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The management shuffling with the Toronto Maple Leafs continued on Friday as it was announced that Director of Player Development Steve Staios is taking the job as Team President of the Hamilton Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League.
The 41-year-old former NHL defenseman was one of the few holdovers from the Brian Burke era, hired as player development head in the summer of 2012.
Staios stepped behind the bench as an assistant coach along with Steve Spott after the dismissal of Randy Carlyle last January, primarily working with the club’s young defensemen and was to return to Player Development after surviving the purge of the Leafs management, coaching and scouting staff in April, but saw an opportunity to advance his career in his hometown, as the OHL Bellville Bulls move in to replace the Montreal Canadiens AHL affiliate.
The Leafs have elevated Scott Pellerin to replace Staios. A well traveled veteran who played 536 games with seven NHL clubs, Pellerin joined the Leafs last November after stints as an assistant coach with the Manchester Monarchs and Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL.
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The Maple Leafs signed Swedish prospect Andreas Johnson to a three- year entry level deal and re-signed defenseman TJ Brennan to a one-year deal on Thursday.
The 20-year-old Johnson was selected in the seventh round of the 2013 NHL Draft and impressed in two seasons with Frolunda, winning the SHL’s rookie-of-the-year in 2014 and finishing fifth in the league with 22 goals this season.
There were indications in recent weeks that the youngster would stay with Frolunda for another year, but the signing could mean that he will headed to North America.
The 5’10” 183 lb native of Gavle, Sweden has excellent skating and puck handling skills that may translate well to the NHL with the recent success of Tyler Johnson, Johnny Gaudreau and other smaller statured players, but it will take time for the youngster to get used to the North American style of game and ice surface.
Johnson is likely headed to the Toronto Marlies next season and it is not a stretch to think that he could be place on the same line with fellow Swede William Nylander, which could make for some offensive fireworks at Ricoh Coliseum.
Brennan had a whirlwind 2014-15 season after taking home the Eddie Shore Trophy for the AHL’s top defenseman last season. The 26-year-old signed a one-year one-way deal with the New York Islanders last July and was then included in the Nick Leddy deal to Chicago just prior to the start of the regular season.
After playing with the Hawks AHL affiliate in Rockford, Brennan was re-acquired by Toronto in exchange for forward Spencer Abbott in late February and helped the Marlies in their late season run for a playoff spot with 16 points in 19 games, as well as playing six games in March with the Maple Leafs.
Brennan could get a chance at playing a full season in the NHL, but that will depend on the extent of the Toronto roster upheaval this summer and if Dion Phaneuf, Jake Gardiner and/or Roman Polak are moved.
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TSN’s Bob McKenzie reflected on the comments of Kings GM Dean Lombardi about the future of VP of Hockey Operations Mike Futa on Thursday and indicated that may be in reference to Futa’s status until early July after the NHL Draft and the start of free agency and not the foreseeable future.
The Leafs are prepared to head to the draft with Director of Player Personnel Mark Hunter at the reins, so the time frame of early July for Futa would not conflict with Toronto’s timetable.
TSN’s Darren Dreger believes there is still a possibility that Team President Brendan Shanahan could assume the role of GM without taking on the title and that may go hand-in-hand with the addition of Brandon’s Kelly McCrimmon to the management staff.
Toronto is pressing McCrimmon to make a decision in the next seven to 10 days, but Dreger indicates that the Owner/GM/Coach of the Wheat Kings may be hestitant to leave the WHL club, which is expected to contend for the Memorial Cup contender next season.
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