Maple Leafs Done Waiting on Core 4: 3 Media Avail Takeaways

The underlying tone was that the Maple Leafs are finally ready to explore alternatives to the way the team is fundamentally built. When asked about 50% of the salary cap going to four players, Treliving said he couldn’t get into past deals, nor could he control a pandemic that saw the cap not increase as many would have expected, but that everyone on the team needs to feel important. This isn’t about three or four guys. This is about an entire roster working together, he emphasized. Shanahan acknowledged the need for tough decisions and a fresh perspective as the team aims to secure a playoff berth and achieve different results.

Leafs Need a Coach That Will Get The Right Stuff, Including Gritty Goals Out of the Team

“We seem to be turning the other team’s goalie into the first star every night,” Brad Treliving said. He added, “We need to find a way to do the hard unsexy things longer, and they’re not related to skill.”

One of the things talked about was the need for goal scoring, but in particular, playoff scoring. Treliving suggested that the types of goals scored in the playoffs are not the same as those scored in the regular season and they need to find a way to bring that out of their skilled players. Treliving suggested this was the kind of character trait he would be specifically looking for in the team’s next coach.

He wouldn’t specifically say who he was looking at, only that he wouldn’t rush the search, but knows vacancies are out there and good coaches may get plucked off the market.

Injuries Might Not Have Been an Excuse, But They Were a Factor

Treliving shed light on the challenges faced by key players during the playoffs, including Auston Matthews‘ battle with illness and Bobby McMann’s injury setback with an MCL knee sprain. William Nylander had severe migraines, Joseph Woll had a sprained back that he suffered at the end of Game 6, and Connor Dewar needs shoulder surgery, but he should be back for training camp.

When it came to Woll, Treliving believed in his ability but also believed they needed to examine why he kept getting injured. That includes looking at his training routine to see if there are things that can be improved to ensure he stays healthier and more often. Treliving didn’t say Iyla Samsonov was gone, but he didn’t include the goaltender in the conversation about offering support moving forward and noted Samsonov’s contract was done. It doesn’t sound like he’ll be back.

Keith Pelley emphasized the demand for championship success from the team’s passionate fan base and noted that Leafs Nation deserves a winner. As the offseason unfolds, the Maple Leafs find themselves at a crossroads, poised to make significant changes, but some real obstacles in how to get that done.