Brad Treliving just laid out his plan for the Maple Leafs, and it's a lot more patience than fireworks
Photo credit: Toronto Maple Leafs
In a highly anticipated media conference on Tuesday morning, Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving tried to provide some clarity, but left many with more questions than answers.
Currently mired in a five-game losing streak, dealing with a myriad of injuries, a lack of trade assets, and immense fan pressure -- Brad Treliving was trying to set the record straight.
He called a media presser on Tuesday morning to address the state of the Maple Leafs, and both the fans and Toronto media were hopeful they were going to get some much-needed clarity about the future of the team.
Suffice to say, many fans and media members seemed to leave with more questions than answers.
What Brad Treliving actually said about the roster and trades
The fact that Treliving started off the conference honest about the state of the team, saying that it was on his shoulders to produce a successful team:
We're not where we want or be or where we envisioned to be. The responsibility lies with myself.
But he didn't exactly go into any details regarding what the team is intending to do with a roster shakeup. He mentioned there being too much 'vanilla' on the roster which is quite vague but could be referring to their lack of identity.
Though he didn't say the team wasn't going to look at potential moves but just that they will continue to find the best deal for them:
The reality in the business is you're not trading your way out of problems.
We're not going to panic & start throwing things overboard. It's not so much an individual thing as much as a team thing. Put anybody in the uniform and play the way we're playing, we're probably going to have the same result.
We're not going to panic & start throwing things overboard. It's not so much an individual thing as much as a team thing. Put anybody in the uniform and play the way we're playing, we're probably going to have the same result.
That's a bold claim from Treliving considering that several fans and analysts are pointing to specific players they don't think fit the mould, and some will see it as a subtle critique of how head coach Craig Berube has the team playing.
What he revealed about Berube, coaching and 'the plan'
Though it may have felt like an indirect shot at Berube's style of coaching, it was more Treliving saying everyone has been subpar.
He threw his unwavering support behind Berube and believes that if anyone can turn things around it's 'Chief':
Craig and his staff are working hard at it. I support and have all the faith in the world in him.
That is encouraging for Berube, because it suggests there is no immediate hot seat, and it signals that Treliving is willing to ride out the rough parts of the season with his coach rather than blow it up and start fresh.
Craig and his staff are doing the work. We all own the start, but we believe in the direction.
A new system or coach isn't a guaranteed success, and the team could end up right where they are or worse.
Based on Treliving's comments, there doesn't appear to be any immediate concern about the Maple Leafs' coaching staff, and he gave no indication that he plans to make changes unless the situation becomes much more dire.
What he actually told fans about where this season is going
Again, Treliving started the press conference blunt stating the team isn't where they wanna be.
So where are they going to go? Right now, they are dealing with a lot of injuries to key players, though they are slowly finding their way back on the ice.
They've used a few internal options already, and are going to be using their third waiver pickup already this season in Troy Stetcher -- joining Cayden Primeau and Sammy Blais.
A few waiver pickups and bit players are not going to shake this team up, and his prior comments about acquiring anybody and getting the same results means that a trade sounds unlikely for now.
Reading between the lines, Treliving's message to fans was to brace for some rough stretches and understand that things are not going to change overnight.
If a good deal is there, Toronto is probably going to take it. If it's a rush job, they are putting themselves at risk of ruining their entire identity before it even took off.
But at this moment, with everything the GM touched on, it still leaves a lot of fans cautiously hopeful, even as their patience continues to wear thin.
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