Treliving on Leafs roster after disappointing playoffs exit: "Some DNA that has to change"

Brad Treliving did not like the way his team responded after the Florida Panthers scored first in Game 7 of their second-round series. 

"There was a real tightness in the moment," the Maple Leafs general manager said in his first public comments since Toronto's season ended on May 18. "Champions are the calmest at the most critical time, and that's an area that we've got to get through."

The defending Stanley Cup-champion Panthers built a 3-0 lead in the second period of Game 7 en route to a 6-1 win. The Leafs also lost 6-1 at home in Game 5. After starting the series with consecutive wins at Scotiabank Arena, the Leafs suffered lopsided losses in the most important home games of the year. 

Treliving also highlighted the Game 3 overtime loss in Florida as a key moment.

"You've got a chance to get them on the mat," Treliving lamented. "We're up 2-0. We're up 3-1. Critical moment. We weren't able to close that out." 

At the critical moments throughout the series, the Panthers were simply better. 

"That series is going to stay with me for a long time," Treliving said. "The way it ended will stay with me for a long time. It would stay with me if it was 2-1 in triple overtime. When you think you have a chance to win and you don't, it stays with you."

This Leafs core has had plenty of these chances. Toronto is now 0-7 in series-deciding games since 2018. Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and Morgan Rielly have played in each of those games. John Tavares has suited up in five of them. 

The Leafs have scored just five goals total in their last six series-deciding losses. 

"When you run up against that wall and it happens time and time again that leaves some scars," Treliving said.

Toronto has made the playoffs in nine straight seasons, but the Leafs have won just two series in this stretch. 

This season, the first under new coach Craig Berube, had the potential to be different. The Leafs finished first in the Atlantic Division for the first time this year and then beat the Ottawa Senators in six games in the first round. 

But the team still did not live up to their own expectations.  

"We fell short of where we wanted to be, and we fell short of where I thought we could be," Treliving admitted. 

"We've got to find a way to create the team, both between the ears [and] personnel, to be our very best at the most critical moments. There's some DNA that has to change in our team. That's one thing that I found."

How Treliving will go about changing the DNA, though, is unclear. 

"The margins are really, really thin," he said. "I don't believe that you have to go and change 20 players. It's not always about that. It is about what we can do to help our guys, what we can do to find guys who can help, and if there is a change to be made to our team, how do we bring people in who have a mindset like that?"

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Marner is a pending unrestricted free agent and did not engage in extension talks during the season. The Leafs approached Marner about potentially waiving his no-move clause at the trade deadline, but the 28-year-old declined. 

During his end-of-season availability with reporters, Marner did not express a desire to return to his hometown team. The 102-point winger said he was grateful for his time in Toronto and would discuss things with his wife in the days ahead. 

"Mitch has a say in this as well," Treliving pointed out. "So this isn't the world according to Brad. I think he's a great player. He's been a great player here. We'll have to see. We'll have to see how this all works. [Do] I think Mitch can succeed? Yes, I do. But, as I said before, we all got to kind of take a step back ... We can't be rigid in our thought process saying we can only do something one way."

Among pending unrestricted free agents, no one had more points than Marner this season. 

Treliving plans to reach out to Marner and his representatives after allowing the emotion of the Game 7 loss to subside a bit. 

"We do our exit meetings," Treliving said. "Mitch and I had a discussion. It's emotional right now, right? And so my discussion with Mitch is let's all take a step back. Let's take a deep breath."

Mitch finished second on the team with 13 points in 13 playoff games, but he had just one assist and three shots on net in the final four games of the Florida series. 

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Tavares is also a pending unrestricted free agent, but the 34-year-old has repeatedly expressed a desire to stay with his hometown team. 

"I'm a huge John Tavares fan," Treliving said. "Had a really good discussion with him. We've got to take a step back, meet with our group. How do we best move forward? What are the costs? All those things that go into a contract and everything else, and how does it fit within the puzzle?"

Tavares served as Toronto's second-line centre this season and actually took over top-line duties when Matthews missed games due to a nagging upper-body injury. Tavares racked up 38 goals and 74 points in 75 games.

Tavares produced five goals and seven points in 13 playoff games. He hit the scoresheet in only one of seven games against the Panthers. 

Treliving was asked how much he will prioritize improving the team's centre depth this summer. 

"There was talk that, ok, we got to get a second-line centre," Treliving said. "The guy who was playing there had 38 goals. Like to go find somebody that scored more than that was hard. Centres, it's a priority, right? It's a priority. Having said that, there's probably 26 other teams that are saying it's a priority. Like I said, I'm a big fan of John. Had a hell of a year, so we'll see how it all goes."

Among pending unrestricted free agents, no one scored more goals than Tavares this season.

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Last week, MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley made the decision not to renew the contract of Leafs president Brendan Shanahan, who hired Treliving two years ago. Treliving described that move as a "curve ball."

Treliving opened Thursday's news conference by recognizing Shanahan's contribution to the organization. 

"It's been a difficult few days," Treliving said in his opening remarks. "Brendan's the person that brought me in here, and I really enjoyed my time with Brendan. We had a strong working relationship that grew into a real strong friendship. Enjoyed our chats.

Enjoyed all the interaction that I had with him and, from my view, Brendan did a lot of good things here. He did a lot of good things with the Toronto Maple Leafs. I think he built a real solid foundation."

Pelley said he looked forward to working more closely with Treliving and Berube moving forward. 

"We didn't spend a whole lot of time together," said Treliving, who had dinner with Pelley on Sunday.

"So, like any relationship, we're going to find our cadence. Keith's made it very clear: 'Your job is to go out and do the things that you see fit with your staff to get the team where we want it to go.' So ultimately, you know, we're going to work through that a little bit.

There's probably going to be a little bit of tweaks in terms of how things operate a little bit. But, by and large, what I'm responsible for and where my energies are directed aren't going to change a whole lot."

Treliving missed Pelley's news conference last week because he was in Calgary for his daughter's high school graduation. 

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Treliving struck a different tone when asked about pending restricted free agent Matthew Knies. 

"I like to get it done as soon as possible," he said. 

And then the 55-year-old executive tried to lighten the mood. 

"Usually term and money are the only two issues that come into play on contract negotiations," he said with a grin.

Knies, 22, made it clear on locker clean-out day that he wants to stay in Toronto and has no desire to use an offer sheet to facilitate a deal. 

"Matthew had a tremendous year," Treliving said. "We're sort of seeing him evolve in front of our eyes. It's a big step for a young player to become a really important player, right? Like you can be a good player and have a role. He became a really important player."

Knies spent the entire season on the left wing of Toronto's top line and produced 29 goals and 29 assists in 78 games. 

"Matthew's a big part of the future moving forward," Treliving said.