GM Brad Treliving joined the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast to preview the Maple Leafs’ upcoming season, touching on the offseason moves, the hiring of Craig Berube, the captaincy transition, and the heat Mitch Marner took in the market over the summer.
How is the excitement level entering the new season? Did the offseason feel quick or long to you?
Treliving: When you finish off in the first round, it feels like a long offseason, so it has been. Like everybody else, you are excited to get going. We have gone through some transition. We will see how it goes.
I have been really impressed with camp and really impressed with Craig (Berube) and how he has conducted camp. It has been a hard camp. If you talk to the guys, it has been hard, but in a good way. It is not just hard for the sake of trying to bury guys. It has been competitive.
We think we have some depth. We think we have some guys who are pushing for jobs and potentially have more guys who can play for open spots. We have a little more time here. We will see how it plays out.
Over the offseason, a tough decision was made to move on from Sheldon Keefe. Why did you believe Craig Berube was the answer?
Treliving: It was tough. I spent a year with Sheldon. I said at the time that I am a really big fan of Sheldon. I think he is a terrific coach and a terrific person. He did a really good job with us last year.
At the end of the year, you try to step back and analyze it. I just felt it was time with this group. That is the unfortunate part of this business. Sometimes, it is just timing. It is not because a person is not capable or terrific at what they do, whether it be a player, a coach, or a manager. At some point, it is time.
With Craig, I just felt a number of things. His ability to connect with players… To me, he sorts of blends a little bit. I think you still need, in today’s game, to be demanding. The coach needs to be demanding, but it needs to be done in a way where you can criticize the performance and push on the performance versus pushing on the performer. I think that is what Craig does a really good job of.
He is really demanding. He has the ability to connect with players. As we were doing the homework on all of the candidates, I talked to a lot of people who worked with Craig, who Craig worked for, and a lot of players who played for Craig. It was everybody — not just the first-line guys, but guys throughout the lineup. I had some guys I talked to who said, “Listen, I know Craig wasn’t a fan of mine, but he is the best coach I have ever had.”
Time and time again, you heard these comments back from players. He is organized. He is structured. There is the fact that he played as long as he did. All of those things sort of blended together.
You sit down with him over the course of a number of days, and I thought we connected well. I am excited about working with him.
Berube won the Cup in St. Louis and was there for a long time. He was an assistant in Philadelphia for a long time. Do you talk to him or try to fill him in on how ready he has to be for the madness of the media in Toronto, or is it more a case of him being around the game for so long that he’ll figure it out?
Treliving: He has played a long time, so he has a little bit of a sense of it. He played in the market years ago, but for sure, you talk to him a little bit about it. You talk to him a little bit about what to expect here.
I think it is a job for an experienced guy. It is a tough market to jump into. I look back on Sheldon, and I think he did a terrific job coming out of the Soo into the Marlies and then up with the Leafs.
There is a lot of speculation. There is a lot of media and all of that stuff, but sometimes, the hardest part is not doing what everybody thinks you should do—not doing something because it is popular. There is a lot of noise and a lot of opinion.
I think he will handle it fine. He has lots of experience, good support, and experienced staff. If you look at Lane Lambert, he has been a head coach, won, and been around.
Mike Van Ryn was with us last year and won with Craig in St. Louis. Marc Savard had a long career, and they worked together in St. Louis. And there is Curtis Sanford. Chief has a lot of experience. We will help him with that part of it, and he has a lot of help with his staff.
In net, Joseph Woll looks like he might be on the cusp of making the next step.
Treliving: I would be the last one to tell you I know anything about goaltending. I know that when it hits them, it is good. It seems to hit this guy a lot. In his mental makeup, there is not a lot that bothers this guy.
He hasn’t played a lot of games, right? The two things you hear with Joe are that he hasn’t played a lot of games and he has had some injuries. But everybody you talk to who knows goaltenders just raves about this guy.
He is big. He is athletic. He is ultra-competitive in practice. He never gives up on a puck. He has that demeanour that makes you confident as a teammate. There is not a lot that flusters him.
We spent a lot of time this summer with him just digging into how we can best help him in terms of keeping him upright and keeping him healthy. He is ultra committed to his fitness. I really like Joe. He has a real skill set.
We looked at the position this year. We look at everything. We kept coming back to, “Here is a guy who is just entering the start of his career.”
We were able to add Anthony Stolarz, who we like a lot. He went on a long playoff run and won a Cup in Florida. Although he was watching a lot of it, I think that experience helped. He is another guy who is pushing to get more.
Matt Murray had a tough, tough go with injuries. He had both hips done last year. We have Matt coming in.
We have Dennis Hildeby, who was terrific in his first year with the Marlies and is a big goalie who has had a great preseason.
We have some depth there, but certainly, we are excited about Joe.
Regarding the change of captaincy over the summer, did you have to think it through it and vet how to maneuver it? San Jose and LA have gone through it in the recent past. How did the process play out in terms of discussing it, then bringing it to John Tavares, and then bringing it to Auston Matthews?
