Page 44 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 150

44 Issue #150 July 2025 www.sportsenergynews.com

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Stories And More About The People In Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry
Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving said that the team needs to “change its DNA”

following another early playoff exit. What does that mean to you, and how will he accomplish

this?
Jake Lapierre -Conditioning Coach - This year’s early playoff exit by Toronto was disappointing as I personally was

looking forward to a second round Toronto playoff run this year. Early on I believed the Leaf’s might just have the grit
to pull it off, but as the overwhelmingly punishing series against the Florida Panthers persisted, the Leaf’s just ran out
of steam.
Leafs GM Brad Treliving’s broad comment regarding changing the Leaf’s DNA has been an ongoing mystery assignment
for Toronto.
A notable trade this post season includes Mitch Marner signing with Vegas, which sparked league-wide rumours of Toronto
potentially filing a tampering allegation against the Golden Knights with the NHL. Apparently Marner already had his number
picked with the Golden Knights on Friday, which fueled fan speculation that tampering was going on.
With Toronto losing Marner, the Leaf’s will look to replace his offensive talent with one or two players to their roster that would be

a good fit to reconfigure a strong duo with Mathews and provide some grit and tenacity playing with Nylander or Tavares.
Regardless of what deals and trades are made this off season; the mystery assignment lingers on for Brad Treliving to put together
a competitive Toronto team.

Jim Riddell - Seaway Karate Club - As we look at possible changes to the DNA of the Toronto Maple Leafs, we
are entering the final week of June and only days away from NHL Free Agency. If rumours are true, by the time you
read this Mitch Mariner will no longer be a member of the team and most likely a few other changes will have taken
place as well. The team is set in net with two competent goalies, six defensemen that are under contract for the next
two seasons and most of the top six forwards in place. If Marner leaves as expected, GM Brad Treliving will have
approximately $26M to replace Marner, sign Matthew Knies, John Tavares, and upgrade the roster by assembling a bottom six that

are skilled enough to take pressure off of the top lines but will play with grit and intensity. Making trades won’t be easy as the Leafs
have a very shallow prospect pool and a limited amount of draft capital. Patience may be required, as it will likely take Brad Treliving
more than one off-season to construct the Toronto Maple Leaf team that he wants.

Peter Collins - Sports Enthusiast - Many Leaf fans might say that the team needs a heart transplant rather than a
DNA change. That being said, it seems that the person in charge of Toronto has realized that the mix of players on the
roster is missing something. Brad Treliving has witnessed the results of the past few seasons and heard the fans. As the

Florida Panthers have shown for the past three years, the make-up of the roster should be geared toward succeeding
in the playoffs, not just the regular season. The combination of Matthews, Nylander, Tavares, Marner, and Reilly have
had great success during the regular season but generally have underperformed or not performed at all during the playoffs. Trying
to pick the direction the Leafs will go is difficult, due to salary complications and trade restrictions. It would seem that Matthews
and Nylander will stay with the team next season. Reilly is the star most likely to be traded if the right deal can be worked out.
The under performing (in the playoffs) free agent, Mitch Marner, looks like he will sign with another team. There is a chance that
Tavares will be re-signed providing he takes a hometown discount. Treliving has been unafraid in the past to trade high profile
players; witness the moves he made in Calgary. Chances are he will be at it again during the next few weeks, trying to find the right
donors to fix the heart of his team.