Detroit Red Wings

NHL Trade Talk Recap: Leafs GM Search, Keefe in Trouble, and Patrick Kane’s Future

A player, a coach, and a GM search are all under the microscope for Tuesday April, 7 with the future of all three up in the air.

by
Ethan Braund
April 8, 2026

Uncertainty was the theme across Tuesday’s top NHL stories, all tied to the looming offseason and big questions facing teams around the league. From the front office to behind the bench to the ice, the focus was on what comes next for a player, a coach, and a key executive search.

We start with the Toronto Maple Leafs and their GM search, where a recent move has raised some eyebrows. Staying in Toronto’s orbit, a former Leafs head coach—now head coach of the New Jersey Devils—could find himself on shaky ground this offseason.

Finally, the spotlight shifts to the struggling Detroit Red Wings, where a costly mistake by Patrick Kane may have added some uncertainty to his future with the organization.

The Leafs GM Search is Off To a Concerning Start

The Maple Leafs have finally started their search for a new general manager by hiring a search firm. Which should be good news, but many in the industry are concerned about the group that they have picked. The Leafs hired Neil Glasberg and PBI Sports to search for the Maple Leafs’ new head of hockey operations.

While the firm has found execs in Vancouver, Anaheim, and Philadelphia, the process has not been without controversy. Frank Seravalli hinted in a prior piece that there has been a past conflict of interest with this firm. In 2023, Neil Glasberg served as a consultant on the Philadelphia Flyers’ front-office search while also acting as an agent for NHL coaches and executives. Some of his clients were also candidates for this job. That was part of the argument against Glasberg because of the “skin he had in the game.” Is it possible for him to be impartial?

Toronto Maple Leafs’ GM Search Firm Choice Drawing Concern

Keefe, You Might Be Next on the Chopping Block

The New Jersey Devils fired President/GM Tom Fitzgerald, and recent reports suggest this could be the start of something. Head coach Sheldon Keefe was recently told that his position with the team will be reassessed after this season.

Keefe was speaking with the media on Tuesday, where he said, “I’ll be part of an evaluation process that’ll happen at the end of this season. Obviously, they’ve got some decisions to make on who the new GM will be and what the leadership of the team looks like. I’ll be a part of that discussion and evaluation.”

He is expected to be in the hot seat come the offseason, and his position with the team is up in the air. The real decision will ultimately come after they have decided on a new president/GM. This report does not necessarily mean Keefe will be fired, but it certainly leaves his position up for discussion. Devils writers have noted that there is a world in which Keefe remains the Devils’ head coach after this season.

Devils’ Keefe Told Job Not Guaranteed Beyond This Season

Patrick Kane Might Be in Trouble

The Detroit Red Wings had an 82 percent chance to make the playoffs following the Olympic restart. The Wings have fallen all the way out of the playoffs and are now in jeopardy of missing them entirely. This bad stretch was capped off in terrible fashion in a game against the Wild on Sunday.

The Wings were losing 4-1 in a very important game when they staged a miraculous comeback, capped by a tying goal from Patrick Kane. But, with 3:37 left, Kane took a needless tripping penalty on Quinn Hughes, away from the play. The Wild then scored to take a 5-4 lead on the ensuing power play. This loss would be bad at any time during the season, but it is especially harmful, as it could keep the Red Wings out of the NHL Playoffs.

There are only a few games remaining, so every game point is important. You know what they say, an NHL fan never forgets. So this minor situation could have bigger aftereffects.

Does Patrick Kane’s Costly Penalty Cloud His Future with the Red Wings?