The toughness is in, and the excuses are out for the Toronto Maple Leafs after Brad Treliving's first trade deadline as their GM. Will his moves translate into tangible success? Ken Campbell discusses.

Almost every move made by Brad Treliving since he took over as GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs has been geared to making them tougher, more resilient and a nastier opponent. And he continued that trend with his three acquisitions in his first trade deadline as GM of the organization.

In acquiring defensemen Ilya Lyubushkin and Joel Edmundson and fourth-line center/penalty-killer Connor Dewar, the Leafs have addressed a massive chasm that has existed in their lineup for time immemorial.

Does that necessarily make them a better team? Probably not? Does it make them a tougher team? You bet it does. Whether that actually translates into any tangible success in the Stanley Cup playoffs remains to be seen, but it was an element in their game that needed to be addressed. The thinking is that with all the additions Treliving has made, the Leafs’ skill players won’t constantly be looking over their shoulders or timid about going to the scoring areas. And they will be able to clear the front of their net much better than they have in the past.

Again, the Leafs might find themselves on the outside looking in again after the first round because they happen to play in the most unforgiving division in the NHL, but it will be intriguing to see exactly what they can accomplish with a lot more pushback in their lineup.

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