Lou Lamoriello will not be Maple Leafs GM next season

As per Team President Brendan Shanahan, Lou Lamoriello will not return as general manager for the 2017-18 NHL season.

Lamoriello came on as Leafs GM in July 2015 and guided the Leafs through three rebuilding years — from a last-place finish to a divisional seed this season. We surveyed his whole reign here; Lamoriello unquestionably made a number of key moves to set the Leafs on their current path, and the foundation he helped assemble will be the backbone of the team for years to come.

Lou Lamoriello is expected to return as a Senior Advisor, so he will not be leaving the organization entirely, at least at the moment. Shanahan indicated a decision on the new GM is still pending; Assistant GM Kyle Dubas has long been rumoured to be the next in line for the job, although Assistant GM Mark Hunter has been mentioned as well. Shanahan could, of course, shock us all and hire another candidate.

“Three years ago, Lou and I agreed on a contract that would see him serve as General Manager of the Maple Leafs for three years and then transition to Senior Advisor for the following four years,” said Shanahan. “This morning I informed Lou that I was not going to deviate from that course of action. I will now focus all of my attention towards making a decision regarding our next general manager.”

”I would like to take this opportunity to thank Lou for his tireless work over the last three years as general manager. His leadership in helping establish a cultural foundation, as well as his invaluable mentorship to everyone in this organization, has been instrumental in our development.”

Official release.

We’ll update you as we learn more.