Treliving: It was not nefarious at all. It was just a conversation that John and I had at the end of the year to start off with.
This wasn’t about JT not doing a good job. John is a terrific captain. Those who have been around John know that there are not many who prepare the way that he does or takes his craft as seriously as he does.
Thinking about it, it was more about Auston than it was about John. Auston has reached that point in his career where he is not only our best player but one of the best players in the world. How do we push him along so we can bring the group along?
We wanted to remove any sort of impediments. He is such a respectful guy that I didn’t want him deferring. It is time for him to push forward, set new standards, and challenge his teammates to reach those standards that he is at.
That is really where it started. John and I talked about it, and right from the start, John agreed. We spent probably more time on how we wanted to go through this. John spent some time talking with his family and his teammates. He wanted to talk with them.
This wasn’t a case of any of us saying, “Auston, you have to do this.” Auston was ready for this. He wants to be at the front of the bus here.
Everybody says that when you went through a transition, “It couldn’t have gone any better.” But this is really the truth. It couldn’t have gone any better. Credit to John and his professionalism. He handled it unbelievably.
Do you think Auston Matthews is a natural leader? Is he one to speak up in the locker room? Is he more of a lead-by-example captain?
Treliving: He is one of those guys who people just naturally follow. When he walks into a room, he captivates a room. When he says we are turning left, everyone turns left. I don’t know how to explain it. There are people who others just naturally follow. That is Auston.
Even in the summer, when he says, “Okay, I am back August 10th, and let’s get going,” everybody is back on August 10th to get going.
He is not all about the loud speech. It is about actions. If he needs to lean, he can lean on somebody, but I have never seen a better prepared athlete in the things that he does to prepare himself and the work that he puts in.
I talked to John, and I talked to Auston shortly thereafter. I wanted to make sure he wanted [it]. There is a responsibility that comes with it. I know people say, “Is there really anything to this? Is it just a formality or window dressing?” But I think it is significant — even more so in our market. We wanted to make sure Auston was up for it, and he certainly was.
After the playoffs last year, the noise has never been louder about trading Mitch Marner and his performance in the playoffs. Naturally, he has to have heard some of this outside noise. Did you talk over the offseason about what you need from him and how you can help? Was there a talk between you two?
Treliving: Yeah, but it wasn’t really any different than how you talk with all of your guys.
I think Mitch took a lot of heat, and unduly so. I understand it. When you are the top guys, to whom much is given, much is expected. I get that.
Mitch had come through a high-ankle sprain. But this goes for all of our guys. Sure, we always want more from everybody, but I think it is unfair. Our goaltending can be better. Our defense can be better. There are other things we can be better at so that those guys have success.
That is my job. We have some really good, high-end players. As much as we need out of them — and they know that — we need to continue to give them the best people around them to help them.
I am always going to support my players. I thought he took far too much criticism. We are fortunate to have Mitch. We get to see him every day. He is a star.
There are not many guys who are over a point per game. He is pushing 100 points. He is a Selke Trophy finalist. He kills penalties. He loves being a Maple Leaf. He cares so much that he wears it.
Our job is to help him be at his best all the time. I am not going to worry about the playoffs right now. We have to worry about getting there, camp, and having a good start. But Mitch is a fabulous player. We are lucky to have him. He does a lot for our team.
I know he was really dug in this summer — really dug in. He has that jump. He has that swagger. I am expecting a big year from Mitch.
When it comes to filling in around the other spots, you have brought in OEL and Chris Tanev on the backend.
Treliving: (In Arizona), we saw OEL when he was just a kid breaking back into the league. I feel old now. He has a kid. I remember when he was a skinny little guy walking into our room all of those years ago.
I think you build your teams from the backend. That is what we tried to do in Calgary as well—add to our defense—and we have tried to do that here.
In a lot of ways, Chris Tanev is an underrated player. He is as good defensively as anybody. He makes his partners better with the way he checks and his defending game. I don’t think he gets enough credit for how he can break pucks out and move pucks.
Now that I see [OEL] every day, you forget how smooth he is, the vision he has, the way he can move pucks, and how long he is. He can defend. He can check. In talking to him about the experience he went through in Florida and winning, he is all grown up now.
We brought in Jani Hakanpaa, who is working through hopefully the end of a rehab here. We wanted to get a little bit longer on the backend. We still have to be able to move pucks back there. And our penalty kill was an area we wanted to address.
In bringing those guys in, as well as some of the depth that we have added, we are hopeful that it will help us now as we get going.
With the top-heavy salary structure, you need depth contributions from the lesser lights. Who are you most excited about among those who could take the next step? There are names like Bobby McMann and Nick Robertson. Who are the younger guys you are most excited about this season based on what you have seen over the last six months or so?
Treliving: Those are two for sure.
