Maple Leafs reportedly talking to Mats Sundin about front-office role

A reunion between the Maple Leafs and Mats Sundin, the franchise's leading scorer, reportedly is on the table as talks continue.

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Published Apr 17, 2026  •  2 minute read

Former Toronto Maple Leafs player Mats Sundin, left, congratulates Auston Matthews on becoming the all-time franchise leader in goals earlier this season. The Canadian Press

A reunion between the Maple Leafs and the club’s franchise points leader could be in the making.

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Leafs ownership is in the process of talking to former captain Mats Sundin about a role in the hockey department, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported on Friday morning.

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Sundin has met with MLSE CEO and president Keith Pelley at least once and was scheduled to do so again on Friday, Friedman reported.

In our view, the hiring of Sundin for perhaps an advisory role, if not something with more direct involvement, would bring some respect back to an organization that badly needs any restoration of esteem in the National Hockey League. And it would let Pelley off the hook, even if just a little bit, for making a mess of his news conference on March 31 following the firing of general manager Brad Treliving.

Sundin, 55, would follow a path taken by other star players of his generation who went on to work for their former teams, including Joe Sakic with the Colorado Avalanche, Steve Yzerman with the Detroit Red Wings and Daniel Alfredsson with the Ottawa Senators.

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What was Sundin known for?

During a 13-year run with the Leafs that ended in December 2008 when he signed a one-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks, Sundin set the Leafs franchise record for points with 987 in 981 games. As his tenure in Toronto progressed, while the Leafs didn’t win the Cup, Sundin earned a reputation as a captain who brought stability to the dressing room and had widespread regard among his teammates.

This past season, Leafs captain Auston Matthews passed Sundin for most goals in team history. Matthews has 428 goals, eight more than Sundin scored in Toronto.

The Leafs’ search for a new GM or hockey operations boss took a hit, meanwhile, when candidate Sunny Mehta was hired on Thursday by the New Jersey Devils to be their GM.

It’s believed Mehta, whose extensive background and knowledge in analytics helped the Florida Panthers win back-to-back Stanley Cups, was high on the Leafs’ list for its front-office vacancy.

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