Latest news with #ChrisTanev
New York Times
24-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Brad Treliving has the keys to the Maple Leafs. Is he up to the task?
The Toronto Maple Leafs are in Brad Treliving's hands now. Keith Pelley, the president and CEO of MLSE, made that abundantly clear in the aftermath of Brendan Shanahan's dismissal. Pelley said he had 'utmost confidence' in Treliving and planned to work closely with him now that the president's role has (for now) been eliminated. Advertisement Treliving has a lot on his plate this offseason. Is he up to the task? How much responsibility does he bear for the way the Leafs' 2024-25 season went? What can he do better in the future? A thorough review of his record through two seasons as Leafs general manager can help us answer those questions. The good has to begin with the reshaping of the blue line. This was a strength of Treliving's tenure in Calgary and it's continued in Toronto. Chris Tanev is the headliner here. Tanev was every bit as good as the Leafs could have hoped in his first season with the team, the first elite defender the team has had since Jake Muzzin. He and Jake McCabe formed the stingiest defensive pair the Leafs have had in, well, a long time. If there's a lesson from the Tanev signing (a six-year deal last summer), it might be this: An elite skill set is worth paying for. Tanev will be 36 in December. It remains to be seen how the next five years of his contract will age. Even when Tanev declines, the $4.5 million cap hit should remain palatable as the salary cap continues to rise. Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Treliving's other consequential signing on the back end last summer, brought stability as well as versatility to the Leafs. Ekman-Larsson played on all three pairs at some point, on both the left and right sides. Ekman-Larsson turns 34 in July. If there's a risk with the commitments that Treliving has made on the back end, it's that this is an older group. In addition to Ekman-Larsson, who has another three years left on the contract he got last July 1, the Leafs GM extended McCabe, who will be 32 in October, on a five-year commitment. Morgan Rielly, who may or may not be back, turned 31 in March. Brandon Carlo, who turns 29 in November, helps to split the difference somewhat. Though Treliving paid a lot to acquire Carlo from Boston at the trade deadline — a first-round pick in 2026, a fourth-round pick this summer and Fraser Minten — Carlo solves a need on the right side for the next two seasons, with a reduced cap hit of $3.48 million. Advertisement Another win for Treliving: betting on Anthony Stolarz with a two-year contract last summer. Stolarz had been a journeyman backup to that point. The Leafs saw more in him and he delivered as a part-time starter, and then won the No. 1 job by the time the postseason rolled around. The Leafs GM made a three-year commitment to Joseph Woll last July 1, a deal that felt rushed at the time but has aged fine. Treliving made low-risk bets on Max Pacioretty and Steven Lorentz that paid off, particularly in the case of Pacioretty, who was maybe the team's best player against Florida (which is a good thing for the 36-year-old but not so good for the team as a whole). The Leafs GM needs to be even shrewder in the bets he makes at the bottom of the forward group this summer. A lack of meaningful contributions there had a part in the team's downfall against Florida. A much stronger performance from Bobby McMann would help on that front. Though McMann failed to record a goal in his first NHL postseason, he still represents value for the Leafs next season (and a win for the GM) as a middle-six forward making the same cap dollars ($1.35 million) as Ryan Reaves. Craig Berube was Treliving's first coaching hire with the Leafs. It remains to be seen if his way is the right way. The Leafs scored four goals in the last four games of their season and generated the worst quality of offence of any team in the postseason. The head coach bears some responsibility for the team's disastrous performances in games 5 and 7 against the Panthers. There is no denying, however, that Berube got the group to buy into his approach. It wouldn't be surprising to see Treliving build the roster even more in line with Berube's wants and desires this offseason — i.e., bigger, heavier and more competitive. Also wins for the GM: contract extensions for Auston Matthews and William Nylander. Advertisement Neither contract is ideal exactly — Matthews' deal was four years, with what was then the highest cap hit in the league ($13.25 million); Nylander for eight years at $11.5 million annually — but the Leafs needed to secure commitments from two of their biggest stars, especially with free agency looming for Mitch Marner and John Tavares. The decision last summer to run it back yet again, which spurred another familiar postseason, ultimately falls on Shanahan. However, Treliving could have more seriously investigated a Marner trade last summer by pushing the player and his agent (and Shanahan) on the possibility. It was evident since at least the 2023-24 season that Marner was no longer enjoying his Toronto experience. Maybe Shanahan (and/or ownership) wasn't letting a trade happen regardless. And maybe Marner's agent, Darren Ferris, was always going to steer him to unrestricted free agency this