Confirmed with Link: Brad Treliving named new GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs

[ULF_55]

Calgary the team struggled under the new and missing core players in transition, but how much take away experience will BT take from this as he faces potential similar situations in Toronto in the course of the next couple years will be interesting to see unfold.

Treliving is kind of like Dubas.

Has had opportunity to learn and Flame out on his first GM experience.

Hopefully, he's better at negotiating the contracts than he did in Calgary, like Dubas should be better than the contracts he did in Toronto.

Sometimes change for the sake of change can be a good thing.

 

[hockeywiz542]

Opinion | Maple Leafs have to hope there’s a first prize for second choices in the GM sweepstakes

Nobody got what they wanted as Treliving came to Toronto and Dubas went to Pittsburgh. But they’ll try to make the best of it.

www.thestar.com

Instead, Dubas got a team with a staggering eight no-trade or no-move clauses, star players in their mid-30s, and a wife and kids he has to relocate to Pennsylvania, further from their extended family. Aside from getting a president’s title and the security that implies, that can’t be what Dubas most wanted.

And because the Leafs organization banked so hard on things finally working out, the conundrum Dubas left behind is messy, too, with no obvious solution. Treliving came in like a humidifier in a dry room: he was just trying to make everyone feel comfortable. So you got the dad jokes, the defence of the core four — you can’t exactly run down your best assets but there is a sense the core remains highly valued in the organization — the openness to the same coach, and to a similar style.

As Treliving spoke about protecting his players and not wanting to throw a body on the tarmac, not wanting to make a move for the sake of making a move, it mostly sounded like Shanahan, over the years. Always remember this about Shanahan: He’s an emotional guy who tries not to make emotional decisions.

But this wasn’t what Shanahan wanted, either. Treliving has so much to do even before he can’t work the draft: 10 free agents in a terrible free agent year, the coach and his staff, all while learning how the vast and disparate parts of the organization work. And of course there are the decisions regarding the stars, whether you keep them or not. There is no human way to get appropriately up to speed in order to make the giant decisions in the very near term with adequate information. That’s not optimal, no matter how you look at it.

So even if this organization is talking itself into relative stasis — saying it’s hard to get great players, saying they just need a little more jam in front of the net — that is a difficult road. Dubas had relationships with his players, built up over years.

And now, if they stay, Treliving has to go to the core four — the core three, really, in this case, since John Tavares sure as hell isn’t going anywhere — and tell them that if they want to play in Toronto and they want to win, Auston Matthews can’t make $15-million in a year, and William Nylander can’t make $11-million in a year, and Mitch Marner will get the same speech in a year. All four star forwards talked a good game about how much they love it here at season’s end, in between not taking any responsibility for the Florida series. Maybe Treliving can be the guy to make them live up to it at the bargaining table.

But if you wanted to discern the fatal flaw in the Dubas tenure, it wasn’t necessarily how he constructed the team along the margins, where Dubas consistently found high-value fringe players; it wasn’t necessarily the style the team played, which was predicated on trying to get to the front of the opponent’s net, and to protect their own. Treliving, and about every hockey mind, agrees with that.

No, in the biggest games, the fatal flaw for the Leafs has often been that core. They rose against Tampa Bay and flopped against Florida, and when even Dubas said it was time to consider every option, that’s when you knew it just might be time. Now Dubas is cleaning up after a dynastic core that actually won, and Shanahan has a new GM who is charged with a core that hasn’t, and needs exceptional work to make it happen. Nobody got their first choice, here. The Leafs are picking up the pieces, and we’ll see if anybody really gets what they want.

 

[hockeywiz542]

Stanley Cup Media Day - 32 Thoughts: The Podcast

Toronto hiring Brad Treliving as their GM (23:30)

 

[Nooodles]

 

[Mess]

Sometimes change for the sake of change can be a good thing.

Some times change is good, but inheriting a bad hand from your predecessor limits your choices and opportunities to apply past learned practices also.

When you naively hand a pending UFA a full NMC in a short window, with full control to the player that's an uncorrectable error already, and uncontrollable, unmanageable issue that Treliving enters new team negotiations into, with one hand tied behind his back.

