Fixing the top-six forwards via trade is next Treliving goal for post-Marner Leafs
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That's how Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving described the departure of a player of the stature of Mitch Marner, who officially became a member of the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday morning in a sign-and-trade.
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'I would agree that Mitch is going to go down as one of the great Leafs,' Treliving said on Tuesday afternoon after he had a quiet day on the free-agent front. 'The statistics (Marner is fifth in franchise scoring) prove it.
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'Ultimately, the player has a choice … certainly we approached Mitch to engage him on a contract. As is his right, Mitch and his representative (Darren Ferris) wanted to wait until the year was done, and as it became clearer and clearer to us that potential may not be there, we tried to look at alternatives.
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'As was his right and was negotiated, Mitch has a full no-move, so he controlled the process. I don't know if I'm frustrated (with the way the Marner saga ended). He had the right to control what he wanted to control.'
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Treliving wouldn't discuss contract negotiations, refusing to say if the Leafs offered more than the $12 million average annual value (for eight years) that Marner got. And he would not address speculation that the Leafs would have asked the NHL to investigate the Golden Knights for tampering had Vegas signed Marner on the open market.
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For Treliving, getting veteran centre Nicolas Roy in return from the Golden Knights was crucial.
'He was an important player for them,' Treliving said. 'He's a guy that can match up. One thing he probably doesn't get enough credit for is there's some sneaky skill with him, he has good hands. He can play in tight, kill penalties. Gives you a right-shot option on the faceoff circle. He can play against good players can play with good players.
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'There's versatility to the player. That's a broad overview, but we think it can be a real important player for us.
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'In a situation where a player (potentially) was walking away this morning for nothing, we were able to recoup a player that fits a need for us. (And) he has a Stanley Cup ring to his name.'
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As free agency opened on Canada Day, Treliving netted just one player, forward Michael Pezzetta. The Toronto native will hit anything that moves from his spot on the fourth line, provided, of course, he is in the lineup.
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The new Leafs, as of now, include Roy, Pezzetta and winger Matias Maccelli. Even taking into account the trading of Marner, it doesn't add up to the DNA change that Treliving is seeking.
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Treliving has some money in the bank — approximately $5 million under the salary cap — and acknowledged that the free-agent market is looking 'thinner and thinner.'
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