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

[Menzinger]

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

The cap isn't going to remain static though. A 14 mil dollar contract is a lot less meaningful when the cap hits 88,90, 92 mil

 

[Mess]

The cap isn't going to remain static though. A 14 mil dollar contract is a lot less meaningful when the cap hits 88,90, 92 mil

True to a point in that Cap hit % at signing would be less impactful on the Leafs team only going forward with more room for others to surround it as the cap goes up.

However big picture if it is the largest contract in the NHL then all other 31 NHL teams that don't have a $14 mil player have a competitive cap advantage still over the Leafs because they can still spend more $$ and cap on surrounding their star players.

Cap goes to up $92 mil while Matthews makes $14 mil, but McDavid is still at $12.5 and MacKinnon at $12.6 still hurts Toronto more than any other team in comparison to direct competition as everyone else under contract has their CH% similarly decrease impact on their own teams as it rises equally for all teams.

David Pastrnak coming off a 61 goal 113 point season just signed for 8 years at $11.5 ml AAV his C.H.% of 13.6 is already on his new deal < Matthews at C.H.% = 14.6 on his current deal prior to raise. So Auston's 60 goal and 106 point season of 2 years ago gets him $14 mil AAV. Then when Boston plays Leafs in the playoffs down the road Boston has $2.5 extra free cap space beyond their 60 goal scorer regardless of the cap ceiling at the time. Its all relative to the teams you play against and expected to beat.

Where does that buck eventually stop at Matthews or give Marner after that anything he wants to stay also? Remember Leafs currently have 3 of the 7 highest AAV contracts in the NHL and that is how they got themselves into Cap Hell in the first place and why all the other teams have more cap space for surrounding players, and go deeper in the playoffs because of better cap management and allocation.

 

[keonsbitterness]

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.

From what I've read, a really big jump isn't projected until 25-26. That wouldn't help Matthews.

 

[Mobiandi]

If this is true - is it likely that Brodie is moved?

I wouldn’t be surprised if Treliving tries to move him again with 1 year left. Make no mistake, their relationship is not good

 

[WTFMAN99]

I wouldn’t be surprised if Treliving tries to move him again with 1 year left. Make no mistake, their relationship is not good

Brodie took the near trade personally?

 

[Mobiandi]

Brodie took the near trade personally?

The man had been a career Flame with very strong ties to the community. After being blindsided with that leaked trade, extension talks were shelved for the rest of the season and Brodie bolted to Toronto around the same time we signed Tanev on day 1 of free agency

 

[Azail]

True to a point in that Cap hit % at signing would be less impactful on the Leafs team only going forward with more room for others to surround it as the cap goes up.

However big picture if it is the largest contract in the NHL then all other 31 NHL teams that don't have a $14 mil player have a competitive cap advantage still over the Leafs because they can still spend more $$ and cap on surrounding their star players.

Cap goes to up $92 mil while Matthews makes $14 mil, but McDavid is still at $12.5 and MacKinnon at $12.6 still hurts Toronto more than any other team in comparison to direct competition as everyone else under contract has their CH% similarly decrease impact on their own teams as it rises equally for all teams.

David Pastrnak coming off a 61 goal 113 point season just signed for 8 years at $11.5 ml AAV his C.H.% of 13.6 is already on his new deal < Matthews at C.H.% = 14.6 on his current deal prior to raise. So Auston's 60 goal and 106 point season of 2 years ago gets him $14 mil AAV. Then when Boston plays Leafs in the playoffs down the road Boston has $2.5 extra free cap space beyond their 60 goal scorer regardless of the cap ceiling at the time. Its all relative to the teams you play against and expected to beat.

Where does that buck eventually stop at Mathews or give Marner after that anything he wants to stay also? Remember Leafs currently have 3 of the 7 highest AAV contracts in the NHL and that is how they got themselves into Cap Hell in the first place and why all the other teams have more cap space for surrounding players, and go deeper in the playoffs because of better cap management and allocation.

