Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving expands on approach to finding top-six forward

We’re just a few weeks away from the season opener, but the Toronto Maple Leafs are actively looking to improve their top-six forward corps. Toronto hosts the Montreal Canadiens on October 8, and while there’s internal optimism about what the revamped group will look like, general manager Brad Treliving is still looking for an upgrade on the incumbent group.

Treliving outlined his approach to finding another top-six forward during an appear on The Kyper and Bourne Show on Thursday.

“Step one right now is seeing what we have in camp,” Treliving said. “I know everybody’s focused on that one spot, and certainly we are, but you don’t know where chemistry is going to come from. You can put it on paper, but until you get on the ice and see who fits with who, you don’t know.”

Matias Maccelli is getting the first look alongside Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies on the top line, although head coach Craig Berube suggested that he would’ve preferred Max Domi to start with the captain, but the veteran forward is recovering from a lower-body injury. Bobby McMann is tentatively slated to feature on the left wing alongside John Tavares and William Nylander, and while last year’s regular season data showed they can control possession, McMann’s spot within the top-six remains tenuous.

So what are the exact qualities Treliving is searching for?

“Sometimes it needs a little bit of different ingredients — whether it’s a defensive presence, someone who can forecheck, create loose pucks, create space,” Treliving said. “It’s easy to say, ‘Let’s go get a top-six forward.’ Well, who is that? And what is the cost?”

Treliving also made it clear that an internal option could emerge as well, which certainly bodes well for Easton Cowan, who continues to impress the organization with his improved physical play and confidence, along with his high-end tenacity and hockey intelligence. With limited draft capital to trade, the Maple Leafs will have to be creative, or hope that a combination of veterans and the 20-year-old Cowan could make up some of the difference, while Auston Matthews and William Nylander lead a potent attack.

What do you think Treliving and the Maple Leafs should do before the season? It appears that Treliving still working to make a splashy add before the puck drops on October 8.