The Toronto Maple Leafs’ recent front-office turbulence may have quietly cost them two players who could be addressing real roster needs today.
According to Montreal Gazette insider Herb Zurkowsky, a source told him Thursday that Toronto had interest in Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj and then-Canadiens forward Sean Monahan two seasons ago. The pursuit of Monahan made particular sense: then-Leafs general manager Brad Treliving already had connections to the veteran centre, turning what might have been a speculative target into a natural one.
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Neither conversation advanced. The timing of those discussions lines up with one of the more significant management pivots in recent Leafs history. Toronto has since cycled through major changes at the top, with John Chayka eventually taking over as general manager in place of Treliving. When new voices move into the war room, old targets frequently get shelved. Continuity on trade boards and prospect evaluations tends to be the first casualty of a GM change, and Toronto’s recent turnover fits that pattern exactly.
The “what could have been” sting is sharp on both fronts. Xhekaj has developed into a physical, fan-favourite presence on Montreal’s blue line, delivering the size-and-snarl combination Toronto has chased for years with limited success. Monahan, meanwhile, showed during his time with the Canadiens that he could still produce and stabilize a middle-six role—the precise kind of reliable depth scoring the Leafs have repeatedly struggled to secure long-term.
It is important to keep the information in perspective. This remains early-stage reporting: a source characterization of interest from two years ago, not confirmation of a formal offer or a rejected deal. Still, it adds another data point to the broader picture that Montreal’s internal evaluations may have been sharper than outside perception often allowed.
Whether the episode prompts any lasting shift in how either front office operates remains to be seen. What it does underscore is a simple truth in professional hockey: instability at the top rarely stays confined to the executive suite. Its effects tend to show up, eventually, on the ice.