So... toss Matthews overboard? It is pretty much a foregone conclusion that he will make the most in the league. If it isn't with Toronto, it will be with someone else.

I don't think his play last year warranted it, but it will happen regardless of what we think on these forums. If he just wants the most amount of money, it will happen with a team out there.

 

[Gabriel426]

The cap isn't going to remain static though. A 14 mil dollar contract is a lot less meaningful when the cap hits 88,90, 92 mil

True but 1.5mil less is 1.5mil less. That 1.5mil in the 90mil cap World could be the difference between a solid mid 6 forward and a useful 4th liner or a #3 Dman and a #5 Dman.

 

[hockeywiz542]

A look at the strengths that made Brad Treliving an attractive hire to the Maple Leafs

Brad Treliving knows how to work a room. How will that help the Maple Leafs going forward?

theathletic.com

The way he took a playful jab at 39-year-old Leafs defenceman Mark Giordano spoke to that wit.

“It’s good to see (Giordano) still playing at 75,” Treliving said to the chuckles of reporters.

And few have heard that wit as much as Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen. The two were roommates during their brief stint together playing for the AHL’s Prince Edward Island Senators in the 1993-94 season.

“You’ve got to be careful what you say with him in a back-and-forth,” Kekalainen joked.

Being well-connected and knowing the happenings around the league as good as any other executive has become a calling card for Treliving.

“He knows everything that’s going on around the NHL,” Dave Cameron said. Cameron served as an assistant coach for Treliving’s Flames team from 2016 to 2018. “I’m not sure if he’s making calls in his car or if he’s a night hawk. I don’t know how he does it.”

So what could that look like? If a player on a different team quickly becomes available, can we expect the Maple Leafs to be one of the first teams to know about it? Is Treliving prone to doing his digging on players and their background when considering a trade?

Or maybe, as Sean Burke, who worked with Treliving in the Coyotes front office from 2007 to 2017, said, Treliving’s convivial nature means the new Leafs GM can “get into the conversations you want to get into.”

“You don’t have to manufacture that,” he said.

Kekalainen calls Treliving a “diligent” general manager.

“He makes sure to weigh every decision from left to right to make sure everything is in order. We’ve had a lot of talks,” Kekalainen said.

.............

“You’re not going to pull a fast one with him,” Kekalainen said of Treliving.

That tracks with what a handful of agents told The Athletic when informally polled about their experiences working with Treliving: He’s always eager to chat and is generally a pleasure to deal with. Just don’t always expect to wrap up your business before the end of the day, is all.

“He’s thorough. It might take 20 phone calls to work through an issue but (Treliving) is always happy to talk,” one agent said. “He likes to stay on you when there’s something he’s interested in.”

What Kekalainen has seen from Treliving throughout his career is a GM who he describes as “reasonable” and won’t make a rash decision should his team go through a difficult spell of games.

“He doesn’t have a happy trigger finger,” Kekalainen said.

 

[Menzinger]

True to a point in that Cap hit % at signing would be less impactful on the Leafs team only going forward with more room for others to surround it as the cap goes up.

However big picture if it is the largest contract in the NHL then all other 31 NHL teams that don't have a $14 mil player have a competitive cap advantage still over the Leafs because they can still spend more $$ and cap on surrounding their star players.

Cap goes to up $92 mil while Matthews makes $14 mil, but McDavid is still at $12.5 and MacKinnon at $12.6 still hurts Toronto more than any other team in comparison to direct competition as everyone else under contract has their CH% similarly decrease impact on their own teams as it rises equally for all teams.

David Pastrnak coming off a 61 goal 113 point season just signed for 8 years at $11.5 ml AAV his C.H.% of 13.6 is already on his new deal < Matthews at C.H.% = 14.6 on his current deal prior to raise. So Auston's 60 goal and 106 point season of 2 years ago gets him $14 mil AAV. Then when Boston plays Leafs in the playoffs down the road Boston has $2.5 extra free cap space beyond their 60 goal scorer regardless of the cap ceiling at the time. Its all relative to the teams you play against and expected to beat.

