For a time, it looked like the Toronto Maple Leafs would break the curse: the club made it to the second round for the first time in 20 years. But, the team folded like a cheap suit in the second round, losing in five games to the Florida Panthers, who went onto the Stanley Cup Final and are slated to take on the Vegas Golden Knights beginning on Saturday, June 2.
When the Leafs lost again and disappointed many fans (again), all hell broke loose in Toronto, and fans immediately began to call for firings and letting go of the team’s “Core Four,” which includes John Tavares, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander.
The first casualty was general manager Kyle Dubas, who was relieved of his duties on May 18 and is now interviewing with the Pittsburgh Penguins. And, now, his replacement has been revealed: former Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving.
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Brad Treliving’s history as a general manager
Treliving spent nine years as a general manager of the Calgary Flames, and the team and Treliving mutually parted ways just as the 2023 playoffs began. He made headlines when his two star signings last offseason, Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri, grossly underperformed, and their point totals dropped significantly in their first seasons in Calgary. As a result, the Flames missed the playoffs completely this season.
During the 53-year-old’s tenure in Calgary, the Flames went 362-265-73. But, unlike the Leafs, the team made it past the first round of the playoffs twice. In that time, they had five coaches: Bob Hartley, Glen Gulutzan, Bill Peters, Geoff Ward, and, most recently, Darryl Sutter.
Before he spent nearly a decade in Calgary, Treliving was a part of the Arizona Coyotes organization, serving as vice president of hockey operations and assistant GM for seven seasons.
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Toronto Maple Leafs’ situation with Brad Treliving entering the fold
“I am very excited and honored to join the Toronto Maple Leafs as general manager,” Treliving said, according to NHL.com. “I would like to thank Brendan (Shanahan, Maple Leafs president), MLSE (Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment) and its board for their support throughout this process. I’m thrilled to join an Original Six team and recognize how much the Maple Leafs mean to this community. This is a very exciting day for my family and I.”
Shanahan also echoed Treliving’s sentiment of excitement. “I’m very pleased to welcome Brad into the Maple Leafs organization,” he said. “Brad brings a wealth of knowledge from his years of experience as a general manager and hockey executive in Calgary, Arizona and beyond. He has earned tremendous respect amongst his peers throughout his years in the NHL and has built excellent relationships at all levels within the game. We are confident that Brad’s leadership and strategic vision will elevate the Maple Leafs in our continued pursuit of a championship.”
The Maple Leafs went 221-109-42 in the five seasons Kyle Dubas served as general manager but won one Stanley Cup Playoff series–the first round of this year’s playoffs. The club earned a historic six-game victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
This offseason, the Leafs have roughly $9.1 million of cap space, according to CapFriendly, but have a slew of pending unrestricted free agents, including Michael Bunting, Ryan O’Reilly, Justin Holl, and Luke Schenn.
Matthews and Nylander become unrestricted free agents at the end of next season, whereas Marner and Tavares have two years left in their deals.
The Flames, meanwhile, announced on May 23 that former player Craig Conroy would take over as the club’s general manager. And Kyle Dubas is in talks to become general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
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