Maple Leafs targeting Boston’s Evan Gold while the Bruins control their draft pick is pure irony
One potential target for the Toronto Maple Leafs could come from the rival Boston Bruins by way of assistant GM Evan Gold.
Elliotte Friedman gave a list of names that have been interviewed for the Toronto Maple Leafs general manager search, both their internal and external options, but mentions names that haven't been interviewed that could be looked at by Toronto.
Beyond the interviewed names such as Mike Gillis and Chris Pronger, Friedman listed a few names he was wondering about, including Capitals exec Ross Mahoney.
One name that Friedman gave some note to as a possible option is Boston Bruins assistant general manager Evan Gold, someone who has been gaining traction as a potential GM hire.
Someone who has built interest across the league, Gold could be in multiple conversations for NHL general manager searches, including Toronto.
Evan Gold builds steam as one of the top first time GM options
Evan Gold has quietly been a top contender for an NHL general manager position, the Bruins assistant GM being highly respected across the league.
Gold, 46, has been with the Boston Bruins since 2015, rising in the Bruins front office having gone from the team's legal affairs office to being named Boston's AGM in 2020, and GM of the AHL Providence Bruins in 2023.
Gold was included as a name in the GM search for the New Jersey Devils and Nashville Predators. Nashville still has an opening for their general manager vacancy.
The Toronto native is more of a cap oriented manager, someone in the vein of a Brandon Pridham, who is also a candidate for the Leafs GM job.
For the Leafs, who appear to be looking at an analytically focused option for their next general manager, Gold may not fit what MLSE is hoping to get out of their search, but has been one of the more popular young candidates around the league.
Leafs could swoop in and steal Evan Gold a year after the Fraser Minten trade
The Toronto Maple Leafs could bring in Evan Gold, who likely would have played a hand in what has looked like one of Boston's strongest trades, and one of the Leafs worst, in acquiring Fraser Minten and a first for Brandon Carlo.
While the top-five protected pick has a very real chance of transferring to Boston despite the Leafs being in the bottom-five of the lottery, Minten alone has been a solid contributor for Boston.
Gold was actually one of the first people that Minten spoke to following the trade after GM Don Sweeney, having been a key part of getting the move done.
Toronto obviously will want to make less painful trades as the Minten-Carlo swap, and Evan Gold is one person who could help, but his lack of experience, and not being an analytical guru, may make him one of the less likely Leafs GM options.
However, if Toronto can woo the hometown Gold to the Leafs as the team's top assistant, it could have them move on from Pridham, and deliver Toronto one of the NHL's more respected salary experts.
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