summer. But by not forcing the issue, the Leafs, from their president and GM on down, will now likely see Marner walk away in free agency for nothing but cap space. The more regrettable window came in 2023, when the Leafs, soon after hiring Treliving, had a month to trade Marner (who had zero trade protection) and didn't. Will Treliving try to convince Marner to stay in the coming weeks or is he, too, ready to move on? And if that's the case, will the Leafs spend the savings wisely or splurge in a summer where mistakes feel almost inevitable? Is a trade the better route for meaningful roster improvement? The Leafs GM faces another thorny situation with Tavares. There's a case to move on from the former captain and a case to keep him. If Treliving decides on the latter, how much hometown value can he score from a player who desperately wants to stay? Will Treliving play hardball in a way the Leafs never did with the stars under Shanahan? Advertisement Where Treliving has gotten into trouble in Toronto is jamming ill-fitting pieces onto the roster at the risk of coming up with nothing. That's how the Leafs ended up with David Kämpf, who played one game in the playoffs, on a bloated four-year contract — which still has two seasons remaining. It's a somewhat similar story with Max Domi, also signed to an overpriced four-year deal last summer. Domi was a backup at centre. The Leafs saw a free-agent market filled with centres (Elias Lindholm, Chandler Stephenson) bound to be overpaid. They decided to steer clear of all that, with a grand plan that had Nylander in the middle (which didn't even make it through training camp). Domi wasn't a solution at centre either, though, which forced Treliving to go shopping for another centre at the deadline. That led, after failed bids for higher-calibre options, to Scott Laughton, who was, like Domi, a quasi-centre who didn't solve the 3C need and produced zero goals and two assists in the playoffs as the 4C. Laughton does have another year left but is somewhat redundant with Kämpf, a potential trade candidate this summer. Lacking centre depth was exposed by the Panthers' top three down the middle in the playoffs. The Leafs paid a huge premium for Laughton. Nikita Grebenkin is a fringy prospect, but the first-round pick in 2027 has some upside now if the Leafs, minus Marner, take a step back or two. A more agile front office might have pivoted from centre, when the best options disappeared, to nab another forward who could score instead. The Leafs needed a lot more from their stars against the Panthers, but those stars needed a lot more help and that falls, in part, on Treliving. Five of the six regulars in the bottom six failed to score even once. Ultimately, the Leafs paid two firsts, a fourth, Minten and Grebenkin for Carlo and Laughton (both with retained salary). Advertisement In contrast, Dallas Stars GM (and GM of the year candidate) Jim Nill dealt one first and one fourth for a pair of rentals, Mikael Granlund, scoring and playing important minutes this spring, and Cody Ceci, averaging almost 22 minutes a game in the playoffs. The challenge of acquiring help in the middle gets no easier this summer when options are thin and prices figure to be out of control. Sam Bennett might be the top non-Tavares option. And while he's been a marvelous playoff performer for the Panthers, he comes with risk, given the likely price tag, as a soon-to-be 29-year-old who has topped out at 51 points in the regular season and thrived in the very-specific Florida ecosystem. The Leafs need at least one top-nine centre and two if they don't want Domi playing there again next season. Treliving has to tread carefully when it comes to (over)paying for intangible qualities, even those of apparent 'winners' such as Bennett. He was burned in his first summer with the Leafs that way, when he sought 'snot' and gave Reaves a three-year contract (which still has one year left and counts $200,000 on the cap even if he's not on the roster), plus one-year deals that only kind of worked for Domi and Tyler Bertuzzi. Nor can the Leafs take huge bets on red-flag talent, like Treliving did that same summer when he spent $4.15 million cap dollars on an injury-plagued and declining John Klingberg. He made a similar, if lower-risk bet, on Jani Hakanpää in 2024. One of the GM's biggest priorities will be trying to sign Matthew Knies, who won't turn 23 until October, for as long as he possibly can while keeping an eye on future roster considerations. The Leafs should have rushed to extend Knies last summer. Ultimately, everything is connected for a GM. Not landing a second right-shooting defenceman on top of Tanev last summer — signing another lefty in Ekman-Larsson instead — meant the need to pay a high price for Carlo (a solid fit nonetheless). Not finding a centre who wasn't Nylander (either through free agency or trade), or sticking with Nylander, meant spending that first on Laughton. Advertisement Which is why laying the proper foundation, amid tricky conditions, is so crucial for the Leafs and their GM this summer, not just for the coming season but the ones after that. It's been a so-so start for Treliving as Leafs GM. Not bad. Not great. Somewhere in the middle. Which makes it understandable that Pelley and ownership decided to keep him around. He'll be tested more than ever before in the coming weeks.