Do you re-sign Matthews at any asking price of his, and if you chose to keep the player rather then let him walk via an extortion like process is that bad contract on the new GM fully?
or
Are you caught between a rock and hard place and if the price is too high that it hurts the team going forward do then get the credit for being good at contracts and salary cap responsibility, but still tossed under the bus by losing the asset for free or making the best of a forced hand trade scenario similar to his Tkachuk situation?.

Treliving essentially needs Matthews camp to act cost responsible in asking price, for the contract to look good, and the player stay, and it being a WIN WIN player and GM/Team outcome.

 

[rumman]

..
Going to be hard pressed to find any diehard loyal Leaf Fan that would dispute that ..

Cheers !!!!

hard, but not impossible with this fan base...........

 

[ULF_55]

Some times change is good, but inheriting a bad hand from your predecessor limits your choices and opportunities to apply past learned practices also.

When you naively hand a pending UFA a full NMC in a short window, with full control to the player that's an uncorrectable error already, and uncontrollable, unmanageable issue that Treliving enters new team negotiations into, with one hand tied behind his back.

Do you re-sign Matthews at any asking price of his, and if you chose to keep the player rather then let him walk via an extortion like process is that bad contract on the new GM fully?
or
Are you caught between a rock and hard place and if the price is too high that it hurts the team going forward do then get the credit for being good at contracts and salary cap responsibility, but still tossed under the bus by losing the asset for free or making the best of a forced hand trade scenario similar to his Tkachuk situation?.

Treliving essentially needs Matthews camp to act cost responsible in asking price, for the contract to look good, and the player stay, and it being a WIN WIN player and GM/Team outcome.

Lightning let Stamkos walk.

But they had a crap GM.

 

[therealkoho]

Crazy talk. Auston is getting 14 Mil at the very least, probably 15 Mil and deserves it and it's the right thing for the Leafs to do. You don't penny pinch with a generational player like Auston Matthews. That's what the market is now and it's contract time. In 4 years it will seem like he's underpaid. That's how contracts work. Look at Nylander. I remember soooooo much talk people saying they overpaid him...and a few years later and almost everyone agrees it's one of the better contracts and totally a bargain for the Leafs.

Two words

Taylor Hall

 

[ShaneFalco]

Crazy talk. Auston is getting 14 Mil at the very least, probably 15 Mil and deserves it and it's the right thing for the Leafs to do. You don't penny pinch with a generational player like Auston Matthews. That's what the market is now and it's contract time. In 4 years it will seem like he's underpaid. That's how contracts work. Look at Nylander. I remember soooooo much talk people saying they overpaid him...and a few years later and almost everyone agrees it's one of the better contracts and totally a bargain for the Leafs.

wow - Kyle?

 

[ToneDog]

wow - Kyle?

More like Matty's mother or sister.

 

[Nineteen67]

Win a cup? Most GM's don't win a cup. Kyle couldn't do it. We'll see if Treliving can do better than Kyle given the amount of talent he has. For some reason the fans feel uneasy about the GM shake-up, but truth is TOR still has many good players under contract. If BT has to move one of the "core 4", he still has a very competitive team going into next season.

Matthews C
Tavares C
Nylander RW
Marner RW
Knies LW
Laferty RW/LW
Jarnkrok LW/RW
RIelly LD
Brodie RD
McCabe LD
Liljegren RD
Timmons RD
GIo LD
Murray G
Woll G
Samsonov RFA G

If TOR can get a deal done with Samsonov, I'd say they have a very good goalie situation. Woll is very promising and Samsonov had a good season last year. Most of Toronto's D are signed. Gio is questionable. His age might be finally catching up to him. Murray might retire. Muzzin is on contract for 1 more year, but he might be done too.

Toronto needs 2xD and 5-6 forwards to fill the 3rd /4th lines. I'd say that everything can be achieved before next season.

The most challenging thing is Matthews: if he stays someone else might have to be dealt. If he goes you have to replace him with a C.

Win a cup? Most GM's don't win a cup. Kyle couldn't do it. We'll see if Treliving can do better than Kyle given the amount of talent he has. For some reason the fans feel uneasy about the GM shake-up, but truth is TOR still has many good players under contract. If BT has to move one of the "core 4", he still has a very competitive team going into next season.

