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Brad Treliving wants to 'change the DNA' of the Leafs

Originally posted on Dose.ca | Last updated May 29, 2025 3:57 PM ET

What will the Leafs be doing this summer?

That’s a popular question in Toronto right now, and throughout the NHL.

Because, in reality, Brad Treliving has his work cut out for him. The Mitch Marner, John Tavares and Matthew Knies files will be the focus of attention in the coming months, and we don’t necessarily know what’s going to happen yet.

But one thing is certain: in the Queen City, we’re beginning to understand a few things.

We’re beginning to understand that the results – which are always the same – are unacceptable… and that change is needed.

A lot of change. And it started with Brendan Shanahan’s departure…

Brad Treliving spoke to the media today, and in his 50-minute (!) press conference, there was one sentence in particular that caught my attention.

It was this one:

If you keep getting the same results, there’s DNA that has to change. – Brad Treliving

“There’s some DNA that has to change in our team.”

Brad Treliving on the need for change within the Leafs organization. pic.twitter.com/7d9XH1m78F

– Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 29, 2025

What I find fascinating about this is that Treliving went on to mention that he sees Auston Matthews as a super-important piece of that team in the long term.

And he also said the same thing about Matthew Knies.

Was he trying to send a message about Mitch Marner, John Tavares… or even William Nylander, who signed a lucrative contract extension and is still the same soft player in the playoffs?

Has he, as it were, unveiled his plan by saying that it’s no longer working with the Core 4 and that it’s now time to move on?

In any case, in Toronto, we’re starting to see that the same results that keep coming back year after year are starting to take their toll on everyone.

It’s about time, you might say (and rightly so). It remains to be seen what changes will be made to “change the DNA” of the club.

In Overtime

– New contract for Shakir Mukhamadullin in San Jose.

$1M https://t.co/iZvPcyf7dl

– Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) May 29, 2025

– Mattias Ekholm should play tonight.

All signs point to Ekholm returning for Game 5.

(HT @TSNRyanRishaug) pic.twitter.com/wMBdVwjI8y

– TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 29, 2025

– Whew.

As if the guys weren’t tired enough as it is, the #CFMTL plane arrived in St-Hubert at 4:39 last night.

At best, the guys fell asleep around 5:30.

Practice was pushed back to 4pm today.

Can’t wait for the international break after Saturday’s game pic.twitter.com/6SjAtrNCjq

– Maxime Truman (@MaximeTruman) May 29, 2025

– Great read.

Head-butt, heroics and heartbreak.@ByScottPowers @MarkLazerus and I take you back to 2015 to when the Blackhawks and Ducks battled for Western Conference supremacy in a wild conference final. An oral history with a dozen of its participants.https://t.co/9GHawVxQBb

– Eric Stephens (@icemancometh) May 29, 2025

– Interesting.