National Post
20-05-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Auston Matthews secretive about injuries, while other Maple Leafs open up
With their season done, the Maple Leafs pulled back to the hospital room curtain on several injuries. Article content Article content While captain Auston Matthews steadfastly refused to discuss his lingering upper-body issue — which would've stop ongoing speculation — he did share some details of what derailed his shot at a third Rocket Richard Trophy. Article content He dropped from 69 goals in 81 games to 33 in 67 this past campaign, with just three in 13 post-season appearances. Article content Article content 'It was a very tough season, physically,' the Matthews said Tuesday at the Ford Performance Centre. 'I got injured in training camp, wasn't feeling great for the first month or so and went to (a clinic in) Germany to do all those things to feel better, get to a place where I felt I could manage it better. Article content 'There were good stretches and stretches where I didn't feel very good. It impacted a lot of things,' he said when asked about his shooting. 'I'm confident with some time off, going through my own process and treatment that I'll be back 100% next season.' Article content Article content In other words, no surgery is required. Article content Matthews indicated he doesn't want to give opponents information they could potentially use against him, although the next Leafs game of consequence is five months away. Article content Defenceman Chris Tanev, hit more than any Leaf in playoffs and their lead shot-blocker all season, volunteered he had come through a sterno-clavicular (collarbone) injury in March, but was none the worse for wear when the Senators and Panthers hunted him. Article content Article content Also on Tuesday, goaltender Anthony Stolarz finally was available to discuss what happened in Game 1 against the Panthers that concussed him. Article content The 6-foot-6 Stolarz said it was not caused by Sam Reinhart's hard shot that dislodged his mask, but was indeed former teammate Sam Bennett's elbow to the head that wasn't detected by the officials. Article content 'It was unfortunate, he just caught me in a bad spot,' Stolarz said. 'No malicious intent on Benny's part. Not just him but that entire team plays hard. He obviously felt pretty bad. It's a pretty fast game and s*** is going to happen. About 45 minutes later, I felt the symptoms.' Article content After trying to continue playing, he was ill at the Leafs bench and stretchered to hospital.
