Hunter could be in-house fit for Leafs GM
Longtime London Knights GM known for ability to evaluate talent
The Toronto Maple Leafs have found their head coach. Now, it’s time for them to find a general manager. That is, if they haven’t found one already.
While everyone from Los Angeles’ Mike Futa and Tampa Bay’s Julien BriseBois to George McPhee and Sean Burke have been linked as a possible candidate to lead the Leafs, there is ample speculation that interim co-general manager Mark Hunter could soon have the “interim” tag in his current title lifted.
If so, many believe it is long overdue.
“I think he’s a natural fit,” said Erie Otters general manager Sherry Bassin. “I pride myself on working hard. If there was one guy I could not outwork, it was Mark Hunter.”
“If I were in ownership and I needed somebody for my evaluation of talent, he’s one of the best,” said player agent Don Meehan. “When you’re talking about a cap system, you can’t afford to make mistakes.”
Hunter, who was hired as the Leafs director of player personnel in October, had worked as a general manager in junior hockey for more than a decade. Along with his brother, Dale, he helped build the London Knights into what Ontar- io Hockey League commissioner David Branch called “the centre of hockey,” winning three league championships and graduating star players such as Corey Perry, Patrick Kane and John Tavares.
But aside from a stint as a head coach in the American Hockey League, Hunter has previously never worked in pro hockey. Actually, none of the members of the Toronto’s management team — president Brendan Shanahan, fellow interim GM Kyle Dubas, capologist Brandon Pridham — have.
While Mike Babcock said Hunter played a part in convincing him that the Leafs were in good hands — “I can talk to that guy. He’s a hockey man,” he said on Thursday — the question is whether the Leafs need someone with more experience.
“He’s far from a rookie,” said Bassin. “He played with a lot of guys who are in the executive position now. He coached in the American League. He created London as a destination for junior players. He also created a relationship with agents. You can’t forget that.”
“What I always value on my side of the fence is his judgment,” Meehan said of Hunter. “He’s played the game, he’s been in the NHL. Over the years, he’s been very perceptive in who can play and who can’t play.”
With the Leafs in the infancy of a rebuild that will begin with drafting and developing the right players, having a general manager who is renowned for his scouting ability is an obvious strength. But this off- season’s to- do list stretches beyond finding a future franchise player with the fourth overall pick.
The Leafs are in the process of overturning most of the roster. Whoever is in charge must decide who stays and who goes. If you are trading Dion Phaneuf and Phil Kessel — two players with large and somewhat unattractive contracts — it can be a tricky to get the appropriate value in return.
Asking someone who has never made a trade in the NHL or even negotiated a contract could be even trickier.
“There’s a big difference in being the general manager of a junior team and the general manager of an NHL team,” said Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford. “Being a GM in the NHL now is a complex job, with the salary cap and everything that goes with it. But certainly (Hunter) is a well-respected hockey guy.”