TORONTO — Brad Treliving had no intention of changing the identity of his new team.
Or maybe it’s the culture. Or a core of talented forwards.
Treliving, who was hired as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs in May following the surprising and dramatic departure of Kyle Dubas from the position a few weeks earlier, has chosen a different path.
“I strongly believe there is a style that you need to play when it matters most,” he said.
“It’s as much a spiritual thing as anything else.”
With that in mind, and after the Dubas dust settled, Treliving rejigged various aspects of the roster after finally breaking through in the playoffs last spring after nearly 20 years of postseason misery. , quietly surrendered to the Florida Panthers in a physical battle. 2nd round of the series.
The additions included a trio of free agents, forwards Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi and Ryan Reeves.
Bertuzzi and Domi provided skill, scoring and guts, while Reeves’ outsized personality carved out an enforcer role at a time when that job was almost non-existent.
“I know there’s a lot of talk about abrasiveness,” Treliving continued. “They’re good players too. They’re players who can play inside and get to areas that are hard to get to when the game matters the most.”
Treliving doesn’t want his roster, which is dotted with star forwards Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and Bertuzzi, to look too far ahead.
The reason for bringing in new players cannot be denied.
“We all watched the games in April, May and June,” Treliving, who also remained head coach Sheldon Keefe, said of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. “It was the same 10 years ago and it will be the same 10 years from now. There’s no space. It’s a more difficult game. You have to fight against traffic.”
“The more players we have with that mentality and skill set, I think that helps.”
The Maple Leafs are counting on that.
The Original Six franchise, which has the NHL’s longest current title drought dating back to 1967, had lost six straight postseason series since 2017 (7th (including 4 games).
The weight of that overwhelming expectation lifted to some degree, but then Toronto was shoved in the second round by the Panthers, who sent Ryan O’Reilly, Michael Bunting, Noel Acciari, Luke Schenn, and Justin Holl.
“Every round is different,” Matthews said. “If you keep pushing, it gets harder and harder.”
The star center, who signed a four-year, $53 million contract extension with the Leafs and Treliving in August, has been impressed with the new manager’s approach to restructuring the roster.
“His vision for the team is to get to the top of the mountain,” Matthews, a former 60-goal scorer and Hart Trophy winner as league MVP, said of Treliving. “All our focus is on that.
“He’s going to do his part… It’s obviously our responsibility to do our part.”
Expectations are that Toronto, with its No. 1 goalie in Ilya Samsonov, will be better suited to any challenge it faces in the Atlantic Division, which features the Lightning, Panthers, powerhouse Boston Bruins, and up-and-coming Buffalo Sabres. Be ready. Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings.
“We’re a better team,” Nylander said. The club also added defenseman John Klingberg in free agency. “Hopefully that helps us throughout the season and in the playoffs. Just build on what we did last year and keep moving forward.”
Tavares said the cast of characters may change, but the goal remains the same.
“You want to hold that trophy above your head,” he said. “When I came here, I saw potential and believed we were going to be a competitive team for a very long time.
“I still believe that for seasons to come and years to come.”
Mathews said it’s time for the Maple Leafs to take another step.
“I’ll do everything I can as an individual and as a team,” he said. “And stay hungry for more.”
Treliving has only been on the job for just over four months. He also has no doubts about his battle-scarred core drive.
“It’s a serious group,” he said. “They’re very passionate about what they do. They’re committed to being successful… There’s a real seriousness to them.
“And I think that comes from a lot of the experiences that they’ve had.”
Bart’s big chance
The Maple Leafs put Bertuzzi, who signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract in free agency, on the top line along with Matthews and Marner.
“It’s a big opportunity,” he said. “I don’t take it lightly.”
The 28-year-old was drafted by Detroit and traded to Boston before last season’s trade deadline.
So do Matthews and Marner remind him of someone he played with before?
“Absolutely not,” he said. “Please take a special look.”
dorm house
The son of former Toronto fan favorite Tie Domi is already on his seventh NHL team.
And he couldn’t be happier.
“It’s a great honor,” Domi said of playing in the city where he grew up. “All the new players that come into this locker room should be ready.”
Schedule your watch
The Maple Leafs will play their first regular-season game in Europe next month when they head to Sweden as part of a four-team showcase against the Red Wings, Minnesota Wild and Ottawa Senators.
Toronto will play Detroit on Nov. 17, then play Minnesota on Nov. 19, but the neutral games against Ontario and Ottawa won’t be at Stockholm’s Avicii Arena.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 8, 2023.
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