Toronto Maple Leafs
Treliving Addresses Maple Leafs’ Struggles: Trade Market “Not the Answer”
Brad Treliving addressed the Maple Leafs’ slow start, taking responsibility, backing coach Craig Berube, and cautioning against panic trades.
Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving didn’t offer more in the way of solutions, but he also didn’t sugarcoat where the organization was at while meeting with the media on Tuesday, laying out exactly where he believes the team has fallen short. As for who’s responsible for fixing it, he pointed fingers at himself. It was one of his more candid updates since taking over as GM, and his message hit three themes: accountability, stability behind the bench, and caution on the trade front.
Treliving Takes Blame for Slow Start
Treliving admitted the Maple Leafs’ performance hasn’t met expectations and put the responsibility squarely on himself.
“I take full responsibility. I’m in charge of the hockey department … the responsibility lies with myself,” he said, emphasizing the need to get the group “back up and going” and to raise the daily standard.
League-wide, several teams have struggled out of the gate, creating a noisy trade market — but the Leafs’ GM isn’t hiding behind that context.
Craig Berube Not on the Hot Seat
Despite growing speculation and fan frustration, Treliving defended head coach Craig Berube. “Craig didn’t become a bad coach overnight,” he said. “The easy thing is to pick off the coach. I have all the faith in the world in him.”
The Leafs’ identity, according to Treliving, has been “too much vanilla,” and he believes accountability needs to come from the players, not a coaching change.
Don’t Expect Major Trades
While Leafs fans are calling for roster shakeups, Treliving pushed back hard on the idea that a deal will magically solve the issue. “You’re not trading your way out of problems,” he warned. Even if new players come in, “play the way we’re playing, we’re probably going to have the same result.”
No panic moves. No coaching change. That’s what the big takeaways were from his media conference. With that in mind, the pressure is now squarely on the Maple Leafs’ roster to respond — and fast — as the season continues to slip away.
Considering the rash of injuries to the team, that may not be such an easy task.
Treliving said the Leafs are always exploring options but warned that trades won’t solve the deeper issues the team is facing.
No. Treliving expressed full confidence in Berube and emphasized that the players, not the coach, need to elevate their play.
He stressed accountability, improved effort, and the need to recommit to the team’s identity and standards.
Next: Two Maple Leafs Defensemen Emerge on Insiders Latest Trade Board
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