Toronto gave every GM candidate the same non-negotiable demand and Matthews and Nylander are at the centre

The question of who is going to lead the Toronto Maple Leafs into this new era is still up for debate despite so much news around it. Right now, Mats Sundin and John Chayka look to be the duo to watch, but Scott White hasn't bee ruled out and who knows who else they've been speaking to privately.

Whoever does end up coming in will have quite the laundry list of tasks ahead of them, as they will need to presumably find a new head coach, make some serious roster changes and make sure that Auston Matthews is on board with their decisions.

However it seems like Matthews' priorities aren't the only thing they need to worry about though they do play heavily into what's to come next.

News around the water cooler in Toronto has Keith Pelley and MLSE setting strict expectations for the new management team, with the priority on keeping Auston Matthews and William Nylander in town for the foreseeable future:

That's not too surprising given how much money and time has been invested in both, but the fact that Pelley and company are essentially forcing the GM to make the right calls of the bat is nothing short of intimidating.

Matthews is going to be the interesting factor in all this as it seems like Nylander is here for the long haul regardless. If they can find a way to offer promises they can actually keep, it'll go a long way in making sure the captain wants to keep leading the team past 2028.

Well first and foremost, sit down and talk to both men about what they need in order to be successful. Odds are both will say there needs to be an onus on adding some real puck-moving defenders and guys who they can rely on the spark the offence.

That won't be easy, but with more than enough capital to make a signing or a trade there are names like Dougie Hamilton and Darren Raddysh who could fit the bill perfectly.

Then you have to look at who both players need on their lines. Matthews would love to have a more consistent playmaker and also someone who can ease the defensive and physical load; an Alex Tuch for example.

Nylander doesn't necessarily need a playmaker because he can generate offence on his own, but will need a replacement for John Tavares as it's hard to rely on him playing 2C at 35 years old. If they can find a strong two-way centre with some youth then they could be the one-two punch Toronto's second line needs.

Finally it's about finding a coach who can maximize their strengths. Matthews and Nylander are both offensive-first players despite how good Matthews is defensively; his strength lies in goal-scoring.

Getting a voice who can motivate and properly distribute their minutes and rely on the pieces brought in to help fill those gaps will be crucial to making sure both men want to be here � and make sure that decision is the right one.

There's a lot that the new team has to do in order to appease their top two stars, but if they can all get on track with the same vision it could be all speed ahead next year and beyond.

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Matthews and Nylander demanded dogs up front and the Sharks have exactly the player they had in mind