Brad Treliving deserves a ton of credit for restructuring Maple Leafs’ roster

Brad Treliving has his fingerprints all over this Toronto Maple Leafs roster, and they’ve quickly become a Stanley Cup Playoff powerhouse.

The Maple Leafs’ general manager hasn’t even been on the job for two years, and it feels like this Leafs’ team is different, night-and-day, than any of the playoff-bound teams from Kyle Dubas’ era. Treliving has brought in stability throughout the entire lineup, he’s brought in more depth at key positions, and hiring Craig Berube couldn’t have been a more seamless fit for what was needed behind the bench in Toronto.

It all starts in net. Treliving signed Anthony Stolarz to one of the best contracts in all of hockey. The 31-year-old has a stellar first season in Toronto, going 21-8-3 in his first year with the Leafs, with a 2.14 goals against average, and a league-leading .926 save percentage. Not bad for a goaltender making just $2.5 million AAV through next season!

Stolarz has continued his dominance through the first three games of the playoffs, which has been impressive on many levels. He has limited playoff experience, but it hasn’t showed one bit. Stolarz has been been calm, cool, collected against the Senators, and looks as controlled with his game as he did throughout the regular season. He hasn’t lost a game since Mar.15, ironically against the Sens. Stolarz is certainly receiving early Conn Smythe votes this postseason, and Treliving deserves a ton of credit for not only taking a chance on him to become the Leafs starter, but again, for just $2.5 million against the cap.

It doesn’t stop there. The Maple Leafs defense core is bigger, stronger, tougher to play against than it’s been in a very long time, and Treliving is to thank. Chris Tanev was a free-agent addition, as was Oliver Ekman-Larsson, along with unsung hero Simon Benoit. Brandon Carlo was a fantastic acquisition this season, giving Morgan Rielly the most ideal partner he’s had to play with in perhaps his entire tenure as a Leaf. It’s not often a team is able to pull of a trade with a divisional rival, but Treliving got the job done and landed the coveted 6-foot-5 right-handed blueliner. Jake McCabe was a Dubas’ acquisition, but give Treliving credit for signing the veteran defenseman to a long-term deal at just $4.5-million AAV. McCabe’s gone from a depth option to one of the Leafs most reliable d-men.

Up front, Steven Lorentz is making a huge impact on the fourth line, for just $775,000. It’s not often you’ll find a player with Lorentz’ size, and fresh off winning a Stanley Cup for league minimum. Treliving sealed the deal last summer, and brought Lorentz ‘home’ to play for his childhood team. A contract extension is likely this offseason, and keep an eye on how ‘cheap’ Treliving is able to keep the 6-foot-4 versatile forward.

Scott Laughton was a bit of a gamble considering the acquisition price, and yes, he’s taken some time to get his legs under him as a Maple Leaf, but Laughton’s pushed David Kampf out of the lineup, and provided some identity to Toronto’s bottom-six, along with Lorentz and Calle Jarnkrok. As the playoffs continue, look for Laughton to have some big moments on both sides of the puck. The 30-year-old centre is also signed through next season at just $1.5 million against the Leafs’ cap, so with the way the caps situated, Toronto won’t be taking a step back next year, in fact, they may improve, which is saying something considering they had the third-best regular season in franchise history.

While Treliving’s moves have paid off handedly since he arrived in May of 2023, his biggest task could come this offseason with Mitch Marner and John Tavares’ extensions, along with getting creative with Matthew Knies’ extension. As it stands right now, it feels like Knies will sign an eight-year deal, Tavares will sign a three-year team-friendly extension, and all eyes will be on how much Marner’s offered on a long-term ticket.

For now, all the attention is on how deep the Maple Leafs can take this Stanley Cup run. Treliving has the Leafs set up for success. The roster is deep, it’s tough to play against, and it’s anchored by one of the best goaltenders in the league, with a very capable ‘backup’ on the bench.

The Maple Leafs are a problem this postseason, and Leafs Nation has Treliving to thank for his efforts.