Matthews C
Tavares C
Nylander RW
Marner RW
Knies LW
Laferty RW/LW
Jarnkrok LW/RW
RIelly LD
Brodie RD
McCabe LD
Liljegren RD
Timmons RD
GIo LD
Murray G
Woll G
Samsonov RFA G

If TOR can get a deal done with Samsonov, I'd say they have a very good goalie situation. Woll is very promising and Samsonov had a good season last year. Most of Toronto's D are signed. Gio is questionable. His age might be finally catching up to him. Murray might retire. Muzzin is on contract for 1 more year, but he might be done too.

Toronto needs 2xD and 5-6 forwards to fill the 3rd /4th lines. I'd say that everything can be achieved before next season.

The most challenging thing is Matthews: if he stays someone else might have to be dealt. If he goes you have to replace him with a C.

By get the job done I mean ice a team that could win 3+ rounds in any two year stretch. I think it’ll take a lot of work get them to where that’s a realistic expectation and my first impression didn’t gI’ve me a warm and fuzzy that he can do that.
We’ll see what he does and we’ll judge him by his work and not his words in the PC.

 

[therealkoho]

Sooooo, how did his Flames do this year?

Perhaps he's now a more experienced GM and will have success in Toronto.

Kind of seems like a lateral move, but one that Dubas forced on them. Dubas just accepts the contract offered, he's still in charge.

Leafs are now a veteran team, with 3 players getting paid elite level money.

The Flames had the personnel to go a long way, it's too bad they had Sutter and his inflexible and retrogressive ways handling the team. I don't believe there was one player who at seasons end had any respect left for him.

A coach has to be the boss, the manager of the teams players and also has to be a leader.
Sutter was a 24/7 screamer, my way or the highway kind of guy, think of Torterella before he evolved. Think of the most sour ill humoured, irritable person you know, and then give them this line to repeat ad nauseum, "you'll do it this way because that's how I won a Stanley Cup!"

 

[Nineteen67]

Crazy talk. Auston is getting 14 Mil at the very least, probably 15 Mil and deserves it and it's the right thing for the Leafs to do. You don't penny pinch with a generational player like Auston Matthews. That's what the market is now and it's contract time. In 4 years it will seem like he's underpaid. That's how contracts work. Look at Nylander. I remember soooooo much talk people saying they overpaid him...and a few years later and almost everyone agrees it's one of the better contracts and totally a bargain for the Leafs.

14 or 15 is a ridiculous AAV even at 8 yrs for 40 g and 80 points.

 

[therealkoho]

Apparently they’re staying in Arizona. It would make a lot of sense if he went there. The league needs him to save that franchise and they have the pieces to make a deal.

Maybe its possible, but playing in front of 4500 fans once in awhile has lost it's charm and then there's the dressing room problem that even the PA has spoken to the league about, add to the fact that there is nowhere else they can go around Phoenix,
where none of the cities nor the state want anything to do with funding an arena for them using taxpayer money.

 

[Nineteen67]

While Treliving was in Calgary, I didn't pay too much attention to, nor care for that matter as it didn't impact the Leafs,

However I must say after hearing his Leafs press conference, and then watching him make the rounds on Overdrive with Hayes, Noodles & O-dog and then join That's Hockey Tonight with Geno Reda as a guest, I have come across impressed.

He is very well spoken, comes across as very knowledgeable and well liked and connected around the league, and very forthcoming on his answers appearing truthful as best he can and never painting himself into a corner while leaving all option on the table doing forward.

Hearing his philosophy of building from the net out with a focus of strong defense is music to my ears.. Even when praising the core 4 he loved the high-end skill but their willingness and ability to focus on responsibilities away from the puck defensively is what he stressed on as perhaps determining their long-term fate, because he demands hard work and not just skill to play on his teams.

How he plans on reshaping the Leafs into his vision and image for success will be interesting to watch unfold.

An exciting change has come to Toronto, and with that new hope for more future success can turn a realist like myself to have some optimism again.

