MLSE CEO: Leafs not in rebuild, next GM must be 'data-centric'
MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley doesn't believe the Toronto Maple Leafs need a complete rebuild.
"We all know the Toronto Maple Leafs have foundational pieces in place," Pelley said Tuesday during his media availability less than 24 hours after the Maple Leafs fired Brad Treliving as general manager.
"If we're able to surround them with the right culture, with the right structure, with the right personnel, both on and off the ice, then I would say we would be in a retool, not a rebuild."
With the Leafs sitting 14th in the Eastern Conference and on the verge of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016, Pelley emphasized that he wants the next head of hockey operations to prioritize a data-driven approach.
"They have to be data-centric. They have to really understand data and the importance of data and where data is moving," Pelley said. "We have just completed a complete rebuild of (MLS club Toronto FC), all using data combined with cultural checks. That's what we will do, and every single decision that we will make will be evidence-based.
"Evidence-based decisions are never wrong. That's not to say that there's not room for the heart, that doesn't mean there's not room to check culture, but it's evidence-based."
When asked whether Toronto will hire a president and a GM, Pelley said there's "not a definitive one way" to structure the organization. Noting the search for the next head of hockey operations is "absolutely wide open," Pelley added that he'd ideally like to hire a general manager by the end of May and that GM experience isn't a prerequisite.
Pelley, who has been in his role at MLSE since April 2024, highlighted two teams in particular that the Maple Leafs didn't expect would leapfrog them in the standings.
"We definitely didn't see the train coming, which was the Buffalo Sabres and the Montreal Canadiens, and how strong those two teams are," Pelley said.
"Along with the likes of Detroit and Ottawa, (and) Boston, with a strong spine, have been able to retool. And Florida and Tampa are always strong. But Buffalo and Montreal have shown (as) young energetic teams, they're going to be here for a long time."
Additionally, Pelley reiterated that he hasn't been, and won't be, involved in roster decisions.
"I'm not here to be a scout. I'm not here to be a coach. I'm not here to be a general manager. And I have no desire on giving any input on who should play left wing," Pelley said.
Pelley also confirmed that assistant general managers Brandon Pridham and Ryan Hardy will run the Maple Leafs' hockey operations into the offseason.
"At the end of the day, this is the most important decision that I will likely make in my tenure at MLSE," Pelley said.