hire in the coming days.

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