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Bruce Boudreau believes next Maple Leafs GM needs to know people, not just analytics
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Photo credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Michael Coyle
Apr 8, 2026, 06:00 EDTUpdated: Apr 8, 2026, 01:16 EDT
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The Toronto Maple Leafs’ offseason agenda is set to be unlike anything many fans are used to, as the club is poised to miss the playoffs for the first time since the season prior to drafting current captain Auston Matthews. 
President and CEO of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment Keith Pelley held a press conference last Tuesday after relieving general manager Brad Treliving of his duties to discuss the direction of the club heading into the summer. As reported by Sportsnet’s Luke Fox, Pelley has started the process of finding their next head of hockey operations by hiring Neil Glasberg and The Coaches Agency to conduct the search. 
On Tuesday morning, former National Hockey League head coach Bruce Boudreau joined Leafs Morning Take with Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill to discuss what he thought of Pelley’s press conference, what his first move would be if he was brought into Toronto and who he thinks could be potential fits in prominent positions within the organization. 
“When he [Pelley] started talking about data, that to me was getting away from hockey. It’s all statistics and things like that, but hockey is still a human sport,” Boudreau said. “I really like analytics and like to use them, but also use my eyesight when watching the game. You need people that know the game and know the reactions of people.”
Pelley stated that he and Matthews exchanged text messages following Treliving’s dismissal and that he believes the captain is a generational piece for the club. With only two years remaining on his contract, Boudreau believes that the first move for whoever is hired to run the Maple Leafs will be to check in on where Matthews’ head is at.
“The first thing I would probably want to know is where Auston Matthews stands in all of this. He’s got two years left on his deal, and I find it weird that we haven’t heard a word from him since his injury,” Boudreau said. “I know he’s a quiet guy, but I want to know where he stands because you’ve got to get your star players behind you for sure, because they pretty well run the show on the inside.” 
During his press conference, Pelley stated that a decision on head coach Craig Berube’s future with the club would be left up to the team’s next general manager. Boudreau stated how he thinks the next general manager will select his head coach. 
“Whoever comes in, they very rarely go cold turkey and get somebody that they don’t know at all. They definitely do their research on them, and a lot of times, you get someone you are familiar with because you know their ins and outs and whether they would do a good job. You like to know whether it would be a good fit, so that’s what usually happens.”
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