Where does that buck eventually stop at Mathews or give Marner after that anything he wants to stay also? Remember Leafs currently have 3 of the 7 highest AAV contracts in the NHL and that is how they got themselves into Cap Hell in the first place and why all the other teams have more cap space for surrounding players, and go deeper in the playoffs because of better cap management and allocation.

It's all cyclical. McDavid will be making a lot more then 14 million when he signs a new deal in 2026 for example. I'd prioritize signing Matthews and deal with the consequences for the rest of the lineup. If that means moving on from Marner or Nylander down the road, so be it.

Realistically what's the alternative? If you decide that the buck stops with Matthews asking for 500k-1mil more than you'd like to pay him, how does the team stay competitive trading him away?

 

[Mess]

So... toss Matthews overboard? It is pretty much a foregone conclusion that he will make the most in the league. If it isn't with Toronto, it will be with someone else.

I don't think his play last year warranted it, but it will happen regardless of what we think on these forums. If he just wants the most amount of money, it will happen with a team out there.

Why do we always have to be screwed in Toronto by our players?

Nathan MacKinnon coming off a Stanley Cup where he scored 12 goals and lead the playoffs in scoring, he is also a franchise #1C and was drafted #1OA and coming off a 42 goal 111 point season (5th in NHL scoring) He just signed an 8 year deal at $12.6 mil AAV.

Matthews doesn't have the Cup but why wouldn't/shouldn't this be as easy as cake to re-sign him to that exact same deal as MacKinnon?

Why are we talking about Matthews wanting a shorter 3-5 year deal at much more money and then saying give him what he wants?

Now I don't want to lose him either, but why are we as Leaf fans always faced with these bloated contracts when comparable players always take less?

 

[rumman]

The cap isn't going to remain static though. A 14 mil dollar contract is a lot less meaningful when the cap hits 88,90, 92 mil

Still counting chickens before they’ve hatched, some people never learn……..

 

[mikeyz]

You have got to be f***ing kidding me!!

 

[Stephen]

The cap isn't going to remain static though. A 14 mil dollar contract is a lot less meaningful when the cap hits 88,90, 92 mil

It's probably a necessary evil to lock up Matthews at that kind of AAV but it does suck a bit to prematurely allocate hypothetical cap to him. That JT contract cannot end soon enough.

 

[Azail]

Why do we always have to be screwed in Toronto by our players?

Nathan MacKinnon coming off a Stanley Cup where he scored 12 goals and lead the playoffs in scoring, he is also a franchise #1C and was drafted #1OA and coming off a 42 goal 111 point season (5th in NHL scoring) He just signed an 8 year deal at $12.6 mil AAV.

Matthews doesn't have the Cup but why wouldn't/shouldn't this be as easy as cake to re-sign him to that exact same deal as MacKinnon?

Why are we talking about Matthews wanting a shorter 3-5 year deal at much more money and then saying give him what he wants?

Now I don't want to lose him either, but why are we as Leaf fans always faced with these bloated contracts when comparable players always take less?

It is up to the Leafs whether or not they want to pay him. It's not just the Leafs who get screwed over. The Flames were screwed with Johnny and Tkachuk. NYI lost JT, who actually took less by all accounts to come to Toronto. St. Louis took a stand didn't pay Petro what he wanted/bonus structure to my knowledge etc, and he left.

TB let Stamkos walk right to free agency and said we have $8.5mil for you if you want to come back. Again by all accounts he was offered more elsewhere, but ended up going back. Do you want to play chicken with Matthews like TB did with Stammer? We can, but we have to be willing to let him walk.

Mack decided $12.6 to be the highest paid was enough for him. Mcdavid was offered $14.5mil and gave back $2mil per year because he wanted to.

If Matthews wants the max amount of money and the Leafs don't want to pay him, he will go elsewhere like countless other players have. If he values being a Maple Leaf, maybe he will stay for less, but I still can't see him not being paid the most in the league.

