Former Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli A Leafs GM Candidate?

Former Boston Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli could become a candidate to become the next GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

According to numerous NHL insiders, the former Boston Bruins GM, who constructed the 2011 Stanley Cup-winning Bruins roster, is expected to be interviewed by the Maple Leafs. Chiarelli has already interviewed for the open GM post for the Pittsburgh Penguins but did not emerge as a favorite.

The Leafs’ general manager post became available when Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan decided to fire Kyle Dubas back on May 19. Shanahan is already on record as saying that he wouldn’t mind a more experienced GM than Dubas who became general manager of an Original 6 franchise in arguably the toughest media market in the NHL at the age of 32.

“I want to be open-minded to all candidates. Certainly having an experienced general manager would be an attractive quality,” Shanahan told the media on May 19.

The 58-year-old Chiarelli certainly has experience and a Stanley Cup ring as well. After starting off his managerial career as an assistant general manager of the Ottawa Senators for two seasons, Chiarelli was hired as the new general manager of the Boston Bruins on May 26, 2006. In 2007-08, Chiarelli’s second season as GM of the Boston Bruins, the Bruins made it back to the playoffs for the first time in three seasons and for what would be the first of seven straight appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

After key trades in the 2008-09 season and 2010 offseason that netted veteran wingers Mark Recchi and Nathan Horton respectively, Chiarelli and the Bruins hoisted the team’s first Stanley Cup since 1972 on June 15, 2011. Under Chiarelli’s watch the Boston Bruins played for another Stanley Cup in 2013 but lost t0 the Chicago Blackhawks in six games. In 2013-14, the Bruins won the Presidents’ Trophy but lost in the second round to the Montreal Canadiens. A year later, the Bruins didn’t qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Chiarelli was fired and replaced by current general manager Don Sweeney. As a result of going for it in all but his rookie season as Bruins GM, Chiarelli left the Bruins in a not so favorable salary cap situation, much like Sweeney has as well.

A year after that, the Edmonton Oilers hired Chiarelli as their new general manager and then drafted Connor McDavid, but Chiarelli could only build one playoff team as Oilers GM. He was fired during the 2018-19 season.

For the last four seasons, Chiarelli has served as a special advisor to St. Louis Blues