Paul Bissonnette makes hilarious job pitch to Maple Leafs front office - "I could help them win a Stanley Cup"

The Toronto Maple Leafs have an opening in the front office, and former hockey player Paul Bissonette wants it. After moving on from Brendan Shanahan as president of hockey operations, there's a glaring hole that has yet to be filled.

Bissonnette did not play for Toronto, but remains an avid fan of the team as a local. He supported the team through the entire playoff run, and he would love to join the team and push it to a title.

He jokingly wrote on X:

"I was never asked to join the Leafs front office. I think I could help them win a Stanley Cup. I played in 2 NHL playoff games. I shook hands with the Detroit Red Wings after they swept us in Arizona. I have experience. I shook Nicklas Lidström’s sweaty hand. I’m a winner."

Tons of former players join NHL teams later on as executives or coaches. They also go into media, which is what Bissonnette did, but he's now angling to join the Leafs and restore them to their former glory.

Bissonette said he believes he can get Mitch Marner back in free agency and thinks that the Core Four needs more time. He noted that Alex Ovechkin went ringless for 13 years, so they need to have more patience with their stars in Toronto.

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NHL analyst guesses what went wrong for Maple Leafs captain

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews did not have the season he wanted to, and it may have been partly responsible for Toronto's early exit from the playoffs.

Auston Matthews had a few injuries (Imagn)

They lost in seven games to the Florida Panthers, and Matthews struggled. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reflected on a lackluster, injury-filled campaign. He said, via Sportsnet:

"Auston Matthews describes 2024-25 as 'a roller coaster' healthwise, as his undisclosed upper-body injury hindered all aspects of his game, including his shot. It’s hard to imagine a guy with a bad wrist winning a career-high 56.8 per cent of his faceoffs. But we’re guessing."

Friedman added:

"Whatever the ailment is, it certainly affected his shot. Matthews posted a career-low 33 goals, and his 12.6 shooting percentage this season fell off a cliff from the 18.7 per cent accuracy he was firing at during his 69-goal campaign."

The analyst said the most telling thing was that Matthews took just 3.9 shots per game, his lowest rate in six seasons. He did say that Matthews made up for it by assisting others, but that the Maple Leafs ultimately needed his scoring more.