For all those who felt that Brad Treliving’s firing was a surprise, the fact is that the organization telegraphed the move well in advance.
Treliving knew he was getting canned long before the announcement ever came. In fact, he was a dead man walking following the NHL trade deadline.
The expectation was that a major house cleaning would happen ahead of the March 6 deadline. Yes, several deals did go down, but several of the players expected to go remained. Perhaps the biggest black eye for Treliving this season was the botched Matthew Knies trade.
It’s not that we want Knies to go. But the purported blockbuster trade stalled at the last minute. Had the deal gone through, the Maple Leafs could have landed several crucial pieces.
That said, the way the season played out, and certainly the way the deadline went, the organization was keen on looking elsewhere. That situation prompted Treliving to force the issue on the organization.
“I think Treliving forced the issue; Toronto's been conducting conversations around the league; my sense of it is was Treliving just said look if you're going to make the change, make the change.”
The comments, as spoken by insider Elliotte Friedman on March 31, made it seem like the Leafs had already decided to move on from Treliving. But for some reason, the organization just wanted to delay the official announcement.
Perhaps the club wanted to wait till the end of the season to make the move. Perhaps everybody just wanted to relax over the Easter break. But Treliving wanted certainty, and got it when his dismissal was officially confirmed.
Why did Maple Leafs let Treliving handle trade deadline?
Now, it’s safe to assume that the organization had an itchy trigger finger ahead of the trade deadline. The club could have already decided to make the switch.
So, why let Treliving handle the trade deadline?
The most evident question was whether decapitating the Maple Leafs' front office would have removed a point of accountability in negotiations.
But if the Leafs were serious about dumping Treliving, letting him run the show, even as a dead man walking, ultimately proved detrimental to the organization.
While Treliving managed a decent return for Bobby McMann and got a solid package for Nic Roy, the Scott Laughton deal was an insult. He also did not move other impending UFAs like Calle Jarnkrok and Troy Stecher.
If Treliving indeed forced the issue on the organization, well, that says a lot about how CEO Keith Pelley runs things. Friedman’s comments make it seem like the team was going behind Treliving’s back to find his replacement.
Whatever the case, the club is now in a position where the optics look really bad. And while there may be interest in the Leafs’ GM role, seasoned executives like Doug Armstrong know the gig is a poison apple.