ian rodness

The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced Brad Treliving as the next General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. I've done a lot of research and gone back to watch several of Brad Treliving's previous press conferences. Here' what I've learned: Treliving currently ranks 55th all-time in career wins as an NHL GM with a regular season record of 362-265-73 and a playoff record of 16-26. He took charge of the Calgary Flames in 2014, when they were amid a five-year playoff drought. Under his leadership, the Flames reached the playoffs five times in the next nine years, but never advanced beyond the second round. In Calgary, Treliving inherited coach Bob Hartley, who had already been coaching the team for two seasons without playoff success. He retained Hartley for the next two seasons, which could be a clue that he'll give Sheldon Keefe an opportunity to continue. Hartley was ultimately replaced after missing the playoffs 2 years later. He brought in Glen Gulutzan, who was also let go after two seasons for failing to make the playoffs. Next, Treliving hired Bill Peters, who led the Flames to a 50-win season, a feat not achieved since '88/'89. Peters resigned in the wake of a racial incident and was replaced by Geoff Ward temporarily before Treliving brought in Darryl Sutter, who was dimissed earlier this month. Treliving's Flames tenure is notably drafted Sam Bennett, Matthew Tkachuk, Adam Fox, Dillon Dube, Andrew Mangiapane, and Rasmus Andersson, and more. He transformed the Flames from a team led by Jiri Hudler's 54 points in '13/'14 to a team that, at their peak in the '21-'22 season, included Gaudreau (115 pts, inherited), Tkachuk (104 pts, drafted), Lindholm (82 pts, acquired via trade), Mangiapane (55 pts, drafted), and Andersson (50 pts, drafted). It's no secret that Treliving faced challenges in attracting talent to Calgary, which were compounded by the city's desperate need for a new arena. Johnny Gaudreau left for Columbus as a free agent, Matthew Tkachuk indicated he would not re-sign in Calgary, and Adam Fox showed no intention of signing with the team post-college - all believed to be market-driven decisions. In response, Treliving traded Tkachuk for Huberdeau, Weegar, and a 1st round pick, and the rights to Fox, Dougie Hamilton, and Michael Ferland for Lindholm and Hanifin. It's worth noting Carolina wasn't able to sign Fox either, and flipped him for a 2nd round pick. You've got to wonder what the Flames might have looked like had they been able to keep all of the talent they drafted, as they'd hoped. Treliving has a reputation for being active at both the draft and trade deadline. For the first time in his career, he steps into a market that is considered to be a desired destination for players. How might this change his approach to free agency? While watching some of Treliving's previous press conferences, I noticed a few consistent traits worth sharing: Passion - You can hear the genuine disappointment in his voice when addressing Gaudreau's departure, or how much he cares for his people when he's asked about Chris Snow at the trade deadline. Confidence - You'll pick up on this right away during his press conference tomorrow. Accountability - This is a guy who held an impromptu 30-minute Q&A press conference to announce Gaudreau would not be signed. Objective Thinker - Listen to his assessment of his team at the trade deadline. He's very grounded, and very realistic. This should be particularly exciting to those of you who want organizational decisions to be more driven by results. Treliving checks a lot of boxes for the Leafs - experience, reputation, poise - but in joining Toronto, he won't soon be able to escape the criticism that he has no track record of success. He does, however, have a track record of progress. I look forward to his assessment of the roster and his philosophy toward change. Toronto presents its own set of unique challenges, but can he flourish without the barriers he encountered in the Calgary market? I don't have many followers, so if you enjoyed what you've read, please consider retweeting or tagging others who might be interested. #LeafsForever #Leafs #treliving