Craig Button believes new general manager’s alignment with Auston Matthews will be ‘driver’ of GM search

The Toronto Maple Leafs have five more regular-season games remaining during the 2025-26 regular season, before all eyes shift to one of the most important off-seasons for the club in recent memory.

On Monday morning, former National Hockey League general manager and TSN hockey analyst Craig Button joined Leafs Morning Take with Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill to discuss what the summer holds for captain Auston Matthews and the rest of the decisions the Maple Leafs need to make to get back to their winning ways.

During last Tuesday’s press conference, President and CEO of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment, Keith Pelley stated that he and Matthews exchanged text messages following the firing of former Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving. Button believes that one of Pelley’s most important moves will be finding a new general manager who pairs well with the vision of Matthews.

“I really believe that the driver in all of this is two things for Keith Pelley: who he names as manager and how that new manager fits with Auston Matthews. Auston Matthews has two years left on his contract, and he has a full no-move clause. Is this going to be a scenario where Auston Matthews maybe feels it’s best to explore options outside of Toronto, which would change how you’re looking at who the next coach would be,” Button said.

As for that head coach, the writing appears to be on the wall for current Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube. With a 32-31-14 record, to go along with countless lifeless efforts from the group, the new general manager will have to decide on who is the right man to make sure this season was just a one-off.

“You can’t put the cart before the horse here. As much as you want to make sure you get the right coach, if you don’t get the right person in place in the manager’s office, then you run the risk of not being able to advance to where you want to be,” Button said. “A good coach is necessary to win, and I think there’s a lot of good coaches out there.”

During last Thursday’s edition of Leafs Morning Take, The Sheet’s Jeff Marek joined and stated how prestigious and coveted a high-ranking position in the Maple Leafs’ front office is due to what it would win if someone were to bring a title back to this hockey-crazed market. On Monday, Button echoed the sentiment that Toronto is a place many would like to work in.

“I don’t think there’s any question that the Toronto Maple Leafs are an outstanding sports organization, not just in the NHL but in the world. The attraction to run a first-class organization, an organization that has all the resources, would be appealing to any number of people, and it should be appealing,” Button said. “When you have those opportunities, and they come about with such a storied franchise, I don’t see why anybody would be hesitant about taking the job.”

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