Forget the Noise: Here’s What Brad Treliving Actually Said About the Leafs’ Future

I’ve been writing here for almost 20 years now. Never once have I written from the perspective of a typical sports fan, and I’ve certainly never pretended to be an expert in sports media or anything remotely connected to it. I started this site and my Twitter account for me, plain and simple. It was a way to get my thoughts out of my head and out into the world, back when I had two little infants at home. Those kids are now either out of college or halfway through.

Today, though, I’m writing something different. This is, in fact, my first true sports article, and it’s coming from a place of frustration. Since Brad Treliving’s press conference last week, I’ve consumed more Leafs content—whether written, broadcast, or podcast—than usual. And frankly, a lot of it has left me shaking my head. This stuff isn’t that complicated, and trust me, I’m not that clever. But after hearing and reading some of the wild takes out there about the Leafs, about Treliving, and about what was said and what wasn’t, well, I had no choice but to start typing.

Here’s what Treliving said that matters most:

“There is some DNA that needs to change in our team. If you keep getting to the same result, and that’s not to dismiss a lot of the good that happened up until it, you keep getting the same result, there is some DNA that needs to change. That’s on me going forward and my staff.”

That one line seemed to send a good portion of the media into a spiral.

Suddenly, everyone wanted to play biologist. What does “DNA” mean? Some even took to explaining what DNA is, literally. I mean, come on.

To me, it couldn’t have been clearer. Treliving even gave it away a moment later when he said:

“When it matters the most, you have to embrace it.”

In other words? When the games are big, you show up.

What is he telling us? He wants to change the core of this team. The heartbeat. The pulse. The players who define the culture of this group need to be the ones who embrace the biggest moments, not shrink from them. That’s it. That’s the whole point.

He’s not talking about players who put up gaudy numbers in the regular season only to disappear when the games mean everything. He’s telling us, loud and clear, that this needs to change.

That’s my read on what he said—and what he didn’t say.

All the noise about Tavares and Marner? Just that: noise. It’s up to Treliving to decide how to reshape the team’s character. I sense that there are no longer any untouchables. I’d wager that both Treliving and Berube—likely with Pelley’s blessing—recognize that this team’s fabric is flawed. The issue isn’t a lack of talent; it’s the inability to elevate when it matters most.

Now, this doesn’t mean everyone is getting shipped out. It does mean there will be a clear effort to bring in players with proven track records of showing up in the biggest moments—players known for accountability when the stakes are high. Playoffs. Game sevens. Those nights.

So when I hear reports about this player refusing to waive, or that player wanting to stay, or agent-driven leaks—I tune it out. Listening to Treliving, both his words and his omissions, it sounds to me like he gets it. He sees the problem. He plans to address it.

No, that doesn’t mean sacrificing skill for a team full of grinders. It means adding character. Adding players who won’t fold under the weight of playoff pressure.

Some of what’s been written and said about Treliving’s presser has honestly bordered on offensive. The suggestion that he didn’t present a plan, or that he’s in over his head, is nonsense. Will he prove to be the right GM? Time will tell. But the wild speculation about his competence is laughable.

For the record, I have no inside sources. None. This is purely my opinion. What I heard was a GM who intends to reshape this team’s core with players who thrive when it matters most. Everything should be on the table, no matter what the agents or players are saying publicly.

And you know what? It wouldn’t surprise me if the Leafs took a slight step back in the regular season. That would be fine if it leads to deeper playoff success, which, let’s be honest, is what truly matters.

Could I be wrong? Of course. But at least this interpretation holds together.

And if I am wrong, you have my word: this will be the last time I write a fan article here. Promise.

— Jonah