Treliving will do 'great' as Maple Leafs general manager, Tkachuk says

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Brad Treliving hadn't yet been officially hired as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, but he'd already received a note of congratulations from Matthew Tkachuk.

"I saw on Twitter that he was going to be named, so I sent him a text right away," the Florida Panthers forward told NHL.com. "He's an awesome guy and a great GM. He'll do great there."

Of all the endorsements Treliving received regarding his new position, which was announced early Wednesday afternoon, the one from Tkachuk is among the most intriguing, if not the most telling.

Just 12 days after the Maple Leafs announced they were parting ways with Kyle Dubas, the 53-year-old became the 18th GM in their history after working the previous nine seasons in the same role with the Calgary Flames. During his tenure, the Flames went 362-265-73 and qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in five of nine seasons, winning three series in that span.

The Toronto gig was Dubas' first as an NHL GM, and team president Brendan Shanahan wanted to go in a different direction. To that end, Treliving checked a number of boxes on Shanahan's wish list.

First off was the experience factor he wanted for the position. As noted, Treliving has that.

Secondly, there was the understanding of being in the fishbowl of a Canadian city, where every transaction, every comment, every decision is at times dissected and prodded, criticized and second-guessed. True, Calgary does not have the population, media core or fan base in terms of sheer numbers that Toronto does, but the passion and scrutiny can be just as high.

Tkachuk doesn't feel it will be an issue for Treliving. In fact, he has high praise for his former general manager and said the spotlight of overseeing the Maple Leafs in Canada's largest city will not be too overwhelming for him to handle.

Far from it.

"He did an unreal job in Calgary, so I know he'll be great there," Tkachuk said. "Look, I can't tell you what the specific differences might be, but he's one of the most respected people in the business.

"I know what the pressure is like playing in Canada. I can't speak to what it's like for the specifics of his job, but he certainly handled it well in Calgary, which is obviously a Canadian market. I truly believe he'll be successful."

What makes Tkachuk's comments so fascinating is that he played a major role in one of Treliving's defining moments in Calgary, one that perhaps serves as a foreshadow of what could take place in the coming weeks in Toronto. Indeed, of all the highs and lows, ups and downs, thrills and spills that made up his journey with the Flames, the trading of Tkachuk to the Panthers 10 months ago still resonates in those two markets.

Tkachuk was traded to Florida on July 22, 2022, for forward Jonathan Huberdeau, defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, forward prospect Cole Schwindt and a first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. The Flames had filed for club-elected salary arbitration with Tkachuk, who had told them he did not want to sign a long-term contract with Calgary and preferred a change of scenery.

Faced with the possibility of eventually losing Tkachuk for nothing, Treliving knew he needed to get something substantial in return. He did just that.

Huberdeau was coming off a career-high 115 points (30 goals, 85 assists) in 80 games in 2021-22, good enough to finish tied for second in NHL scoring. Weegar had 44 points (eight goals, 36 assists) in 80 regular-season games that season in his role as a top-four defenseman with the Panthers.

Asked what he thought of the package Calgary received for him, Tkachuk smiled and said, "Pretty nice."

Now, as he takes over in Toronto, Treliving is faced with similar decisions regarding star players, none more than with Auston Matthews.

The forward, who won the Hart Trophy in 2021-22 as the most valuable player in the NHL, has one year left in his contract with a no-movement clause that kicks in July 1. He's stated that he wants to stay but there were public fears that the narrative might have changed with the departure of Dubas, who had a good relationship with Matthews and his representative, Judd Moldaver.

What to do in that event? Would Treliving have to trade Matthews before that date if they couldn't sign him by then, the same scenario that occurred with Tkachuk?

As noted, Treliving is not unfamiliar with such a landscape and has already reached out to Matthews' camp. And if you listen to Tkachuk, the former Flames GM tries to create a positive environment for the players.

"I still have a great relationship with 'Tree' and we still talk once in a while," Tkachuk said. "Either he'll reach out or I'll reach out. He's one of the best, most well respected GMs in hockey and pretty much could have gotten another job in hockey, pretty much any he wanted. He probably had his pick of where to go, and that's exciting."

Treliving and the Flames mutually agreed to part ways April 17.

"I don't really know what happened there in Calgary, but I know I liked my time with him," Tkachuk said. "He was super great to all the players and everybody.

"And yeah, in my case, it was definitely the opposite of player versus GM. There was no animosity. It was like us working together for a solution for both. I'm super thankful to have a guy like that and a guy like [Panthers GM] Bill Zito, who's been unbelievable to deal with, as shown by the fact we were able to figure it out.

"Bill and Tree have been obviously tremendous in my career so far and getting me to where I am."

Tkachuk and his current teammates are four wins away from a championship. The Panthers face the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; TNT, TBS, truTV, CBC, SN, TVAS).

Simply put, Tkachuk has been a stud with Florida. He had 109 points (40 goals, 69 assists) in 79 regular-season games and was named a finalist for the Hart Trophy. He's followed that up with a magical playoff run that's featured four game-winning goals (three in overtime), and is second in the NHL with 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) in 16 games.

There are revisionist historians out there who point at Huberdeau's struggles in Calgary as a sign that Treliving was fleeced in the trade. But he could not have predicted the forward would have a 60-point decrease in his production from his last season in Florida. No one could have.

Now, he faces a number of new challenges in Toronto. Matthews and fellow forward William Nylander have one year remaining on their respective contracts, and Mitch Marner has two. Then there's the question of whether to bring back coach Sheldon Keefe or go in a different direction.

With so much uncertainty on Treliving's plate, one thing's for sure: Tkachuk is certain his former GM will handle it successfully.

He would know better than most.