With a disappointing season coming to a close, the Toronto Maple Leafs shared big news; they’re parting ways with General Manager Brad Treliving.
In a statement from Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment President & CEO Keith Pelley, it was said “Throughout the course of the season, there has been deep analysis into both the current state of the Maple Leafs organization and the direction needed to achieve the ultimate goal of delivering a Stanley Cup championship to the city”.
There was no real need for Pelley to elaborate; it has long been apparent that change was needed. Named as the 18th GM in franchise history on May 31, 2023, the book closes on the Treliving era defined by its disappointment, cutting short one more year on his contract.
Major question marks on Toronto’s future already existed when he took the helm; fresh off another painful playoff defeat in the second round at the hands of the Florida Panthers. Still, there was reason for optimism, that perhaps a new voice could take what Kyle Dubas had built and shape it into a true contender.
In came Treliving, after serving as GM for the Calgary Flames from 2014-23, a strong period for the Alberta franchise. In his tenure, Calgary won two Pacific Division titles and were a real Western Conference threat. Shortly before his time ended though, Treliving dealt young superstar Matthew Tkachuk to Florida in a highly scrutinized trade. It has netted the Panthers multiple Stanley Cups, while Calgary has fallen into a rebuild. Unfortunately, things haven’t aged much better for the Maple Leafs either, who are in a far worse spot than they were three years ago.
Treliving was reserved at first, adding veterans but holding their biggest assets. It was probably the right move to not go crazy on renovations out of the gate, but the patience didn’t work out. Another heartbreaking Game 7 defeat by Boston, and it was time for real change.
Thankfully keeping his first round selection, Treliving went with defenseman Ben Danford in 2024. He didn’t stop there, swinging a sign-and-trade with Chris Tanev, reuniting from Calgary, with a six-year pact worth $4.5MM per year. The respected defender is exactly the player the Leafs needed, but he was already 34, and it was clearly a “worry about it later” contract.
Then came the 2024-25 campaign, proving to be the team’s most successful season under Treliving. Toronto finished fourth in the league with an impressive 52-26-4 record. Buzzing along with hopes of finally breaking through on a deep playoff run, it was time to push the chips in and get aggressive at the trade deadline. This is where things went wrong.
Across multiple trades, the Maple Leafs relinquished their first-round picks in 2026 and 2027, along with skilled youngsters Fraser Minten and Nikita Grebenkin. The haul brought them Scott Laughton from Philadelphia and Brandon Carlo from Boston. A steep price to pay, the duo were the exact players the Leafs were missing in playoff shortcomings of past, but it had to pay off in May.
Toronto managed to get by the underdog Senators in six games, and were rewarded with a rematch against the defending champions in Florida. Treliving’s club went up 2-0 in the series, effectively the peak of the entire “Core Four” era. 11 days later though, they found themselves in another Game 7, coming up short yet again in a resounding defeat. The team was right there, so close, but it didn’t matter. As we all know, Mitch Marner moved on, and Treliving was left painted into a corner.
2025-26 marks one decade since the Leafs last missed the playoffs, but the streak will end, for the first time in the Auston Matthews era. There was optimism that Marner’s departure would lead to the emergence of other forwards, but that wasn’t the case. Toronto sits at 24th in the league today, and they’ll be desperate for some lottery luck into the top five, or else their first rounder will go to Boston as salt in the wound.
Fortunately earlier this month Treliving obtained a 2027 conditional first rounder from Colorado for Nicolas Roy, as well as a 2027 second round selection from Seattle for Bobby McMann. It’s a parting gift after most of his moves made the team only older.
All that being said, the Treliving era comes to an and after a 139 – 92 – 27 record and a single playoff series win over Ottawa.
It’s much debated where things went off the rails. Many point to the 2025 deadline deals, but in a way, the downfall may have started on July 1, 2023, when Marner’s no-trade-clause kicked in. Treliving had just taken the job, and dealing Marner would have sent shockwaves across the organization. From his perspective it was probably never a serious possibility. However, with hindsight today, it’s a situation many Leaf fans wish was handled differently.
Maple Leafs management now must find a replacement, with the pressure of desperately salvaging the Matthews/William Nylander/John Tavares core before it is too late. Head coach Craig Berube‘s seat is hot as well, and Toronto could consider a clean slate entirely. Former Vegas bench boss Bruce Cassidy, who was shockingly let go yesterday, presents a great opportunity for the Maple Leafs to obtain a top coach.
Brandon Pridham, current Assistant General Manager of the club, has gotten some noise as due for a promotion, and it might as well be in Toronto. The 52-year-old Ontario native’s time with the Leafs dates back to 2014, starting as a Special Assistant and working his way up to his current role, which he’s held since 2018.
Rob Blake, former Kings’ General Manager, is an Ontario native who could garner some interest as a candidate with prior experience. The former superstar defenseman’s Los Angeles tenure was doomed after continuous early playoff exits, however.
Brendan Shanahan, who served as President from 2014-25, would be a fascinating story if there was ever a possibility for him to return. It would be his first General Manager role, with a chance to clean up what he helped put together.
In terms of recycled candidates, there isn’t the strongest list. There’s no immediate name which is far and away the best option, as Toronto could go in all sorts of different directions. As a storied franchise with a roster which is flawed, but still loaded on paper, they should have no shortage of hopefuls.
A respected veteran in the game, Treliving, 56, should find another role in the league where he could reach 20 years of experience next season. Meanwhile, whoever comes next in Toronto has the opportunity to etch themselves into Maple Leafs history forever, although they’ll be facing a formidable task in righting the ship.
