Jason Spezza officially passing on the Maple Leafs GM job proves the franchise requires an absolute alpha
Photo credit: NICK TURCHIARO-USA TODAY SPORTS
Jason Spezza could have been the Maple Leafs GM and with how much he loves being here you would think it's a shoe-in; but he has reservations.
Spending 19 years in the NHL, Jason Spezza made a name for himself thanks to a career that may not have come with a Stanley Cup, but proved that he was one of the best of a generation and his legendary goal against the Montreal Canadiens is still iconic to this day:
For a guy who played over 1,200 games, he's certainly got a reputation for being someone who knows a ton about the inner workings of the game and it allowed him to make a smooth transition from the ice to the front office.
After retiring from on-ice activities, he settled into a role with the Toronto Maple Leafs as the Special Assistant to the GM; that being Kyle Dubas.
Spezza says no to Toronto, and it speaks volumes about the pressure
He built a great relationship that still extends to this day, as Spezza followed Dubas to Pittsburgh and is now GM of their AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre Scranton.
But with the Maple Leafs looking for a new GM, he was certainly someone in the mix as he not only was someone who knows the ins and outs of the team, but also someone who admittedly loved the city despite being a rival for so long.
Though he never really came with fanfare, he didn't really want to take the job and felt like his time in Wilkes-Barre is good enough for now:
I definitely have aspirations but I am in zero rush.
Combine it with the fact he already told NHL teams to pass, it seems like the Maple Leafs missed out on a good one.
But maybe that's a good thing because Spezza has a lot of pressure if he comes into Toronto in the state it's currently in. He would have Auston Matthews' trust sure, but working with an NHL team is league's different than the AHL (no pun intended).
Would he really want to walk into a place where he knows the pyre is already being built for the inevitable witch hunt.
So where does Toronto go now?
Well considering that Spezza was never in the running, it's business as usual for Toronto. They are likely going to pick someone like John Chayka or Mike Gillis; though it could be a red herring.
It's more about the fact that Spezza — when ready — might not have an open spot in Toronto to work with, and if it turns out that the Maple Leafs missed out on a generational GM; that's going to hurt.
So far he's crafted a record of 86-41-18 and right away you can tell that whoever he's put together and the way the staff has been constructed shows that Spezza may know a lot more than we think about building a winner.
Wilkes-Barre has a very good chance at winning the Calder Cup this year and if Spezza can add that to his short resume, it's only going to build a case for him as a GM in the future.
But for now, he's perfectly happy staying away from the Maple Leafs, which is a bit bittersweet — but perfectly understandable.
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