New Leafs GM looking to bring a change in philosophy to Leafs to help them succeed in the playoffs
Brad Treliving may not be the best general manager in hockey, but what he had shown the Toronto market on Thursday during his introductory press conference is that he's bright, knowledgeable, in tune with the game, focused and determined to make the Leafs better any way that he can. He can also work the mic as well as any GM in the league. That last detail, in particular, is important - because that charisma might help him in his attempts to negotiate new deals for Auston Matthews and William Nylander this summer.
During his time in Calgary, Treliving had varying levels of success in the regular season, but had failed to come up clutch when it mattered in the postseason. It's not that the pieces that he had weren't capable of getting over the hump, as we're seeing now just how solid players like Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk can be in the playoffs. It's simply that it's not easy to find the right mix of players, coaches and game plan and then, on top of all of that, you need things to click at just the right time. Treliving's shortcomings in Calgary may have also been a product of the team's operating budget - a problem he won't have in Toronto.
Well, coming into Toronto, Treliving will have no shortage of talent to work with. Now it will be about surrounding that talent with the right pieces and introducing a new philosophy to the team. Treliving believes that the key to success in Toronto will be to do away with the reactionary play and instead focus on initiating more of the contact and dictating the play, imposing their will and forcing the other team to play reactionary hockey. He spoke about it in detail during an appearance on Real Kyper and Bourne on Thursday.
Those two players there I know really well. We drafted Sam [Bennett] fourth overall and Matthew [Tkachuk] sixth overall. With our teams in Calgary, we felt that we could not just respond but initiate physical challenge. People sometimes take that and say, "Oh we are going back [to old-time hockey]."
To me, playing a heavier game and competing heavier is puck battles. It's winning space at the front of the net. As much as our game changes and speed and skill are paramount in our game, at this time of year, I feel the two most important areas � and it has been for a long time � are the front of both nets. At the end of the day, you are trying to get to mine. How am I going to keep you from it? I am trying to get to yours. How can you keep me from it?
Those are things that we have to find. We have to look for ways we can augment our team. Sometimes, that is not necessarily airlifting people in. It is getting people to adjust how they play. It is getting people to make sure we are getting inside. It is making sure that our puck battles are an area that is of the highest priority. How do we check? We don't defend. We check. To me, there is a difference. You are on your toes. You are aggressive.
We know what it is like in the regular season. A guy may finish his check every You are playing 82 games, you are in back-to-backs, it's three in four. There are no fly-bys in the playoffs. There is no letup. We have to make sure we have a roster that can handle whatever the game may present." - Treliving on changing the philosophy in Toronto and how the Leafs approach every situation in every game
What it sounds like Treliving is saying here is that he'll be looking for guys who will buy into the new program. He'll also need to do some extensive work with head coach Sheldon Keefe, if he does come back for the final year of his deal, to ensure that Keefe is on the guys the right way and is sending the right messages. Keefe has a tendency to be a little too content when his team bails on the game plan. He has also publicly criticized his stars and then walked comments back in the past. If this team is going to succeed, the team and coaches will have to buy into this new philosophy. If Treliving can get these guys to put that philosophy into action next season, it will make for some exciting Leafs hockey.
| POLL | ||
2 JUIN | 242 ANSWERS New Leafs GM looking to bring a change in philosophy to Leafs to help them succeed in the playoffs Should Treliving hire a new coach this summer? | ||
| Yes | 145 | 59.9 % |
| No | 97 | 40.1 % |
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