The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Sunday that assistant general manager Brandon Pridham and the team have mutually agreed to part ways, while player personnel AGM Derek Clancey is also departing after three seasons. The moves are part of a broader restructuring under new general manager John Chayka, who took over earlier this month.
Pridham, a key figure in the Leafs' front office since 2014, was instrumental in managing the team's salary cap during a challenging era of NHL financial constraints. His responsibilities included scouting, contracts, the amateur draft, and collective bargaining agreement issues. He was originally hired by former team president Brendan Shanahan and worked alongside several GMs, including Lou Lamoriello, Kyle Dubas, and Brad Treliving. After Treliving's dismissal in March, Pridham served as co-interim GM until Chayka's arrival.
Clancey, who joined the Leafs from the Vancouver Canucks, was a Treliving appointee and previously worked with him in Calgary. He also spent 14 years with the Pittsburgh Penguins' hockey operations, contributing to three Stanley Cup championships.
Chayka expressed gratitude for both executives' contributions. "Brandon has played an integral role in the organization over the past 12 seasons. We are sincerely appreciative of Brandon’s professionalism, commitment, and dedication to the Leafs throughout his tenure," Chayka said. "Derek also brought valuable experience and insight to our hockey operations department. We thank both for their contributions and wish them and their families all the very best moving forward."
Pridham's next career move is uncertain, but he will be occupied in the coming days watching his son Jack, a 6-foot-2 right wing with the Kitchener Rangers and a Chicago Blackhawks draft pick, compete in the Memorial Cup. Pridham's tenure with the Leafs was marked by the challenge of fitting supporting pieces around mega-contracts for Auston Matthews, John Tavares, William Nylander, and Mitch Marner, especially when the salary cap flattened during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With Pridham and Clancey gone, attention turns to who Chayka will hire to fill these roles. The new GM has already made significant changes, including firing coach Craig Berube, parting ways with special advisor Shane Doan, and now trimming the assistant GM ranks. MLSE boss Keith Pelley had previously suggested that employing six AGMs might be unwieldy. Currently, three remain on the staff: Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser (player development), Ryan Hardy (minor league operations), and Darryl Metcalf (hockey research and development).
The departures signal a continued reshaping of the Leafs' hockey operations under Chayka's leadership, as the team seeks to build a contender capable of playoff success.
