Ahead of the opening of 2024 training camp, GM Brad Treliving discussed the latest injury updates, whether the team has improved over last season, the competition in the net, and whether there is a path for young players to make the opening-night roster.
Treliving’s updates on the injuries to Fraser Minten, Connor Dewar, Ben Danford & Ryan Tverberg
I have some injury updates. Unfortunately, we have a few.
Connor Dewar had shoulder surgery over the summer. He won’t be a participant. He is progressing with no setbacks. He won’t be starting with us as he continues that.
Unfortunately, Fraser Minten suffered a high-ankle sprain on Sunday afternoon in the rookie games up in Montreal. The timeline is unknown, but we are probably talking weeks.
Ben Danford suffered a concussion in rookie camp, although he is progressing quite well. He has been out of action but is moving forward.
Ryan Tverberg had shoulder surgery over the course of the summer. We could see him sooner than later.
Q&A with Brad Treliving ahead of the opening of training camp
Can you speak about the contract status of Mitch Marner and John Tavares?
Treliving: I am not going to speak about contracts, so we can throw that one out of the way right off the bat. But they’re great players.
Both have had great summers. We are fortunate, as I said when I got here, to have players like Mitch and John. It is one of the allures of coming here when I talked to Craig about coaching here. Great players. Hopefully, they are going to be great Leafs for a long, long time.
As far as worrying about any contracts, those are things that we are going to handle behind closed doors. If we have news to report, we will report it.
What makes you believe this year’s roster can go further than last year’s?
Treliving: I think it is important that you have goals in mind. It is good that our players have a goal. That is the goal, and after today, it is about getting better every day. It is not worrying about winning the Stanley Cup. You can’t do that on September 18th.
We have to be process-driven. I know it sounds motherhood-ish and cliche, but we have to just worry about trying to get better and be great each day. If you take care of those details, you will get to where you eventually want to go. That is what I am focused on.
As far as what gives me hope, I think we have improved our roster. You don’t hit grand slams every day. Sometimes, you just have to keep hitting singles and doubles when picking away at your roster.
Getting better isn’t because you airlift in a bunch of new people. Internal growth is the best way to get better in this league. It is not just flying in the great free agent or making ten trades. I see percentages — two, three, four — where if we can have that internal growth with some of our younger players and some of the players who were here…
I think we have upgraded our defense. We can upgrade our penalty kill, an area that was a problem for us.
If you look at our team last year, we were second in goals. We lost 21 goals in Tyler Bertuzzi. I look at our roster right now, and I think there is going to be some competition. I think we can replace those goals—not necessarily by one person, but I think we are going to have competition there. I think we can shoot it in the net.
For us, it is about keeping it out. Bringing in Craig and his staff is going to help us in that regard. We have to check better. That does not take away the things our players do really well, but those are the things that I am excited about.
Seeing Joe Woll take another step, having Anthony Stolarz here, and having Matt Murray compete in net can help us be a better team in goal.
When I look at our team, it is picking out pieces where we can be better: better on the penalty kill, and we have to get to the playoffs, but we need to find a way to be better on the power play in the playoffs. We have to keep it out of our net more than we did last year.
Based on what you saw from Joseph Woll last season, what sort of upside do you see there? What do you think he can accomplish this season?
Treliving: I have all the confidence in the world in Joe. I think he is one of the top young goaltenders in the league.
Now, there is a step. There is a process you go through. It is a hard position. We want to make sure we are supporting him. I think we have great depth at the position.
I mentioned those three guys. Hildeby is pushing. He is a year older and had a really good year in the American league. I think we have good depth at the position.
There is still a lot Joe has to learn in the league. The biggest challenge for Joe has been, quite frankly, health. Sometimes, you can’t control it. But I think he has great technical ability. I think he has a great mind for the position and a great demeanour for the position. He is athletic. He looks after himself.
I am excited for Joe. I am excited to see Anthony and Murray. That is going to be one of the interesting things to follow over the next three weeks or a month here: the goaltending position.
You talked about internal growth from young players. This team seemed to get older with the additions. The path into the team for prospects and young players isn’t always clear. What advice would you give to players like Nick Robertson and Easton Cowan, and young players who are vying for full-time roles?
Treliving: Go play well. I don’t buy into the path part. It is the NHL. If you can help us win, I don’t care if you are 18 or 38. Play well.
We do feel we have young players who are going to come. It is not just age, right? Bobby McMann is a young player in the league. Bobby McMann, Nick Robertson, Pontus Holmberg, and Simon Benoit didn’t make our opening-day roster last year, if I remember correctly, and all played significant roles for our team throughout the year.
I look at our team right now. I am sure everybody has the names on a napkin of who is playing with who. We’ll see.
Let’s be honest. Everyone talks about how there is competition in camp, so come win a job. Auston is going to be on the team. Mitch is going to be on the team. Willy is going to be on the team. There are a few guys who we are pretty sure are going to be on the team. I haven’t talked to Chief about it yet, but they are going to be on the team.
There is competition. There are people. In my mind, Easton is pushing. Having said that, we all want to put them on the team in July and August. Preseason is one thing. Regular season is a different thing. Later in the regular season in the NHL is a different thing.
I think Easton is pushing. Fraser, unfortunately, got hurt, but he is pushing. Young Grebenkin—we will see where he is at. He is pushing.
We will make room for young players if young players can help us win. Don’t read into this idea of, “Where is the path?” The path starts with playing well, and then we will find a seat for you.
Bill Daly mentioned that managers have an appetite to change the LTIR system. Where do you fall on it as it stands now?
Treliving: I don’t like to get into CBA stuff. That is above my pay grade.
I think a lot of that talk has come in with regard to playoff rosters. You have a salary cap of X, and people come back in the playoffs.
Where I sit right now: There are always great ideas, but you forget the unintended consequences. I would like to get more info about how it would all work and look.
It is a CBA issue. The league does a good job of handling all of that. If or when they need my input, I am sure they will ask. We will leave it at that.
