Trades, Coaching, and Takeaways from Treliving’s Meeting with Maple Leafs Media

Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving didn’t dance around the issues Tuesday morning. Meeting with the media ahead of the team’s next game, he made it clear the organization’s sluggish start falls on him — and he’s not shying away from the responsibility.

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At the same time, don’t expect a ton of trades or for head coach Craig Berube to be going anywhere. As one fan put it, Treliving’s message was essentially “yes, the team is bad and don’t expect me to do anything about it.”

The GM noted, “We’re not where we want to be or where we envisioned to be,” he said, repeatedly stressing that the Leafs have underperformed. “I take full responsibility. I’m in charge of the hockey department … the responsibility lies with myself.” Treliving said the focus now is getting the group “back up and going,” improving daily, and working with Berube’s staff to restore the level of play he believes the team is capable of.

When it comes to the head coach, Treliving didn’t hesitate. He offered full support for Berube, pushing back on the idea that the bench boss shoulders the blame. “Craig didn’t become a bad coach overnight,” he said. “The easy thing is to pick off the coach. The important thing is to not point fingers and dig in together. I have all the faith in the world in him.” He added he believes strongly in the message coming from the coaching staff.

The GM was also blunt about the team’s identity, saying there has been “too much vanilla” in Toronto’s game. Expectations aren’t changing, he said — the players need to elevate. “You have to dig in. … Just because you did it last year doesn’t mean anything. You have to commit to the work now.”

As for roster changes, Treliving said the Leafs are always looking for ways to get better but warned against panic moves. “You’re not trading your way out of problems,” he noted, adding that even if you swap out players, “play the way we’re playing, we’re probably going to have the same result.”

The message was clear: accountability at the top, belief in the coach, and pressure on the players to respond.

Next: Three Players the Toronto Maple Leafs Could Trade to Shake Up Their Roster