We recently discussed the possibility of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ new general manager Brad Treliving trading William Nylander to the Calgary Flames for Tyler Toffoli. This trade proposal stems from a belief that Treliving, in his new position, feels the need to make his own mark on the team.
The desire to break up the Core Four is deep
Over the years, Maple Leafs’ fans have expressed a belief that the current core of the team (the so-called Core Four) is not capable of winning championships. And thus far, that belief has not been disproven.
Insofar as the Maple Leafs’ fan base is represented by the discussions The Hockey Writers readers generate on posts, breaking up the Core Four has been a recurring demand from the fan base for seasons. That said, no doubt implementing such a change might be easier said than done.
Although former GM Kyle Dubas said no move was off the table, he showed no desire to break up the Core Four. Treliving, on the other hand, has a different mindset. He’s not invested. In addition, he’ll want to leave his own imprint on the team, taking it in a different direction than Dubas was moving it. He’ll probably also want to do something big quickly – just because he’s the new boss, has new ideas and would not want to be seen as hesitant to act in ways that would improve the team.
Nylander for Toffoli would seem to be doing something big
The attraction to trading Nylander for Toffoli would be a way to change without completely overhauling the team’s roster. Toffoli would bring a stronger 200-foot game to the top-six unit. He’s better defensively than Nylander, who’s better offensively. That’s his game, and he’s good at it.
The two players could – in the short term – balance each other out, and Treliving could potentially have acquired an additional player in the trade because Nylander is projected to have a longer and stronger career than Toffoli, who is four years older. That would change things.
Reasons to expect Treliving to do something bold
Given the circumstances, I anticipate Treliving will make a bold move to establish himself in his new role as the Maple Leafs’ GM and to put his own stamp on the team. There are three reasons for that expectation.
First, Treliving would have a desire to change. Certainly, he’d want to do the job the best he can. However, he knows he will be compared with Dubas. That might encourage him to make bold moves to differentiate himself from his predecessor. He’d want to establish his own identity as the team’s GM. This could involve significant trades or roster shake-ups to put his stamp on the team.
Second, the Maple Leafs are in a win-now situation. The pressure to win in Toronto is high, and Treliving will feel the need to take bold actions to push the team forward. He could pursue high-profile players through trades or free agency to improve the roster’s talent level and increase the team’s chances of winning a championship. To that end, he'd likely trade because the fact is that – perhaps other than Ryan O’Reilly – there are few huge free agents out there to be had who seem to fit the team well.
Third, the fan base’s expectations of the Maple Leafs are high. How much that translates to Treliving’s actions remains to be seen, but it would be ignorant to believe these expectations don’t exist and don’t matter. There is external pressure to make bold moves to satisfy these expectations. He needs to make significant trades or signings that induce excitement and demonstrate his commitment to building a competitive team.
Reasons for thinking Treliving might stand pat
On the other hand, there are reasons for caution. Treliving could simply stand pat with the team and build around it with lower-cost players who’d fit into the team's needs. There are also prospects in the organization who could rise to the occasion.
Standing pat would allow him to assess the current roster and take account of its strengths and weaknesses before making major moves. He could evaluate player performances, chemistry and potential needs without rushing into immediate changes.
Second, salary-cap constraints are ever-present. The Maple Leafs’ salary cap might limit Treliving’s ability to make major moves. He could choose to work within the existing framework to make smaller adjustments or wait for more favorable cap conditions in the future.
Third, Treliving could prioritize long-term planning and sustainability over immediate bold moves. He could focus on developing prospects, preserving future assets and building a foundation for sustained success rather than seeking short-term fixes.
However, these reasons just don’t seem to fit the current needs of the team. They ignore the fact that moves to reshape the roster in minor ways every season have worked well enough, but didn’t increase the team’s ability to win the Stanley Cup. The pressure to win is now, and minor moves just haven’t seemed to help.
The bottom line
I expect Treliving to make at least one bold move to reshape the team very soon. He needs to establish his own identity and differentiate himself from his predecessor. He needs to address a fan base that has expressed a desire to break up the team’s Core Four because they believe the current roster is incapable of winning championships.
The Maple Leafs’ win-now situation puts huge pressure on Treliving to improve the team’s chances of winning a championship. Right now, there’s little reason for caution. Treliving really cannot choose to stand pat. Instead, he must work within the team’s salary-cap constraints and make things happen – soon.
It might not be the easiest job, but it’s the job Treliving has to do. I believe Maple Leafs’ fans should expect a surprise very soon – perhaps within the next week or two.
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