If there’s one thing that every other general manager in the NHL seems to know, it’s this: Brad Treliving is one of the most active managers in the league. He’s in on every call, he’s inquiring about every player and he’s always talking to teams. Frank Seravalli once hinted he’d never seen Treliving not on the phone and former Calgary Flames GM, now analyst Craig Button noted, “He’s always exploring.”
Comparing Treliving to a dog on a bone, that inquisitive nature has paid off handsomely for the Maple Leafs so far in free agency.
The Bertuzzi Deal Came Out of Nowhere
When it was determined Tyler Bertuzzi was going to explore free agency, the Maple Leafs weren’t really a team that insiders tracked to be contenders. Sure, Bertuzzi was the exact type of player the Leafs might like to have on its roster, but the belief was that Bertuzzi was seeking a long-term deal for over $5 million per season and that wasn’t in the Maple Leafs’ wheelhouse. Still, Treliving checked in. It was acknowledged that there wasn’t a fit at first, but when the market changed, the Leafs became an option.
When Bertuzzi didn’t get the deal he was looking for from anyone, he went back to the Boston Bruins to see if a one-year option was on the table. The Bruins would have loved to go there, but they’d since spent their available cap space on other players. Bertuzzi remembered the Leafs’ interest and circled back. Toronto offered up the opportunity to play with some elite talent if Bertuzzi was open to the deal he signed and here the Leafs are today, with Bertuzzi now a part of the 2023/24 roster.
The Domi Deal Was About Lineage and Timing
Max Domi also wanted a longer-term deal. He didn’t find it. Ready to sign a one-year contract — in what appears to be a tryout for a longer run in Toronto –, Treliving was quick to let the forward know they had a spot for him and there was that little fact that his father was once one of the most revered stars in Toronto. The fit made sense and Domi jumped.
Related: Maple Leafs Have Plan A and Plan B to Move On from Matt Murray
It’s not clear if the Maple Leafs set out to target Domi when free agency began, but you can bet that Treliving had probably kept tabs on Domi’s situation throughout the first few hours of free agency. When Day 1 passed and Domi hadn’t signed, Treliving was ready.
You Can Bet He’s Out There On Murray and Nylander
Now, Treliving has a few big items on his to-do list, and that includes moving Matt Murray and extending or trading William Nylander. When it comes to Murray, Leafs’ fans can feel confident the new GM explore every avenue before ultimately being forced to buy the goaltender out. Ilya Samsonov’s arbitration filing opens up the door to a Murray buyout, but it’s a trade Treliving really wants. No GM will dig more than he will.
On the Nylander front, Treliving will be ready to go if the trigger needs to be pulled there. Ideally, the team wants to re-sign the player and at a number that works for both sides. If Nylander doesn’t come down from his rumored $10 million ask, a trade seems the most likely outcome. If that happens, you can bet that Treliving will have talked to every team, and more than once.
No rock will remain unturned and no option unexplored. Not every conversation will lead to something, but if you don’t ask, you never know. And, Treliving will ask. It’s what he does. He’s a digger and he likes to know about everything that’s going on in the NHL from a macro perspective. That can’t hurt the Maple Leafs, who might be a team we talk about in a few weeks as having made a deal that no one saw coming.