Ranking Brad Treliving's priorities in Toronto from most urgent to least urgent
New Leafs GM Brad Treliving has his work cut out for him this summer with a number of competing priorities. Some of the team's priorities are more obvious than others, but with the abundance of items in need of attention this summer, here's how Treliving should list his priorities in order of importance.
1. Connect with Auston Matthews and determine if there's common ground there for an extension. Matthews has remarked on a number of occasions already that he intends to be a Leaf for a very long time. We know the Dubas firing caught Matthews off-guard, so Treliving meeting with the team's brightest star, forming a bond and opening the lines of communication to try to reach a deal as quickly as possible in July is paramount.
2. Decide what to do with Sheldon Keefe. The team shouldn't keep stringing him along. If they're debating cutting him loose, they should do it now while he still has a chance to land a job for next season. However, if the idea is to keep him on for the last year of his current deal or to extend him, they should just get it out of the way so they can focus on the rest of the team's priorities.
3. Touch base with Mitch Marner and take the temperature there. Marner is another player who has openly declared that Toronto is where he wants to be. As a hometown kid, who grew up adoring the team, he likely is being genuine in expressing his desire to remain a Leaf. However, if the Leafs want to re-tool, they need to let Marner know where they stand so they can give teams the appropriate time to clear cap space so they can take a run at acquiring Marner.
4. Figure out what sort of AAV and term William Nylander on his next deal. If the 27-year-old winger wants anything north of $8.5M-$9.5M, the team should inform teams that he is available and will be dealt before July 1st, when his modified NTC kicks in.
5. Sit down with Ryan O'Rielly and Michael Bunting and figure out if they want to stay and how much of a hometown discount they're willing to take. Treliving should begin those discussions ASAP, as the draft and the 1st day of free agency are only a few short weeks away. The team will want to know how they're looking cap-wise before July 1st.
6. Make a decision on Matt Murray. If they expect him back, they may need to look elsewhere to clear some cap space. If they don't want him back, they need to either commit to finding him a new home or buy him out as soon as he becomes eligible. Treliving will also want to hold preliminary discussions with RFA goaltender Ilya Samsonov to discuss the parameters of a new deal.
7. Assess what he has in his current D corps and whether or not an upgrade is needed. With both Justin Holl and Luke Schenn on expiring deals, the Leafs have two pretty big holes to fill. We have heard that the Leafs and Schenn have a mutual interest in an extension, so Treliving should, again, get that out of the way as soon as possible to figure out how much cap space they'll have left to work with on July 1st.
8. Assess what needs to be done with the bottom six and make decisions on the pending UFAs and RFAs who would normally fill those spots. All of Acciari, Aston-Reese, Kerfoot, Simmonds and Kampf are on expiring deals.
Anything else at this point would be classified as a minor issue and can be dealt with down the line and after July 1st. There are only 8 items listed here and approximately 4 weeks with which to work, but while that seems like a lot of time, it will pass before we know it. Let's hope Treliving is already a few items deep on this list.
