Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment CEO Keith Pelley discussed why Brad Treliving was fired, mentioning the rise of two rival teams – as well as the search for a data-driven GM.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are on pace for their worst statistical season in a decade.
But a day after firing GM Brad Treliving, MLSE CEO Keith Pelley told reporters the team could be back in the playoffs sooner than you think.
"We have the foundational pieces in place, which gives me the confidence that we can contend very quickly," said Pelley. "And if we put the right person in place with the right structure in hockey operations, then I'm convinced we can do it."
In a news conference that touched on several topics, including a refusal to tank for a top-five draft pick and a desire to hire a GM and a president of hockey operations who are both "data centric," Pelley said part of the reason why Toronto struggled had to do with the teams around them in the standings.
"We definitely didn't see the train coming, which was the Buffalo Sabres and the Montreal Canadiens, and how strong those two teams are," Pelley said. "Along with the likes of Detroit and Ottawa, Boston with a strong spine have been able to retool, and Florida and Tampa are always strong.
"But Buffalo and Montreal have shown that (they're) young energetic team(s), (and) they're going to be here for a long time… they're strong, and they're going to be strong for a long period of time. And the Atlantic Division is a really strong division, and we're going to really have to improve and be good to win the Atlantic Division again."
Moving forward, the Leafs will now try to find a replacement for Treliving. As well, Pelley said he is open to hiring a successor to Brendan Shanahan, who was fired last summer as the team's president.
In the interim, assistant GM Brandon Pridham and assistant GM, minor league ops, Ryan Hardy, will run the organization's day-to-day operations. As for Pelley, he went out of his way to say that he's not going to be meddling in any choices the team's hockey staff will make.
"I'm not here to be a scout," Pelley said. "I'm not here to be a coach. I'm not here to be a general manager, and I have no desire on giving any input on who should play left wing. I'm here to create the overall vision, the strategy, (to) put the structure, (to) put the process, (to) put the pillars in place to develop the right culture for us to have a winning and contending team year after year."
While Pelley did not disclose who the Leafs will be looking at as a potential GM or whether the ideal candidate has to even have prior experience, he did cite certain qualities that the franchise is looking for.
"One of the keys to (Leafs GM) candidates is they have to be data-centric," Pelley said, while also referencing Carolina Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky, who previously was the team's head of hockey analytics. "They have to really understand data, and the importance of data, and where data is moving. We have just completed a complete rebuild of (soccer team) TFC all using data combined with cultural checks. And that's what we will do (with the Leafs). And every single decision that we will make will be evidence-based. Evidence-based decisions are never wrong."
That being said, Pelley refused to lay the entirety of the blame for the state of the Leafs on Treliving's shoulders. Nor did he blame coach Craig Berube, whose status will likely be determined by whoever is hired as GM.
"There's no right and wrong way to put a structure in place to build championships," said Pelley. "I'm comfortable doing anything that gives the Toronto Maple Leafs the best chance to win the Stanley Cup – period, end of story."
Well, not everything.
The Leafs' first-round pick in this year's draft is top-five protected. That means that the team, which has seven games remaining, has to try and get as far down in the standings as possible. However, Pelley shot down the idea that Toronto is hoping to finish the season on a losing streak.
"There is zero chance that the Toronto Maple Leafs will tank," he said. "I don't believe in it. Ownership doesn't believe in it. I grew up in an environment when you played sports, you tried to win every single game.
"In the last seven games, we'll try to win every single game."
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