‘There will be change moving forward’: Maple Leafs’ GM Treliving hints at new direction

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving says the team’s DNA needs to change this summer following another disappointing playoff exit.

Treliving met with the media in Toronto on Thursday morning. He summarized the team’s improvements and style of play throughout the regular season, notably under new head coach Craig Berube. However, he acknowledged that the Game 7 loss to the Florida Panthers indicates that perhaps a drastic shift to the roster is necessary.

“There will be change moving forward. That’s just the nature of the business,” Treliving said. “We’ve gotta find a way to create the team, both between the ears and personnel, to be our best at the critical moments.

“There’s some DNA that needs to change in our team,” he said.

Treliving openly discussed Toronto’s Game 5 and Game 7 blunders to the Panthers in the second round. The Maple Leafs, led by Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander, entered Game 5 at home with the series tied 2-2 and were blown out 6-1.

After staving off elimination with a 2-0 win in Game 6, the Leafs again fell flat in Game 7, losing 6-1, and were knocked out of contention.

“When it matters the most, you have to embrace it,” Treliving said. “A good opponent, the stage, what’s at stake. You have to find a way to embrace that moment and ultimately succeed in it.

“There’s experience that you get from that… but ultimately, you may have to change something. These are the things you have to look at,” the general manager added.

The struggles with Toronto’s “Core Four” have been well-documented in the postseason, but the front office has stayed committed to the group to date. That appears likely to change this summer, with long-time president Brendan Shanahan now gone and Marner and Tavares hitting free agency.

“I think Mitch is a tremendous player. I think he’s a star,” Treliving said. “Mitch and I had a discussion. It’s emotional right now… I am going to be in touch with Mitch’s representatives and determine what’s best. Mitch has a say in this as well… We’ll have to see.”

Treliving, 55, is entering his third season as GM of the Maple Leafs.

On Wednesday, the Panthers advanced to the Stanley Cup final for the third-straight season, eliminating the Carolina Hurricanes in five games.

Leafs players must perform in key moments: Treliving

Marner, a Markham, Ont., native, has endured significant criticism for his lacklustre postseason performances, especially in series-clinching or elimination games. While he did finish this postseason with 11 points in 13 games, he scored only two goals, including one goal on three shots in seven games against the Panthers.

The 28-year-old winger has been non-committal about his desire to stay in Toronto long-term, but Tavares has openly expressed an interest in resigning with the Maple Leafs. For his part, Berube has said he hopes both players are back next season.

---

“There’s not a hockey tree out there where you go and pluck the player off of,” Treliving said when asked about Marner specifically. “We have to go through the process with Mitch. We have to drive what we think is the best outcome. [If Marner leaves] I don’t think we’re going out there and saying, ‘This player replaces Mitch.’

“It might take some time to figure out the best way to move forward,” Treliving said.

Tavares, meanwhile, delivered a standout performance this season with the Maple Leafs, reaffirming his role as a key contributor at age 34 with 38 goals (his most since 2018-19) and 74 points in 75 games. Like other members of the “Core 4,” Tavares struggled against the Panthers, with two points (two goals) across seven games. He failed to register a point from Game 4 through 7.

The Maple Leafs have won two playoff series in seven seasons with Marner, Tavares, Matthews, Nylander and Morgan Rielly as core team members. The team is now 0-6 in Game 7 dating back to 2018.

“We fell short of where we wanted to be and we fell short of where I thought we could be,” Treliving said.

Treliving talks Knies’ development

Treliving was also asked about 22-year-old winger Matthew Knies, a restricted free agent this summer.

“He’s turned into a really important player,” Toronto’s general manager said. “He was an impactful player… Matthew is a big part of the future moving forward.”

Knies had a breakout year in Toronto, with 29 goals and 58 points in 78 regular-season games. He added five goals and seven points across 13 playoff games.

There has been some speculation that Knies could be pursued as an RFA and sign an offer sheet. Knies reiterated his desire to remain with the Maple Leafs and re-sign when asked about that possibility at his end-of-season media availability.

Knies, a Phoenix, Ariz., native, was drafted in the second round (57th overall) in 2021.

The Maple Leafs enter the summer with just over $25 million in cap space. In addition to Marner and Tavares, Max Pacioretty and Steven Lorentz are unrestricted free agents. Pontus Holmberg and Nicholas Robertson join Knies as the two other RFAs.