In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Toronto Maple Leafs have made a big front-office change, removing Brad Treliving and beginning the search for a new general manager. Who is in the running and why make the move now? Meanwhile, the Montreal Canadiens have lost a key player just ahead of the playoffs.
Finally, are the Maple Leafs the only team looking to make front-office changes, or is an offseason “arms race” surfacing?
Maple Leafs Fire Brad Treliving in Sudden Move
The Maple Leafs made headlines by parting ways with general manager Brad Treliving just days before the end of the regular season. While changes were expected in the offseason, the timing by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment and president Keith Pelley has caught a lot of attention.
Related: NHL Rumors: McMann Extension, Rielly Trade, and Why Fire Cassidy?
Toronto’s disappointing 2025-26 campaign was likely to force the decision. But to make the change with only a handful of games remaining, just as the Leafs were about to take on the Anaheim Ducks, felt like it came out of nowhere.
According to a report by Elliotte Friedman, internal evaluations and conversations were already taking place, and Treliving himself preferred a quick resolution rather than allowing uncertainty to linger. He didn’t want the news hanging over him. Head coach Craig Berube reportedly informed players just hours before a game, catching many off guard.
The decision to act now gives Toronto a head start over other teams that might be looking at changes. Nick Kypreos suggests the Leafs may not be alone. He described the current landscape as an “arms race,” with multiple teams considering front-office changes to get ahead of the competition.
The Potential Replacements in a League-Wide “Arms Race”
Insider Darren Dreger had hinted that a management shakeup was more likely than a coaching change, and Pierre LeBrun confirmed the organization will begin a formal GM search immediately. The early favorites to take over include Brandon Pridham and Doug Armstrong, but it’s unclear what Armstrong’s situation is in St. Louis. He may not be able to simply walk away from the Blues, and Kypeos reports that even if he could, it would only be for the role as President and GM.
Toronto and other teams may wind up competing for top executive talent in what could become a fast-moving and high-stakes hiring cycle.
Chris Johnston of The Athletic writes that Keith Pelley has a put a lot of pressure on himself with the move. Johnston explains:
“Now, after blowing a hole through the front office he inherited and leadership group he lauded, Pelley is on the clock to reconstruct the top of the operation heading into a summer where Auston Matthews’ future with the organization very much hangs in the balance. The possibility of a lengthy rebuild is feeling increasingly real and it’s not remotely the path Pelley or his bosses had planned to go down intentionally.”
source – ‘As Maple Leafs fire Brad Treliving, spotlight shifts to CEO Keith Pelley’ – Chris Johnston – The Athletic – 03-31-2026
What Happens With Craig Berube?
Craig Berube spoke to the media and says he’s not thinking about his own future and position with the team. He admitted that he bets that people don’t believe him when he says he’s not worried about it, but added that he wasn’t bulls—-ing everyone.
TSN’s Darren Dreger reports, ‘Treliving won’t hide and will accept his share of the responsibility for a brutal year. Meanwhile, Craig Berube is about to coach the Maple Leafs tonight in Anaheim, and sources say other than being made aware of Treliving’s fate, Berube has been given no indication of what his future is with the club beyond this season.”
It’s important to remember that Pete DeBoer told Berube earlier this season that he wasn’t in the running for the coaching job. It will be intriguing to see if things have changed.
Canadiens Lose Carrier
The Montreal Canadiens are reporting that defenseman Alexandre Carrier will be out for 2-4 weeks with an “upper-body” injury. This will sideline him for the start of the playoffs only getting back in depending on how far the Canadiens go.
