Maple Leafs fumble two more Canadiens players, and management is to blame

According to Montreal Gazette insider Herb Zurkowsky, a source told him Thursday that Toronto had interest in Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj and then-Canadiens forward Sean Monahan two seasons ago. Treliving had connections to Monahan, making this pursuit a natural one.

Neither pursuit went anywhere, and the timing lines up with one of the biggest front-office pivots in recent Leafs history.

Toronto has cycled through significant management changes since then, with John Chayka taking over as general manager, replacing Brad Treliving.

New voices in the war room often mean old targets get shelved, and that appears to be exactly what happened here.

Continuity on trade boards and prospect evaluation tends to be the first casualty when a GM chair changes hands, and Toronto's recent turnover fits that pattern.

The "what could have been" angle stings on both fronts. Xhekaj has developed into a physical, fan-favorite presence on Montreal's blue line and has the kind of snarl-and-size combination Toronto has chased for years without much luck.

Monahan, meanwhile, proved during his run with the Canadiens that he could still produce and stabilize a middle-six role, the exact kind of depth scoring the Leafs have repeatedly struggled to lock down long-term.

It's worth noting this is early-stage information. A source characterization of interest from two years back, not a confirmed formal pursuit or rejected offer. But it's another data point suggesting Montreal's internal evaluations were sharper than outside perception gave them credit for.

Whether this changes how either front office operates going forward remains to be seen, but it's a reminder that instability at the top has ripple effects on the ice.

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