 

[rumman]

It's probably a necessary evil to lock up Matthews at that kind of AAV but it does suck a bit to prematurely allocate hypothetical cap to him. That JT contract cannot end soon enough.

Be careful, 34 might end up being a even bigger anchor than JT is to the team in the long r7n if they don’t get a good deal for both player and team done……..

 

[Stephen]

Be careful, 34 might end up being a even bigger anchor than JT is to the team in the long r7n if they don’t get a good deal for both player and team done……..

That's why a 6 year deal is perfect for me. Takes him to 2030 where he'll be 32-33 where Tavares is now and you can take a long hard look at things while also knowing you probably bought the best prime AM34 years. If we haven't won anything 7 years from now. Well, you just nuke it back to the Stone Age anyway.

 

[Clark4Ever]

You have got to be f***ing kidding me!!

I don't agree with it, but if Treliving wants to evaluate Keefe with his own eyes before making a decision, you can't have him as a lame duck coach.

If it happens, hopefully it's a one year extension along with a short leash.

 

[Trapper]

Be careful, 34 might end up being a even bigger anchor than JT is to the team in the long r7n if they don’t get a good deal for both player and team done……..

Maybe short term is best. 5 years. That way if this team spends the next 5 trying to win a round again, you can just say goodbye to all and start over. I don’t really want to say the next 5 the same as the last 5.

 

[Nineteen67]

Why do we always have to be screwed in Toronto by our players?

Nathan MacKinnon coming off a Stanley Cup where he scored 12 goals and lead the playoffs in scoring, he is also a franchise #1C and was drafted #1OA and coming off a 42 goal 111 point season (5th in NHL scoring) He just signed an 8 year deal at $12.6 mil AAV.

Matthews doesn't have the Cup but why wouldn't/shouldn't this be as easy as cake to re-sign him to that exact same deal as MacKinnon?

Why are we talking about Matthews wanting a shorter 3-5 year deal at much more money and then saying give him what he wants?

Now I don't want to lose him either, but why are we as Leaf fans always faced with these bloated contracts when comparable players always take less?

Strangest thing

 

[Azail]

I don't agree with it, but if Treliving wants to evaluate Keefe with his own eyes before making a decision, you can't have him as a lame duck coach.

If it happens, hopefully it's a one year extension along with a short leash.

I don't like it, but I could see Tre holding on to him as an easy bullet to fire if something happens. If he lets him go right now, and brings in his own coach right away, he can't claim its not his guy.

 

[57 Years No Cup]

So... toss Matthews overboard? It is pretty much a foregone conclusion that he will make the most in the league. If it isn't with Toronto, it will be with someone else.

I don't think his play last year warranted it, but it will happen regardless of what we think on these forums. If he just wants the most amount of money, it will happen with a team out there.

Well then, bye! Do we want to win, or not?

 

[al secord]

View attachment 714869

I guess that makes Keefe a Treliving guy now.

Well then, bye! Do we want to win, or not?

Yes. That's why you hold on to your elite players.

 

[Azail]

Well then, bye! Do we want to win, or not?

Oh of course, although I am not sure tossing overboard our #1 center is how any team wins.

I am not that old, as to have lived in the Ballard years, but I lived through the mid-late 00s and early 10s to know that getting a #1 center is not as easy as just getting one. Sundin was my favorite player growing up. It was a long time between Sundin and Matthews.

I think if you let Matthews go, you might as well start loading up on picks as you aint winning with JT as a #1 center.

 

[57 Years No Cup]

I guess that makes Keefe a Treliving guy now.


Yes. That's why you hold on to your elite players.

Because "holding on to our elite players" has lead to smashing success so far....

Oh of course, although I am not sure tossing overboard our #1 center is how any team wins.

I am not that old, as to have lived in the Ballard years, but I lived through the mid-late 00s and early 10s to know that getting a #1 center is not as easy as just getting one. Sundin was my favorite player growing up. It was a long time between Sundin and Matthews.

I think if you let Matthews go, you might as well start loading up on picks as you aint winning with JT as a #1 center.

Who is Vegas' #1 centre?