The Toronto Maple Leafs are in a very dark place. They are battling to finish in the bottom five of the NHL in the midst of their most disappointing season in decades. And yet, I keep hearing rumours that their GM, Brad Treliving, might be given another shot next year? I don’t really know what to say other than it is clear as day that Treliving should be fired.
The GM’s trade history is terrible, his signings haven’t worked, and he fumbled the Mitch Marner problem. I truly do not understand MLSE’s thinking here (this is becoming a pattern) and can only hope they see what everyone else is seeing.
I’m going to try to see it from their perspective, but I have a feeling typing out the words won’t change my mind. But let’s see.
The case for keeping Treliving
I guess the number one reason you’d keep Tre is the team’s success last year. The Leafs finished first in the Atlantic and gave the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers the toughest test of their playoffs. Toronto was one win away from its first Conference Final as a group, and came into this season with high expectations.
Treliving also got something for Mitch Marner, which was better than letting him walk for nothing. Personally, I was pretty happy with the Nic Roy return at the time. Now that time has passed, I think I’m not as stoked, but to be fair, I was excited to get Roy.
And teams always look for stability; it’s valuable within the organization to have long-tenured vets who are comfortable in their jobs and have built relationships over the years. Treliving has been here for less than three years. If fired, it’s an admission from the organization that they hired the wrong guy in 2023.
This year could (probably will) be seen as an outlier by the guys up top. Keith Pelley already sent a letter to season-ticket holders discussing how injuries have affected their chances of winning this season. So, if the higher-ups believe this year was a fluke, and Toronto can get back to the highs of last season shortly, I understand keeping Tre on board and fulfilling his vision.
The real Toronto Maple Leafs
The problem with this line of thinking is that it is crazy. The Leafs capital-S suck. They are horrible. They’re old, slow, lifeless, offensively inept, defensively inept, have no heart, etc., etc.
Treliving built this team. He took everything that made them special and ruined it. He values height over production and “snot” over skill. And somehow, this team still has no backbone or toughness. I don’t even know how that’s possible. If the goal was to make the team slow and incapable, he’s done a great job.
To act like last year’s success is in reach for this group is absurd. That team got unbelievable goaltending that will not be replicated, and still had Mitch Marner. The old guys weren’t quite as old, and their underlying numbers were still pretty bad. Now, everyone is older, and the 35+ year olds will begin to fall off. We’ve seen it with Chris Tanev and John Tavares. Next will be OEL and Jake McCabe.
This team is not built to improve year after year. They were built for one or two seasons of going all in, and it didn’t work.
Treliving’s trade history
The clear, undisputed No. 1 reason to fire Treliving is his trade history. The man is unmatched when it comes to making franchise-ruining trades.
Somehow, within 30 minutes of each other at last year’s deadline, he made two (2) trades that alone should get him fired. The Fraser Minten and Scott Laughton trades are going to set this franchise back at least five years. It is actually incredible that he made both trades on the same day.
Sending the sixth overall pick to Boston this year, PLUS Fraser Minten for Brandon Carlo, is malpractice. It was bad at the time, and it’s even worse now. Minten has 14 goals and 29 points already this season (plenty more than Scott Laughton, by the way) and is on his way to being a franchise 2C for Boston. Whoever Boston picks this year (or in 2028) will surely be good as well. And Brandon Carlo is simply not good. Brad chose height over skill, and it’s going to kill the franchise.
And Scott Laughton scored a nice 16 points in 63 games in Toronto. He was used incorrectly his whole time here and wasn’t worth a first or Nikita Grebenkin. He already has three points in three games on the LA Kings, and Brad only got a third for him a year after sending a first and a top prospect.
Fire Treliving
I don’t think there’s any excuse for keeping Tre. The team sucks, and he’s the one who built it. His track record is terrible, and his vision for what brings success in the NHL is flawed. He’s set the franchise back years.
There’s no reason to bring him back. None. The Leafs need a new voice and vision.
