TSN: Darren Dreger said that the Toronto Maple Leafs will be naming Brad Treliving as their next GM.
“All signs are indicating that Brad Treliving will be the next general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. What I’m told is that the process is nearing its end.
“And if you go back to the beginning of this process headed by Brendan Shanahan, he spent a lot of time with Brad Treliving. He likes the fact there is a high level of experience there.”
Dreger adds that they are just working out some contract details.
“Now there’s some work that has to be done contractually but again all indications are that the process is about over for Brendan Shanahan and the Toronto Maple Leafs and Treliving will be Toronto’s next GM.”
Frank Seravalli: (8:23 am) “The Toronto Maple #Leafs are putting the finishing touches on a contract that will make Brad Treliving the 18th GM in club history. Process could be wrapped as soon as this afternoon. Still some loose ends to tie up. First to report: @DarrenDreger.”
Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek on Monday’s 32 Thoughts: The Podcast – Apsveicam on the Toronto Maple Leafs GM search.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Marek: “To the Toronto Maple Leafs and their hunt for a general manager. Right now the Maple Leafs draft meetings are going on in Kamloops. Brendan Shanahan is not there. He’s busy interviewing candidates for the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
You’ve reported about Brad Treliving. He had a note with Ron MacLean as well on Saturday night.
What is the very latest on the Leafs hunt?
Friedman: “Well I don’t think I should be the only one taking credit for Brad Treliving. I think everybody pretty much is. He was in Toronto last week and I think as much as you can name someone a favorite just days into the process, I think that he would be one.
Now, I’m getting mixed intel on this. Someone else told me that there was another person who came in but I haven’t been able to prove who it was.
I don’t believe it was Peter Chiarelli. It certainly wasn’t Doug Armstrong who was winning a Gold Medal on Sunday. Marc Bergevin was overseas too. I heard he got interview by zoom, or they talked to him by zoom. As I mentioned, I heard they talked to Doug Wilson but I don’t think it was him. I don’t think it was Mark Hunter.
I undoubtedly think there’s people there that the Leafs have talked to that we haven’t figured out yet. That there’s no question about that. I don’t believe it was Jason Botterill either.
So I think it’s one of these things where Shanahan and the Leafs have basically reached out to a lot of people. I think that this is one of those that when it’s over, some other people will kind of, names will trickle through and we’ll hear. Cause I do think they’ve made a lot of calls.
I just think the question is, who’s actually getting interviews, and the only person I can find so far, who I know has been interviewed face-to-face is Treliving. But there might have been others, I just don’t know.
I’m curious about the timeline here. You know the Maple Leafs said they want to do a thorough search and I think on a level they do, I’m just not convinced they think they have a lot of time here.
So that’s my question is, how much runway do they think they really have?”
Marek: “That’s kind of why I framed it as, the Maple Leafs draft meetings are going on right now in Kamloops. Like, the draft is around the corner. Free agency is around the corner and I know that normally in this situation like this, well normally Kyle Dubas or whoever the general manager would be there as well, in charge right now.
Brendan Shanahan has a lot of other business to take care of, but I think you’re right. I don’t think they have the luxury of a prolonged search here Elliotte. It doesn’t feel that way to me at all.
And having said that as well, I think when you consider all the sensitivities around this team and this market and the names involved and the contract status. To say nothing of how emotional everybody seems to be around the Maple Leafs right now, they can’t afford to make a mistake here.
It’s a tough spot. You don’t want to be rushed but you’re up against the clock and feels like around every corner is a ticking timebomb.
Friedman: “I don’t know if I’d go that far. I think things are going to stabilize a bit. There’s no question the way this happened was stunning and surprising and that’s why everything kind of unfolded the way it did for about a week. But eventually, I think you have to turn and start to move ahead.
The one thing I’ve heard from one of the people I believe was talked to, although he didn’t confirm it. A lot of the question is, they’ve been asking I think the Leafs, what they really think about, what’s in (Auston) Matthews head and (Mitch) Marner’s head and (William) Nylander’s head?
Apparently from what I understand, Shanahan told Sheldon Keefe that while he likes him, his body of work, he wants to leave it up to the new GM.
And I believe Shanahan has told the core four that he prefers to have them all kept there but the new GM is gonna have a voice in all of this.
So I think that’s kind of where it is. And I think from what I’ve heard is, a lot of the people who are interviewing, and to me this is an obvious question is, they’re trying to figure out from the Leafs, what’s the honest opinion. Like everybody knows where Tavares’ heads at. He doesn’t want to go anywhere.
Matthews, I think the Leafs believe that he wants to stay but he’s probably not going to be signing by July 1st, so what’s your approach?
Nylander, he sounds like he wants to stay but like Matthews, there’s a big contract negotiation there.
Marner, he sounds like he wants to stay, but there’s another big contract negotiation coming a year from now.
And I think the other thing to is, because of the contracts the way they are, there’s not a lot of room there. You have to figure out, you have to try to get into these players heads, not only in terms of where they want to be, but in terms of what they want their next deals to look like. And I’ve heard that those have kind of been a lot of the questions is, what do you think? Tell us honestly what we’re getting into.
Like a guy like Treliving for example is one of the most fascinating candidates here because Calgary just went through this with (Johnny) Gaudreau and you heard what Conroy said at his media conference:
- “I want people who want to be a part of the Calgary Flames and that want to be here. Not just coming here to get a contract and get the money. That doesn’t interest me at all. I want them to come and be a part of this and do something special here. As far as Johnny leaving, I think a little bit, I was, it was a learning thing for me. I was hoping Johnny was going to come back. I thought Johnny was going to come back, but I don’t think I’d let that happen again. And I told Don in the meeting, I truly thought John was going to come back. When he didn’t, it was disappointing. It was right down to the last minute, but then you think, ‘uh oh, you just lost an asset. One of your best players of all time and you didn’t get anything for him.’ It was a real eye opener for me. I sat in my office for awhile, shut the door and thought, ‘hmmm, okay.’ Then obviously with Matthew, was the next one, kind of the next to fall. So, I want to make it a place where people want to play.”
“and you’ve seen what happened with Tkachuk. To me in a lot of ways, that could make Treliving on of the best candidates cause he’s lived this. And he can bring the lessons into it.
How did they think they handled it right in Calgary? What mistakes do they think they made in Calgary?
And if he gets the job, I’m really looking forward to hearing the answer to that question.
But I think that’s what everyone’s trying to figure out here Jeff is, what is the intell from the Maple Leafs on where they think these players really are? And not, I’m trying to ask out someone to the prom when I’m 18. Answer, she said maybe. So I might get to go with her. No, no, no, I want to know what she really thinks.”
** NHLRumors.com transcription