CTV News
12-05-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
‘Head of the snake': Teammates, opponents impressed by Leafs defenceman Chris Tanev
Maple Leafs defenceman Chris Tanev (8) clears the puck in front of goaltender Joseph Woll (60) as Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk (19) looks on during Game 2 of the teams' second-round playoff series in Toronto on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Toronto Sun
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
LEAF NOTES: Wearing down Tanev will be focal point of Panthers' game plan
Veteran defenceman shrugs off any discomfort he's hiding, insisting, 'I feel great, every day's a great day' Get the latest from Lance Hornby straight to your inbox Florida Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov (16) checks Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Chris Tanev (8) into the boards during the first period of Game 1 of their second round NHL Stanley Cup playoff series in Toronto on Monday, May 5, 2025. Photo by Nathan Denette / THE CANADIAN PRESS To no one's surprise, the Florida Panthers are trying to finish the Leafs in each game by hammering the 8-ball in the side and corner pockets. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account In other words: Give Toronto's workhorse defenceman Chris Tanev a steady stream of hits. In Game 3, it looked like the cumulative contact might have taken a toll when Tanev disappeared to the dressing room for a few shifts. It turned out it was a broken skate blade and he completed the game. ''He's kind of like the head of the snake on their back end,' Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk told media in Sunrise, Fla. 'You can tell. We're not inside the walls of their room, but you can tell just by the way he conducts himself and talks to the team.' Tanev shrugged off any discomfort he's hiding, insisting Sunday morning, 'I feel great, every day's a great day.' He said he draws some extra punishment because he often hangs onto the puck to open passing options on the breakout 'He puts his body on the line, something you really love to have on your team,' Leafs winger Mitch Marner said. 'I think we're having so much success because of him.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Read More FINISHING KICK Hearing 'Leafs' and 'killer instinct' in the same sentence is something jaded Toronto followers still can't quite equate come playoff time. But when opponents such as Brad Marchand pay them such a compliment, it shows Craig Berube's team is gaining a new level of respect this spring. Marchand, whose overtime goal Friday prevented the Leafs from taking a 3-0 lead on the Panthers, was keeping the series in perspective heading into Sunday's Game 4. 'It feels good, but it's all about doing next game,' he told media in Sunrise. 'They'll come out hard. You saw how they prepared (two quick strikes in Game 3). They have the killer instinct right now.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. When Marchand played in Boston, his team faced elimination five times against Toronto since 2013 and had the intuition to win them all. The Leafs generally shot themselves in the foot. But on his new team, the defending Stanley Cup champions, Marchand has seen Toronto up the ante, while citing the resilience each team has demonstrated in the series to date. The Leafs had two opening-minute strikes counting Game 3, all matches resulting in one-goal decisions. Toronto didn't fold after Joseph Woll let in a bad fourth marker in Game 3, neither did Florida fade after Morgan Rielly tied it. 'That's part of why they're such a great team and what makes us a good team, too,' Marchand said. 'You don't sit back after you're scored on, you want a bounce-back shift. It's a pivotal point in the game when you can respond after a team scores. 'When you have two teams competing at the highest level that are deep, those (goals) happen. You focus on the little details, that's usually when those (follow-up) shifts are won and lost. You have to be prepared to manage those after they score.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. BAD BRAD MEMORIES The Leafs need not explain how Marchand has hurt them over the years in the regular season and playoffs. With just under a point a game in 59 regular season meetings, he entered Game 4 with 33 points in 31 post-season contests and five game-winning goals. It was those totals versus Toronto in a potential playoff meeting and a wealth of experience in the larger spring pressure cooker that made the Panthers want him as Boston entered a rebuild. Marchand was eager to come south, too. The team's new post-win, home-ice tradition is to scoop up the plastic rats that fans toss on the ice and playfully shoot them at Marchand. 'It's a very easy group to feel at home with,' Marchand said. 'You notice the way these guys work. You have a lot of fun, build a lot of unity because of that. They've been through a lot of big moments (taking out Boston twice in the playoffs in addition to their Cup) and tough moments. you bond over that. I feel I've built some friendships in a short period of time.