Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Treliving, Berube, Quenneville, Roslovic & Knies

It’s an interesting reminder that hiring a coach in Toronto isn’t simply about the general manager identifying someone he likes and making an offer. MLSE has its own standards and considerations, and those can determine which candidates even make the conversation. Whatever Treliving thought of Quenneville as a hockey coach, ownership had drawn a line.

For Maple Leafs fans, there’s another question worth considering: How much freedom should a general manager have when choosing his coach? Treliving ultimately went with Berube, but this little piece of hiring history offers a glimpse into the decisions that happen above the bench and sometimes well outside the hockey department.

Roslovic Is Flourishing in Toronto, While Knies Is Struggling in Columbus

Jack Roslovic is making the Maple Leafs look pretty smart. If he’d been producing at this level with the Edmonton Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes, the New York Rangers, or the Columbus Blue Jackets over the past three seasons, he likely wouldn’t have had to move on. He’s scored more than 40 points only twice in his career, but he’s now on pace for more than 80 with Toronto. Sometimes the right player simply needs the right opportunity, linemates and environment. Roslovic appears to have found all three in Toronto.

The other side of that story is Matthew Knies, who hasn’t found the same comfort since being traded to Columbus. He’s looked like a player still trying to find his footing, and whatever the Blue Jackets hoped he would bring, they haven’t seen it consistently yet. It’s a reminder that a change of scenery doesn’t automatically make everything better. Players need time to adjust, find their place and feel comfortable in a new setting.

For Toronto fans, the contrast is interesting. Roslovic is showing what can happen when a player lands in the right situation, while Knies’ experience suggests there’s more to a successful trade than simply changing jerseys.

What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?

The Quenneville story reminds us that the Maple Leafs’ organizational decisions involve more than the person in the general manager’s chair. Ownership has a voice, and sometimes that voice determines which direction the hockey department can take. Whether fans agree with those boundaries is another matter, but understanding how decisions get made is part of understanding this organization.

On the ice, Roslovic’s production is encouraging, while Knies’ struggles remind us not to assume every player will flourish simply because a team changes his address. Toronto needs players who fit, feel comfortable and can contribute consistently. If Roslovic keeps producing at this pace, the Leafs will have found something valuable. And if Knies eventually finds his footing in Columbus, his story may yet take a different turn. Hockey careers rarely follow a straight line, and these two players are offering a pretty good illustration of that.