Maple Leafs Management Sends Mixed Messages To Fans – Hockey Writers – Toronto Maple Leafs
On Friday (May 10), the Toronto Maple Leafs wrapped up the 2023-24 season with a press conference, which was given by Keith Pelley, the newly hired manager of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan, and general. manager (GM) Brad Treliving. Pelley began the press conference by discussing the importance of having “good chemistry and chemistry.”
Later, when answering questions, GM Treliving used the phrase, “Everybody matters” more than once. He clarified that when he said, “We can only have success here if the food group and number 23 on the list are important. And they are.”
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When asked about the failure of the Core Four players and whether there is a need for change, Treliving replied, “I know there is talk about the Core Four (Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares) and all these names we talk about, but we don't with it inside.”
He continued, “I would argue against the idea that things have never changed here. There has been a lot of change. It is clear that there has been a lot of change in these key players.”
(Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images)
Combining these comments makes it seem like the message is less about the Core Four and more about creating team unity and chemistry.
Deconstructing Messages Revealed by Maple Leaf Management
Shanahan's statements had a different tone. He spoke at length about the cumulative failures of his tenure and the need for improvement. At one point, he said, “We've looked back and had a different experience where, if you were to sit in the middle of nowhere and watch this one game, you might have a different view of our team, the hope, and the camaraderie of our team. where we were. We can't think like that anymore after seeing what we see every year.”
Shanahan and Treliving then reiterated that, regarding potential changes, “Everything is on the table.”
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Counting makes two of the three key players in the Maple Leafs team's cohesiveness that stresses leadership and chemistry but (again) says, “Everything is on the table.” The question is, how can an organization do both at the same time?
Treliving Changes the Way Things Work in Teams
We agree with Treliving's statement about the many changes the Maple Leafs have made in the past. During the Kyle Dubas era, one constant was that the team was constantly changing. Over the past three seasons, the roster around the core five (the Core Four plus the addition of Morgan Rielly) has been a revolving door of players. It was as if the Maple Leafs were trying to find players whose value was to make the core successful. If they could not do that, they were discarded and replaced by others.
After Treliving was hired, he worked on finding players who spoke to what he felt was needed—players with more size and “snot.” One thing he didn't do was make a lot of changes at the trade deadline. That went along with the idea of building team chemistry and unity. He was more willing to stick with the players that had gotten the Maple Leafs to the point they were at than bring in “hired guns” to shut them down.
Treliving is working to change the way teams talk about their players. In the new story, the talk is about the team, not just the key players. The goal seems to de-emphasize them. Now, the question is, how can they improve the 23-man roster?
Reflecting on the Phrase “Everything's on the Table”
However, this new idea of ”everything is on the table” exists. Does that go hand in hand with building team cohesion and chemistry? To answer that question, we must go back to Pelley's words, “The greatest skill associated with chemical intoxication is unity.”
We don't think there is any doubt that this team has “great talent.” Matthews, Marner, Nylander, and Tavares are four talented players in the NHL. Rielly is one of the most skilled defenders in the league. (For those who might disagree about Rielly, check out the league's top ten scoring defensemen over the past seven seasons.)
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The question then is about chemistry and unity. Do those five players have the chemistry and unity that Pelley and Treliving are talking about? We think that question will be answered by management's actions this offseason.
The Basic Incompatibility of Team Unity and Everything is on the Table
One can't help but notice the apparent contradiction in the statements of Maple Leafs management. On the other hand, there is a strong emphasis on promoting team unity and chemistry. CEO Pelley and GM Treliving highlighted that doctrine. However, on the other hand, there is an equally strong assertion that “everything is on the table.” The phrase suggests that fans should be prepared for the impact of significant changes.
These two approaches seem to be completely incompatible. While the emphasis on unity implies a desire to build on the existing foundation and strengthen the bonds between the group, the idea that “everything is on the table” suggests a willingness to dismantle that foundation.
As the Maple Leafs wind down the season and ponder their next steps, it begs the question: Can they go both ways at once? The answer remains up for debate, but one thing is clear—until Maple Leafs management reconciles these conflicting narratives, the team's direction may be clouded by confusion, ambiguity, and indecision.
[Note: I want to thank long-time Maple Leafs fan Stan Smith for collaborating with me on this post. Stan’s Facebook profile can be found here.]
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