If management is about to change, it'd be wise for Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan or the board at MLSE to lean on Spezza to get the best feel for how to move forward.
Spezza's eye for talent and established relationships with players throughout Toronto's system are valuable and something the Leafs will want to keep, even if they decide to blow it up. It's the same player who spearheaded efforts to create a fund to help the club's AHL team collect some extra money due to pandemic losses.
This season, Spezza has spent every day absorbing many different roles. Known by his peers as a hockey nerd, he's aware of just about every player of the game at every level. When he wasn't at the World Juniors evaluating talent, he was in the trenches with Dubas and the rest of the management team, attending games both home and road and providing valuable insight. Not just from someone who 'played the game' but someone who knows the group. - David Alter
