{"id":532980,"date":"2026-03-31T15:14:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T15:14:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/532980\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T15:14:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T15:14:20","slug":"here-are-brad-trelivings-misses-hits-as-maple-leafs-gm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/532980\/","title":{"rendered":"Here are Brad Treliving’s misses, hits as Maple Leafs GM"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Sports<\/a>Hockey<\/a>NHL<\/a>Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a><\/p>\n

Brad Treliving didn’t make it to three years on the job in Toronto before he was let go Monday<\/p>\n

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Published Mar 31, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 3\u00a0hours ago \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 5 minute read<\/p>\n

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\"LeoLeo Carlsson #91 of the Anaheim Ducks skates with the puck against Matthew Knies #23 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period at Honda Center on March 30, 2026 in Anaheim, California. Photo by Ric Tapia \/Getty ImagesArticle content<\/p>\n

With the firing of Brad Treliving on Monday night<\/a>, we take a look at his misses and hits during his tenure as Maple Leafs general manager.<\/p>\n

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Treliving didn\u2019t last three years on the job after he was hired in May 2023.<\/p>\n

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THE MISSES<\/p>\n

\u2014 The hiring of Craig Berube as coach.<\/p>\n

Of course, much has changed in the past year after Berube guided the Leafs to the Atlantic Division title in his first year behind the Toronto bench.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re judged on what has happened most recently and 2025-26 has been a disaster.<\/p>\n

The Leafs don\u2019t play with structure and there is little semblance of anything approaching defensive responsibility. They\u2019re at or near the bottom in the majority of defensive categories.<\/p>\n

Dumping and chasing only works if the players can execute it properly. The Leafs don\u2019t, but perhaps that\u2019s just as much as a comment on Treliving\u2019s roster construction as it is on the coach.<\/p>\n

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Goaltending last season was better and covered over some Leafs warts. That didn\u2019t happen this year.<\/p>\n

Captain Auston Matthews<\/a>, before he was hurt, was not the same productive player that he was under Sheldon Keefe. Provided a coaching change is made, the new boss will have to find a way to get Matthews\u2019 assets unlocked.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s not much of a good argument that could be made today for retaining Berube.<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

\"Maple <\/p>\n

Craig Berube, Leafs players react to Brad Treliving firing: ‘It’s shocking’<\/p>\n

<\/a> \"From <\/p>\n

A look at possible candidates for Maple Leafs general manager<\/p>\n

<\/a> \"Radko <\/p>\n

Max Domi fights Radko Gudas, Maple Leafs beat Ducks in OT<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 The deadline-day acquisitions of defenceman Brandon Carlo and centre Scott Laughton last March.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not just what went the other way in the trades \u2014 Fraser Minten and a first-round pick in 2026 to Boston for Carlo, and a first-round pick in 2027 and prospect Nikita Grebenkin to Philadelphia for Laughton \u2014 that carry bite.<\/p>\n

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Minten, smart beyond his years, has had a fine rookie season with the Bruins. A role in Toronto as the club\u2019s third-line centre was in Minten\u2019s near future.<\/p>\n

The pick to the Bruins is top-five protected, so the Leafs could retain it. If so, the Leafs won\u2019t have their own first-round pick in 2027 or 2028.<\/p>\n

Carlo went back on the trade block last summer. Laughton wound up doing little for the Leafs and was traded to Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

The trades last year form a big reason as to why the Leafs\u2019 future does not look particularly bright.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Three trades last summer \u2014 the acquisitions of forwards Nicolas Roy, Matias Maccelli and Dakota Joshua<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It was good that Treliving was able to get something instead of absolutely nothing as the Mitch Marner situation came to a head. When Roy was acquired from Vegas in the sign-and-trade, the thinking was the Leafs had their trustworthy third-line centre. But Roy took a while to get into gear and on the whole didn\u2019t make a large impact before he was traded to Colorado. At least Treliving was able to recoup a first-round pick in 2027 in the deal.<\/p>\n

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A lacerated kidney in December got in the way of Joshua\u2019s progress, and though he\u2019s not afraid to throw his body around, he hasn\u2019t been a physical force on the forecheck. Joshua was acquired from Vancouver for a 2028 fourth-round pick.<\/p>\n

The Leafs sent a conditional third-round draft pick in 2027 to the Utah Mammoth with the hope that Maccelli would rebound after he was a healthy scratch down the stretch last season. That didn\u2019t happen.<\/p>\n

As the Leafs\u2019 games became more meaningless, Maccelli started to produce more. That\u2019s not the way it\u2019s supposed to work.<\/p>\n

\u2014 The general lack of action on Treliving\u2019s part once it became clear that there were major issues this season.<\/p>\n

When defenceman Troy Stecher was plucked off waivers in mid-November, it was because Carlo suffered an injury a couple of days before.<\/p>\n

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When assistant coach Marc Savard was fired in December, a much bolder move would have been to let Berube go. The Leafs\u2019 season might have been salvaged with a new voice behind the bench, but we\u2019ll never know. Look at what Rick Bowness has done in Columbus since taking over from Dean Evason in mid-January. The Blue Jackets are in a wildcard spot.<\/p>\n

A trade of some sort could have shaken up the Leafs. But nothing was done until the deadline early in March.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Signing forward Max Domi and goalie Anthony Stolarz to lengthy extensions.<\/p>\n

Domi got a four-year extension, with an AAV of $3.75 million, at the end of June 2024.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the term that wasn\u2019t great. Domi had 33 points in 74 games last year and has 34 points in 73 games this year. He doesn\u2019t provide much in the way of defensive awareness.<\/p>\n

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Stolarz\u2019s four-year extension with an AAV of $3.75 million kicks in next season. Again, term is an issue. The Leafs might be better off with Joseph Woll and Dennis Hildeby as their tandem.<\/p>\n

THE HITS<\/p>\n

\u2014 Defenceman Chris Tanev topped the list of the good things Treliving did in player transactions.<\/p>\n

Even that, though, comes with an asterisk.<\/p>\n

The concern with Tanev when he signed a six-year pact, with an AAV of $4.5 million, in the summer of 2024 was his durability. There was no trouble in 2024-25. His play was excellent.<\/p>\n

Just 11 games played by Tanev this year, because of injuries, throws his future into question. Tanev underwent core muscle surgery on March 4 and is expected to be ready for camp in the fall. He also turns 37 in December.<\/p>\n

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\u2014 The signing of winger Matthew Knies to a six-year contract with an AAV of $7.75 million US in July 2025.<\/p>\n

At 23, Knies\u2019 best days in the NHL are ahead of him. He has hit career highs in assists and points this season and has cemented his place in the top six. His contract will only look better as the years go by.<\/p>\n

Trading Knies in the off-season would be foolish. Not sure how the new GM could justify trading a player who should be a big part of the Leafs\u2019 future.<\/p>\n

\u2014 The signing of defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson in July 2024 to a four-year pact with an AAV of $3.5 million.<\/p>\n

The 34-year-old Ekman-Larsson played with enough consistency to earn on spot on Sweden\u2019s Olympic team.<\/p>\n

Age is not an issue and Ekman-Larsson plays with the kind of snarl that other Leafs could emulate more often.<\/p>\n

tkoshan@postmedia.com<\/a><\/p>\n

X: @koshtorontosun<\/p>\n

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