Bobby McMann is such a big, strong, and fast player who is hard on the puck. Last year was a bit of a coming-out party for him. Not to make excuses, but even with Auston and Willy getting hurt last year in the playoffs, not having Bobby really hurt us. That is how important he is to our team. I am looking forward to him.
Nick Robertson has come into camp with a sort of a fresh, clean slate. He has had a terrific preseason, and his conditioning levels were tremendous. He has been killing some penalties in the preseason. We will see how that all plays (out). He is pushing hard.
Matthew Knies made his debut in the playoffs two years ago, and we forget that he was just a rookie last year. He is a big man—he was 237 at one point—and he can skate.
Pontus Holmberg — I really think there is a lot of upside with this guy. Big and strong. He can play in the middle. He is one of those strong, sturdy Swedes.
There is obviously Easton Cowan, and the young Russian kid Grebenkin. He is another one who is big and strong. He plays sort of a power game as a winger.
Fraser Minten is another guy. He got hurt, unfortunately, in rookie camp with a high-ankle sprain, so he is going to miss some time.
Those are just a few. We have some young guys pushing from underneath. You need that. You need it financially, from a contract standpoint, but more importantly, you need those young guys. They bring juice and energy. They are all big, strong guys who can skate.
It is going to be competitive. We will see how it all sorts itself out.
You signed Ryan Reaves a year ago to a three-year contract to provide protection around the stars. Who are some players other than Reaves who can provide the spark day in and day out through the season to make a long season seem not so long?
Treliving: We mentioned Mitch, and Mitch is like an energizer bunny. He has juice.
Simon Benoit… The guys were giving him a hard time. He had a baby ten days ago and still hasn’t named the baby. We were like, “The baby is going to go to school at some point here and will need a name.”
Certainly, there is Reavo, and Jake McCabe.
The season can be so long. Especially in a market with a lot of eyeballs and a lot of stuff going on, you need to let the air out of the balloon a little bit. We are fortunate that we have a lot of guys who can do it.
There are times to be serious, but there are certainly some times when you can keep it light. There is value in that.
After a long career in the league, what are the differences you notice when interacting with players at the start versus now? Is there a big difference in how you deal with players?
Treliving: I think everyone has their own style, especially among the coaches. For coaches, I would think it is totally different.
One hundred years ago, when I played, if you never talked to the coach, it was usually a good thing. Usually, when you are talking to the coach, you are getting shit on, or there weren’t a whole lot of times when they were calling you in to tell you how great you were.
Nowadays, that part is different, I think. You have to build a relationship with them. There has to be trust. You have to communicate. Communication is huge.
My style has always been that way. Everyone has their own way. You have to be who you are. I believe in building the relationships.
When I first got in the league, I had older managers who would tell me, “Be careful getting close with your players because you are going to have to trade them or cut them.” That part sucks. I hate cutting guys or trading guys, but I don’t think it blurs the line. You don’t do something because someone is a nice guy. Ultimately, you have to do your job.
That is who I am. You have to build relationships and get close to your guys. That is the human part of it. They have families. I think that is just who I am.
Everyone has their own way of doing it. That has been mine.
What are the perks of being GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs?
Treliving: It is like the job you thought it was and more. It is more than that. You think you know coming in, but ultimately, the media and stuff is fine. There are just a lot of people. I don’t find that to be over the top.
There is a little coffee shop I go to near where I live. When I first went in there, an old guy was sitting there, and he recognized me. He started talking to me and was really pleasant. But at the end of it, he just looks at me and says, “Hey, I don’t have much time left.” And it was serious, right? It is like your dad saying, “You have to get some stuff done around here.”
You feel that. It is almost a responsibility. People have been awesome. It is a big job, but it is an awesome, awesome job.
The Amazon Prime series that is about to drop looks great for fans, but there have been rumblings about clips and certain episodes that some players or teams want out, and Amazon has said no. Have you gone through what is going to be shown? Do you know what is coming out? What’s it been like to be so involved with the series and William Nylander?
Treliving: I think this stuff is all great. As fans, it is what you want to see.
If I put my manager hat on, you want to protect your guys. I am very protective of my guys. It is not that you want to let them off the hook and all of this stuff, but some things can be shown in a certain way and edited a certain way that doesn’t necessarily make it truthful or put the people in the best of light.
We have worked through some of those things. They were great to work with during the season. They respected the times when you need to be respected.
I haven’t necessarily seen the finished product. You see snippets of our pieces. They are searching for the best show they can get. Sometimes, we are wanting to be protective of our guys. That sometimes doesn’t always line up, but I think the finished product is going to be something the fans are going to be really excited about and will certainly want to see.
William Nylander seems like a perfect guy to highlight. Do you ever see him walking around in those white tank tops?
Treliving: He has the boys medium going on there.
I always say that Willy is a pretty cool customer. There is not a whole lot that rattles him. He is built for the market. He rides the subway to the games. He is a great kid.
