The Maple Leafs snub Doug Armstrong to hunt for a data driven leader for the 2027 roster reset
Photo credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs haven't asked the St. Louis Blues permission to speak to Doug Armstrong for the vacant general manager position.
Darren Dreger reported on TSN Overdrive that the Toronto Maple Leafs haven't been in contact with Blues General manager Doug Armstrong for the Leafs GM availability, creating some pause in speculation of Armstrong as a top contender.
Dreger adds that Armstrong doesn't fit the analytically forward profile that the Toronto Maple Leafs are seeking for the position.
I can tell you that the list that [Pelley's] compiling of potential replacements for Brad Treliving, it's less about the experience of this person and more about how deep entrenched they are and what their analytics background is
Current Blues AGM and former Leafs forward Alex Steen will take over Armstrong's role as GM this off-season, with Armstrong moving into the role of President of Hockey Operations.
However, Armstrong is someone still linked with an exit, having interest in a potential opportunity to be both a general manager and team President. Dreger reported that Toronto looks to only add a GM.
Shunning a proven winner like Doug Armstrong signals a total shift in the front office identity
The Toronto Maple Leafs have seemingly sidestepped Doug Armstrong in the process of finding a new general manager, a process Toronto hopes to conclude quickly.
Finding a new GM will have to be something the Leafs look to get done prior to the draft and free agency, someone who can quickly get on track with the Leafs situation and work with their analytics team this off-season.
Toronto is looking at GM options that will be analytically sharp and focus on the data side of management, essentially, someone not too similar to their prospective predecessor, Brad Treliving.
Armstrong isn't out of the running, if he's in it at all, but Dreger's report indicates that Armstrong doesn't appear as the Leafs favorite, and Toronto may be looking closer instead at a younger, more modern NHL GM.
Betting on a math heavy GM is a high stakes move to fix the leadership gap before the season ends
The Toronto Maple Leafs are embracing their analytical project that they largely sidestepped after shifting from Kyle Dubas to Brad Treliving.
There has been a repeat shift in the formula for Toronto. Going from analytical critics in Dave Nonis and Lou Lamiorello to a proponent in Kyle Dubas, back to an old-school option in Treliving, and poised to return to the data.
It's looking unlikely that Brandon Pridham will remain as the interim GM, but a savvy managerial option as himself appears to be what Toronto desires, but Pridham is held back by being more of a financial expert than an analytical one.
Treliving wasn't entirely anti-analytics, but he was far from a Kyle Dubas, and that's that's what Toronto's new identity is attempting to create, ensuring that a data-driven status change is what finally pushes this group back into true championship contention.
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| POLL | ||
AVRIL 2|1178 ANSWERS The Maple Leafs snub Doug Armstrong to hunt for a data driven leader for the 2027 roster reset Does Doug Armstrong fit as the Leafs GM? | ||
| Yes | 527 | 44.7 % |
| No | 651 | 55.3 % |
| List of polls | ||