‘DNA Needs to Change in Our Team’, Says Treliving of Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs experienced another disappointing playoff exit, and General Manager Brad Treliving met the media in Toronto today. He began by talking about the departure of Brendan Shanahan, saying, “It’s been a tough few days.” He then moved on to talking about the roster and what changes might need to be made for next season.

Saying there is some, “There’s some DNA that needs to change in our team,” he added that he doesn’t have answers today, and noted that a decision hasn’t been made on Mitch Marner or John Tavares yet. Both have a say in how things move forward, and Treliving said he is a fan of both players.

“We’re in that process right now,” he said of figuring out what’s next with Marner. Says he will get in touch with Marner’s agent. “We’ll have to see how this all works…”

When asked how the team avoids taking a step backward if Marner leaves, Treliving said it’s likely not about going out and finding a player to replace him. They’d instead likely focus on spending his cap space to improve the makeup and DNA of the roster.

Maple Leafs Didn’t Step Up in Big Moments

Treliving noted that there was an element of embracing the moment that the team didn’t always do. Success comes in the form of big moments, and the best players find a way not just to embrace the challenge but ultimately succeed in those moments.

Specifically, he discussed the Game 7 elimination against Florida and how poorly the team played when everything was on the line. He said he’s watched that game a few times, and he said they found their footing after Florida came on strong, but the turning point was the first goal. “We almost looked like a team where it was 4-0.” He said they couldn’t park it and move on, but there was a tension or worry that they couldn’t rebound.

He said it wasn’t about the team not wanting it or not caring, but Toronto wasn’t comfortable in that situation and didn’t have a response. “There was real tightness in the moment. Like I said, champions are the calmest at the most critical time.”

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