Maple Leafs CEO Doesn’t Think a ‘Rebuild’ Is Needed

Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment CEO Keith Pelley faced the music on Tuesday, holding a news conference one day after firing GM Brad Treliving.

Among the many questions he faced, from top to bottom of the organization, on and off the ice, one of the most notable was when he was asked if he feels the team needs a full-on rebuild or just a ‘retool.’

The way I look at it is a ‘rebuild’ is when you are starting from scratch. We all know that the Maple Leafs have the foundational pieces in place. If we’re able to surround them with the right culture, with the right structure, with the right personnel… Then I would say that we would be in a ‘retool’ not a ‘rebuild.’

He confirmed afterwards that he was refering to Auston Matthews and William Nylander as the “foundational pieces.”

One might suggest that perhaps Matthew Knies and a strong goaltending corps could be included in that, but we’ve heard trade rumors surrounding those pieces quite often in recent weeks.

As for the ‘retool-not-rebuild’ approach, this type of plan will probably not satisfy many in Leafs Nation, who feel that the team needs to just blow the whole thing up. Right down to the studs.

All that being said, Pelley added that he will wait for the input of a new hockey operations boss—whomever that might be.

Bottom line, however, as noted by TSN’s Overdrive host Bryan Hayes, is really that there isn’t yet a true plan in place.

Why was a lame-duck GM in charge at the trade deadline?

One of the biggest questions on people’s minds today is, Why was a general manager (Treliving), who was about to be canned, left in charge at the trade deadline?

Pelley submitted that he and ownership only made the decision to fire Treliving “over the last couple of weeks.”

One other glaring comment that will raise a lot of eyebrows was when Pelley blamed the rise of the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens to elite status this year as a reason for what “went wrong” for the Leafs this season.

Certainly a lot to dissect here, and there will be a lot more of it done in the coming days and weeks.