Toronto Maple Leafs Need a Leadership Overhaul
Unless the Toronto Maple Leafs pull off an unexpected Stanley Cup victory, it seems inevitable that both Brendan Shanahan and Brad Treliving will be let go at the end of the season.
This isn’t just an option—it’s the only logical step forward for a franchise that has been plagued by mismanagement and stagnation for far too long.
Shanahan, once seen as a beacon of change when he took over a decade ago, initially revitalized a struggling franchise.
His best move was hiring a young, analytics-driven Kyle Dubas to steer the team in a modern direction.
However, a string of playoff failures (0-11 in elimination games) created tension, leading to a power struggle that Shanahan ultimately won.
Unfortunately, instead of conducting a thorough search for the best replacement, he hastily handed the keys to Brad Treliving—an old-school GM coming off a rough tenure with the Calgary Flames.
It was a desperate move that signaled a retreat into traditional, outdated hockey management rather than a commitment to innovation.
Treliving, for his part, has done little to justify his hiring. Rather than making bold, franchise-altering moves, he played it safe, throwing money at aging, name-brand players who didn’t significantly elevate the team.
In two offseasons, he squandered roughly $20 million on underwhelming acquisitions, all while the media continued to blame Dubas for the team’s lingering salary cap issues.
His lack of ambition in the trade market is glaring—his biggest move so far, dealing a first-round pick and promising young prospect Fraser Minten for Brandon Carlo, is already shaping up to be a costly mistake.
The Maple Leafs under Treliving have been defined by missed opportunities and poor decision-making.
Instead of securing elite talent to complement the team’s core, they now find themselves locked into contracts with aging, injury-prone defensemen during Auston Matthews’ prime years.
The damage has been done, and a fresh start is needed to correct course before it’s too late.
Shanahan, while not entirely to blame for the Dubas fallout, should have conducted a more exhaustive search for a competent replacement. Instead, his rash decision to hire Treliving has proven disastrous, placing him alongside infamous Leafs GMs like John Ferguson Jr. and Gord Stellick in the annals of franchise mismanagement. For the Maple Leafs to finally break free from their cycle of mediocrity, it’s time for a complete leadership reset.