TSN: Bryan Hayes and Craig Button on what the Toronto Maple Leafs may be thinking ahead of the trade deadline. Are they buyers or do they sit back?
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Gino Reda: “So we’ll bring up the trade deadline coming up March the 8th. What, if anything can Brad Treliving do between now and that?
Button: “I’m going to pose this question to both of you and to our viewing audience. Maybe the trade deadline isn’t the time for him to do anything. Maybe this is about reset time. Is there really an opportunity for Brad Treliving at the trade deadline to do anything meaningful that’ll change the fortunes of this team?
Remember, he came in here to change the fortunes of this team come playoff time. I’m not so sure we can do that at the trade deadline. Could he add a player or two here or there? We all know what the problems are. Salary caps going up next year. I think opportunities will abound come the end of the season, in the summer. Maybe Brad Treliving has to look at that as the time to retool this team because understand that most of this is not his doing but he understands now what the problem is.
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Hayes: “Right. I mean, the primary job of the manager is to assess your own team. Do you really believe that they can win. And I’m not sure that Brad Treliving can look at this team and believe that and Brad Treliving’s has been on the record before saying he likes to make his moves in the offseason.
He didn’t help himself in the offseason. He had some money available. He’s spent it on (David) Kampf, who has not been good. Obviously, (Ryan) Reaves and (John) Klingberg are not even a part of the, the rotation right now. (Tyler) Bertuzzi and (Max) Domi, I like those signings. There’s still time for them to play a positive role in the rest of this season. But they haven’t found that role yet.
So Brad didn’t help himself in the summer. He didn’t sign Martin Jones, which was massive, but the other money was spent, they could have helped his team, he didn’t do that. And I think if there’s a core, like culture issue here, whether it’s the coaches got to go or a member of the core fives got to go, I don’t think that’s on Brad Treliving. But I think that’s on his boss.
I think Brendan Shanahan makes that call will have to make that call, and if Treliving believes it’s gonna happen, he’s got to get in his office and convince them that that’s what has to happen. Whether it’s between now and March 8, July 1, I don’t care. That’s what has to happen for this team to move forward.
Button: “It’s not about talk anymore. They got to walk the walk.
Hayes: “Absolutely.”
Button: “Brendan Shanahan will have to support Brad Treliving. You brought Brad in to change the fortunes of this team at the most important times. Listen, they’re committed to the core five, and that’s a really good core five. Bottom line is, now this is about how this team becomes better.
There’s many ways to go about that. Brian just outlined them. Then I think the real best time to get this team into a better space is in the offseason.
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Reda: “And there was a troubling stat that I think was disguised a bit when they were winning games and that’s relaxed, lack of success and regulation. regulation wins out of games. Consider that only seven teams that have done fewer than 13 and none of them are close to a playoff spot right now. The struggles for the Toronto Maple Leafs.”