You can count on one hand the GMs that don’t agree with that philosophy and zero hands the one’s that have won the Cup.

 

[Hellcat]

Shanny said that Treliving will have all the autonomy that Dubas had, he can make any trade he wants. Which if you believe the rumors that is not true, apparently Shanny blocked trades. Its coming recently out that one of the trades Shanny blocked was Hagel to Toronto...

 

[BertCorbeau]

One thing to keep in mind with the Matthews' contract is the prospective large cap increase that's looming soon.

That will factor into an increase of some kind in all likeliness.

 

[Hellcat]

No, in the biggest games, the fatal flaw for the Leafs has often been that core. They rose against Tampa Bay and flopped against Florida, and when even Dubas said it was time to consider every option, that’s when you knew it just might be time. Now Dubas is cleaning up after a dynastic core that actually won, and Shanahan has a new GM who is charged with a core that hasn’t, and needs exceptional work to make it happen. Nobody got their first choice, here. The Leafs are picking up the pieces, and we’ll see if anybody really gets what they want.

To be fair in most of the biggest games, the entire team is a no show. I get that the core 4 is paid to be difference makers but if the other team is putting their best out against the core 4, that means the rest of the line up should be getting easy match ups. It's still a team game.

 

[PromisedLand]

I thought that was a well written article in comparison to dubas shills (i.e. CJ, mirtle and seigel)

Also folks that don't wanna see the entire press conference of Treliving, and sportsnet and TSN bits; Luke summarizes the main parts really well

 

[rocketman588]

Shanny said that Treliving will have all the autonomy that Dubas had, he can make any trade he wants. Which if you believe the rumors that is not true, apparently Shanny blocked trades. Its coming recently out that one of the trades Shanny blocked was Hagel to Toronto...

I think he had "final decision making" which was the ability to say no. He wasn't dictating the moves he rejected a trade that from the Chicago leak was knies and picks for Hagel and MAF

If you're the president you need to reject that sorry

Wylde and Steve keep bringing that up as proof. It seems he would only reject trades if they were off the wall

Remember they unfortunately had skin in the game due to the association with CJ

 

[The Masters]

Catering to the kids again. They wont fire Keefe because they need to extend Matthews. If they fire him, Matthews gonna say well who are u hiring now?

Such a mess.

Going to run the same shyt back

 

[Nineteen67]

One thing to keep in mind with the Matthews' contract is the prospective large cap increase that's looming soon.

That will factor into an increase of some kind in all likeliness.

They always predict a large cap increase and for one reason or another it never materializes. With the Bally regional networks going under some teams will struggle to even show games, AZ situation, etc it’ll likely continue to creep up by 1 million or so per year.

 

[1specter]

View attachment 714869

I can't see myself watching much regular season if this is the case. They're literally going to run back the exact same thing lmao

 

[ULF_55]

The Flames had the personnel to go a long way, it's too bad they had Sutter and his inflexible and retrogressive ways handling the team. I don't believe there was one player who at seasons end had any respect left for him.

A coach has to be the boss, the manager of the teams players and also has to be a leader.
Sutter was a 24/7 screamer, my way or the highway kind of guy, think of Torterella before he evolved. Think of the most sour ill humoured, irritable person you know, and then give them this line to repeat ad nauseum, "you'll do it this way because that's how I won a Stanley Cup!"

And the coach can't openly show favoritism to only a couple players regardless of how they play. You won't get players going through a brick wall when they know others don't have to even stand up for themselves let alone some kid getting cowboyed.

 

[Mess]

The Flames had the personnel to go a long way, it's too bad they had Sutter and his inflexible and retrogressive ways handling the team. I don't believe there was one player who at seasons end had any respect left for him.

A coach has to be the boss, the manager of the teams players and also has to be a leader.
Sutter was a 24/7 screamer, my way or the highway kind of guy, think of Torterella before he evolved. Think of the most sour ill humoured, irritable person you know, and then give them this line to repeat ad nauseum, "you'll do it this way because that's how I won a Stanley Cup!"

You know me " Never say Never to a Paul Maurice coached team" .

Recognising a good coach, that your players will go through a brick wall for is one that has success and might even win you a Stanley Cup.