For the first time since taking over as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Brad Treliving is squarely under the microscope.
With Mitch Marner's departure leaving a massive hole in the top six, the pressure is on Treliving to find a suitable replacement. Replacing a player of Marner's caliber, one of the league's best playmakers, is no small task.
Filling the void left by Marner is Treliving's priority, but there are other items on his to-do list. Now entering his third year with the organization, the reshaping of the roster, as well as the wins and losses, land squarely on his shoulders.
No longer operating in the shadow of the previous regime, this is now very much his team. From the resigning of core pieces and the addition of depth pieces, the roster bears his fingerprints. With expectations still sky-high in Toronto, a disappointing season will fall directly at his feet.
Treliving Mishandled Marner's Exit
Marner's exit from Toronto was the first major blight on Treliving's record since taking over as general manager. Treliving kept the right winger for the final year of his contract and let him reach unrestricted free agency, where the rest of the league could make a pitch for his services.
By not getting ahead of either resigning Marner or trading him during the 2024 offseason, and creating an advantageous market that could benefit the Leafs, Treliving allowed the team-player relationship to sour.
Marner bet on himself, had a great season, thereby earning a salary the Leafs might be uncomfortable giving him. A denied trade deadline request for Mikko Rantanen and another Leafs' playoff disappointment set the stage for Marner leaving via a sign-and-trade with the Vegas Golden Knights. Since Treliving had little leverage, the return for all-star Marner was only third-line center Nicolas Roy.
With few elite player replacement options via trade or free agency, Treliving pulled off some minor deals for Mattias Maccelli and Dakota Joshua. Maccelli is a possibility for top-six forward duty, but no guarantee. Joshua is destined for a third or fourth-line job.
2025-2026 Season a Defining One for Treliving
The 2025-2026 season, Treliving's third at the helm for the Maple Leafs, will be a defining one for the GM. He has had ample time to restructure the team's roster to his liking.
Early in his tenure, he signed superstars Auston Matthews and William Nylander to extensions. They were important moves, but slam-dunk decisions. Last season, Treliving focused on improving the Maple Leafs' defense and goaltending.
He made moves to add Chris Tanev, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Brandon Carlo, and extended Jake McCabe. The year before, Treliving signed third-pairing defenseman Simon Benoit to a multiple-year extension.
During free agency in the summer of 2024, he signed goaltender Anthony Stolarz to partner with Joseph Woll, whom Treliving also previously signed to a three-year extension. Treliving hired coach Craig Berube during the 2024 offseason.
The moves to improve the team's defense, goaltending, and hiring Berube paid immediate dividends as the Leafs won the Atlantic Division in 2024-2025.
Treliving extended important team members John Tavares and Matthew Knies during the early stages of the 2025 offseason, both to deals that should benefit the Leafs.
The last steps to Treliving's Maple Leafs' puzzle will happen over the next year. Finding a top-six forward, setting the Leafs up to make a splash in a loaded 2026 UFA class, and solidifying the team's goaltending long term are the main jobs on his "to-do" list.
As the Maple Leafs enter a pivotal chapter in the Matthews-Nylander era, the blueprint they follow is undeniably Brad Treliving's. Most of the current roster has been shaped by his vision, through trades, signings, and extensions. and the results, for better or for worse, rest on his shoulders.
With Mitch Marner gone and a critical vacancy to fill in the top six, every decision Treliving makes this season carries weight. How he navigates the months ahead will ultimately determine whether Toronto remains a legitimate Stanley Cup contender or risks wasting the prime years of its stars. This is now Brad Treliving's team, and the success or failure falls on him.