Toronto Maple Leafs Management Addresses Another Year Of Playoff Heartbreak

Brad Treliving Clarifies Mysterious Maple Leaf Playoff Injuries 

I’ll be the first to admit that I am not Brad Treliving's biggest fan, but I respect that he came out publicly and ultimately decided to say it was his decision to fire Sheldon Keefe.

Although we could assume that was the case, hearing him thank Keefe and take that accountability was nice. 

One spot where I felt Treliving could have taken more accountability was when he addressed the Maple Leafs “turbulent” goaltending situation throughout the season.

It felt like he brushed past this with a ‘Can’t do anything about that’ mindset, but realistically, he could have at the trade deadline when the Calgary Flames were shopping Jacob Markstrom and the Nashville Predators were fielding offers for Jusse Saros. 

I would just like to know when this “we need to win” mindset decided to kick in because going into the playoffs with a starting goalie that Treliving put on waivers in the middle of the season doesn’t scream we need to win.

Finally, Treliving clarified the injuries that ailed the Maple Leafs in the playoffs. He said that William Nylander had already made public that he was dealing with migraines.

He said Auston Matthews was sick following game two and sustained a head injury in game four. Bobby McMann was dealing with an MCL sprain in his knee, and Treliving said they were expecting him to return to the lineup in the second round had the Maple Leafs got past the Bruins. Finally, he noted that Joseph Woll had sprained his back in game six and that Connor Dewar would be having shoulder surgery. 

Ultimately, it was nice to hear reassurance from the Maple Leafs front office that they will aggressively pursue winning. But this is nothing we haven’t heard before. We will see their commitment when they start making moves this offseason.