Reporter sees several red flags with Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving
Brad Treliving has faced some challenges taking over for former Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas to be sure, but one Leafs reporter sees some major red flags.
It's a well-known fact that Kyle Dubas didn't leave his successor, Brad Treliving, with a whole lot to work with over the past two summers, but rather than making the most of it, Maple Leafs Hot Stove's Anthony Petrielli has suggested that Treliving has picked up right where Kyle Dubas left off, dropping the ball with a number of the contracts he has handed out over the last 2 summers.
WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH JANI HAKANPAA?
Naturally, Jani Hakanpaa still remains a talking point in Toronto after no deal has materialized following the reports on July 1st that the Leafs and Hakanpaa had come to terms on a 2-year contract worth $3M in total ($1.5M per season).
Following the initial announcements from several credible insiders, and straight from Brad Treliving himself, the Hakanpaa deal was never made official by the Leafs or the league. A report from the Toronto Sun's Steve Simmonds had suggested that Hakanpaa's playing days may be over, with his knee reportedly in very rough shape.
The situation became even more puzzling when Hakanpaa showed up to a charity golf event adorned in his Dallas Stars jersey recently.
If these situations weren't enough to raise a red flag for Petrielli, the fact that nobody in Hakanpaa's camp has replied to his request for information has certainly added to growing skepticism that a deal gets done.
THE JOHN KLINGBERG AND RYAN REAVES DEALS ALSO RAISED MORE THAN A FEW EYEBROWS LAST SUMMER
In an article released this week, Petrielli also called the John Klingberg and Ryan Reaves deals from last summer into question, as the Leafs' management group inked Klingberg to a deal in excess of $4M, knowing full well that he was damaged goods coming in.
Similarly, Reaves is very open about needing to wear two knee braces to avoid having his knees pop out of place any day of the week. Knowing this, Treliving still gave Reaves a 3-year deal at $1.35M per season.
Obviously, we don't have all of the information. Perhaps the team's doctors were aware of all of these issues and green lit the moves believing they could help keep both of these players on the ice. Perhaps they even okay'ed the Hakanpaa deal pending a physical, as is the prevailing thought.
It's a little strange, though, that a team who is clearly in "win now" mode is taking so many swings on players who have legitimate health concerns.
Do you see these moves as red flags? Let us know in the poll below!
Source: Maple Leafs Hot Stove
Offseason Notebook: The continued radio silence on Jani Hakanpaa, the head scout shuffle, Alex Nylander's AHL deal & Nick Robertson's importance
| POLL | ||
AOUT 8 | 1081 ANSWERS Reporter sees several red flags with Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving Do you see the Klingberg, Reaves and Hakanpaa deals as red flags for Brad Treliving? | ||
| Yes, definitely red flags | 649 | 60 % |
| No, they're reasonable gambles | 319 | 29.5 % |
| I don't have a strong opinion on the subject | 113 | 10.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
