General Manager Brad Treliving and Head Coach Craig Berube met with the media on Tuesday to discuss the dismissal of former assistant coach Marc Savard amid the Maple Leafs’ prolonged struggles this season.
Treliving’s opening statements on the firing of Marc Savard
Treliving: Those are never fun decisions to make or fun days. I want to make it clear that the decision of yesterday is not putting the blame solely at Marc Savard’s feet. That is just totally incorrect. We have gone through a stretch here, specifically on the power play if we look at that area. Marc had a big role in that in terms of his responsibilities, and you look at all areas of your team all of the time.
Over the course of time, as we monitor and discuss, that is something where we made a change. We need to be better in that area. It falls on all of us. It falls on the players and all of us — coaches, management, everybody — in all facets of our game to be better. With that particular decision, after a lot of thought, we felt we needed to make a change.
We wish Marc all the very best. We thank him. It is even more difficult, quite frankly, during this time of year. Those are never fun decisions, but I fully believe that when you reach a decision, you act upon it.
I know we all get wrapped up in who is doing what. We will handle those responsibilities internally right now. Derek Lalonde will take a lead, active role as we get through today. We are going into a break, so we will see where we go moving forward, and if that is something we handle internally or if we make an addition to our staff externally.
Brad Treliving Q&A
Did you make the call to fire Marc Savard?
Treliving: Ultimately, I am the manager, so you make the call, but I am in constant discussion, right? I know we will all want to decipher whose decision, but ultimately, it is my decision. But those are not done in a vacuum. You speak with your staff. Chief and I speak constantly every day, and you speak with your management staff, and you ultimately come to a decision.
In Matthews and Nylander, you have two of the most offensively talented players in the NHL. How much does this fall on them?
Treliving: It falls on all of us. The players have a responsibility, right? This doesn’t absolve anybody. This isn’t about throwing this person out and blaming this person. It is a group responsibility. In this job, you have to make decisions.
Ultimately, it falls back on the players. It falls back on all of us. But I just felt, as we go through it, it was a change we could make to change the dynamic of how we go about our business on the power play. But let’s make it clear that Marc, or any coach, doesn’t operate in a vacuum. They talk, and there is a lot of group input. But, ultimately, you have to make a decision. I felt, in discussion with everybody, that we needed to make a decision there.
It is rare for an assistant coach to be dismissed mid-season. How much were you and the organization feeling the pressure of the results recently? How long did you contemplate?
Treliving: It hasn’t been good, so you look at different thoughts. I don’t look at it as a pressure. Ultimately, we are all judged by results. I look at that particular area, and I don’t want to just single out the power play, but it has been an area that has cost us points in the standings, so it has to be better.
If we are focusing just on the power play, you look at how it can be better. You try different formations or personnel. The coaches are working real hard at it. Ultimately, you go down the checklist, and you get to the point where you think, “Maybe changing the messaging is something…”
At the end of the day, you don’t know how it is going to change everything, but again, it is not without a lot of thought and a lot of deliberation on all sorts of fronts. Ultimately, you make a decision and move forward.
What has Craig Berube’s input been like on some of these decisions?
Treliving: You don’t operate in silos. I want to make it clear that I support Craig fully. When you go through tough stretches, whether it be the coach or manager, that is part of the business, right?
I think I did a press conference a month ago. One of the narratives coming out was that there is a disconnect between the coach and me. There isn’t a disconnect. We all have to be better. We all recognize that. But I think we have a real good coach.
We just have to continue to work together with the players and find our way out of it. In terms of this, he and I discuss all decisions and go through a process where you have to communicate. Ultimately, we came to this decision.
You provided Craig Berube with a vote of confidence last time we spoke, and you provided another one just now. How long does your vote of confidence remain with Craig if the losses continue to pile up?
Treliving: I am not going to get into hypotheticals about what happens with this. We have a good coach. We have to continue to make our team better. We have areas where we have to get better. It is not lost on us where the team is at. We live it every day. But I think we have a real good coach.
That is not to say we don’t change some things or tweak some things. We’ve done that over the course of the last couple of weeks. But when you get in these situations, to me, we have to band together. You look for collective solutions. That is what we are trying to do right now.
When approaching trade conversations with teams, are you looking to make a trade to help salvage the season because you still believe in the team’s playoff chances, or at some point, are you starting to look at making moves to get the most out of some assets and look to next year?
Treliving: I don’t think we are turning the page on the season. You continue to monitor the team and know what is going on around the league. You are having discussions with different teams. We are not here waving a white flag.
You always look at change, but again, for the most part… I don’t want to say all of the answers are internal, because if you can find some way to help your team by bringing a player in or making a deal, that’s obviously what you look to do. But when you have people who are underperforming, the best way to turn it around is to get people playing to the level they can. That is where the lion’s share of the work is.
My job is to continue to talk to everybody and see if there are things out there that can help us. That doesn’t change.
William Nylander’s spirits were down after the last game in Dallas. It was uncharacteristic of him. Have you noticed any difference in him?
Treliving: No, I haven’t noticed anything different. Listen, the guys wear it. They care. When you are going through a difficult time, no one wears it more than the people who are living it.
I don’t expect anybody to have high spirits when going through a difficult time, but a lot of this game is mental. We have to focus on the areas we have to focus on, both individually and collectively. Part of the job is trying to get the mindset right. When you go through difficult times, or you are going through a personal challenge with a dry spell, negativity, doubt, and all of the rest of it creeps in. Part of it is about trying to keep people positive as you go through it.
He wears it as all of the players wear it right now. We have to continue to muscle through it. We are going through one. We have to continue to find ways to be better individually and collectively. My job is to help with that. We will continue to do that.
Craig Berube on Marc Savard’s firing: “It is ultimately on me… I am the head coach.”
How tough a day is it when Marc Savard loses his job?
Berube: Good friend, have known him for a long time. It is always hard when you lose somebody and things change, but we didn’t perform well enough, and it is ultimately on me.
How did it get to this point?
Berube: Well, the power play has struggled all year. It wasn’t improving. We didn’t see enough improvement. Obviously, results are what it is all about, and there definitely weren’t enough results. Tre and I talked, and we made a decision.
How much of the responsibility lies with Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and co?
Berube: It is on everybody. As I said, it is on me. I am the head coach.
It sounds like Derek Lalonde is going to lead the power play?
Berube: No, the staff will get the power play.
Are there any lineup changes for this afternoon?
Berube: Yes. Tanev is in.
Did he get the clearance, and what led to that decision?
Berube: Doctors are communicating with him, but ultimately, it comes down to his decision.
In the spring, Keith Pelley said you would have more input into the team’s decisions. Have you, in your mind?
Berube: As I said, Tre and I communicate on everything very well. We make decisions on what we both think is best for the team.