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. New dad Marner didn't want to miss wife Stephanie's first Mother's Day on Sunday while away, but got in touch with her, his mom and his mother-in-law … Tanev revealed Sunday he's finishing off a business degree. He left Rochester Institute of Technology after a year to turn pro, then after a 10-year hiatus picked up studies during the COVID-19 pandemic break. Through an NHLPA program, he transferred his credits to Southern New Hampshire University and is completing online courses, one at a time … It was seven years ago Sunday that Kyle Dubas was named general manager of the Leafs, though he's now with Pittsburgh and Team Canada at the world championship … Listing those on Maurice's teams with playoff overtime goals against the Leafs before Sunday: Niclas Wallin, Jeff O'Neill, Martin Gelinas (Carolina, 2002), Sam Reinhart, Nick Cousins (Florida, 2023) and Marchand (2025). Lhornby@ X: @sunhornby Health Toronto & GTA Sports Crime Toronto Maple Leafs
Edmonton Journal
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
LEAF NOTES: Wearing down Tanev will be focal point of Panthers' game plan
Article content To no one's surprise, the Florida Panthers are trying to finish the Leafs in each game by hammering the 8-ball in the side and corner pockets. Article content Article content In other words: Give Toronto's workhorse defenceman Chris Tanev a steady stream of hits. In Game 3, it looked like the cumulative contact might have taken a toll when Tanev disappeared to the dressing room for a few shifts. It turned out it was a broken skate blade and he completed the game. Article content Article content But when opponents such as Brad Marchand pay them such a compliment, it shows Craig Berube's team is gaining a new level of respect this spring. Marchand, whose overtime goal Friday prevented the Leafs from taking a 3-0 lead on the Panthers, was keeping the series in perspective heading into Sunday's Game 4. 'It feels good, but it's all about doing next game,' he told media in Sunrise. 'They'll come out hard. You saw how they prepared (two quick strikes in Game 3). They have the killer instinct right now.' When Marchand played in Boston, his team faced elimination five times against Toronto since 2013 and had the intuition to win them all. The Leafs generally shot themselves in the foot. But on his new team, the defending Stanley Cup champions, Marchand has seen Toronto up the ante, while citing the resilience each team has demonstrated in the series to date. The Leafs had two opening-minute strikes counting Game 3, all matches resulting in one-goal decisions. Toronto didn't fold after Joseph Woll let in a bad fourth marker in Game 3, neither did Florida fade after Morgan Rielly tied it. Article content 'That's part of why they're such a great team and what makes us a good team, too,' Marchand said. 'You don't sit back after you're scored on, you want a bounce-back shift. It's a pivotal point in the game when you can respond after a team scores. 'When you have two teams competing at the highest level that are deep, those (goals) happen. You focus on the little details, that's usually when those (follow-up) shifts are won and lost. You have to be prepared to manage those after they score.' RECOMMENDED VIDEO BAD BRAD MEMORIES The Leafs need not explain how Marchand has hurt them over the years in the regular season and playoffs. With just under a point a game in 59 regular season meetings, he entered Game 4 with 33 points in 31 post-season contests and five game-winning goals. It was those totals versus Toronto in a potential playoff meeting and a wealth of experience in the larger spring pressure cooker that made the Panthers want him as Boston entered a rebuild. Marchand was eager to come south, too. Article content The team's new post-win, home-ice tradition is to scoop up the plastic rats that fans toss on the ice and playfully shoot them at Marchand. 'It's a very easy group to feel at home with,' Marchand said. 'You notice the way these guys work. You have a lot of fun, build a lot of unity because of that. They've been through a lot of big moments (taking out Boston twice in the playoffs in addition to their Cup) and tough moments. you bond over that. I feel I've built some friendships in a short period of time.' LOOSE LEAFS New dad Marner didn't want to miss wife Stephanie's first Mother's Day on Sunday while away, but got in touch with her, his mom and his mother-in-law … Tanev revealed Sunday he's finishing off a business degree. He left Rochester Institute of Technology after a year to turn pro, then after a 10-year hiatus picked up studies during the COVID-19 pandemic break. Through an NHLPA program, he transferred his credits to Southern New Hampshire University and is completing online courses, one at a time … It was seven years ago Sunday that Kyle Dubas was named general manager of the Leafs, though he's now with Pittsburgh and Team Canada at the world championship … Listing those on Maurice's teams with playoff overtime goals against the Leafs before Sunday: Niclas Wallin, Jeff O'Neill, Martin Gelinas (Carolina, 2002), Sam Reinhart, Nick Cousins (Florida, 2023) and Marchand (2025). Latest National Stories
