Pierre McGuire Explains How Brad Treliving Failed the Toronto Maple Leafs This Offseason
Photo credit: Imagn Images
Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving has made some mistakes throughout the offseason, and Pierre McGuire is making some of them clear.
Pierre McGuire is someone who has been an analyst in the game of hockey for a very long time, and he certainly has a great eye for talent.
Although his own attempts at being an executive haven't always yielded results, his commentary is still very much respected by hockey fans everywhere.
That's why many Leafs fans were paying attention to Toronto Sports Rush, where McGuire was a guest earlier this week.
Pierre McGuire on Brad Treliving
In his appearance, McGuire had some criticism for the Toronto Maple Leafs and their decision to acquire defenseman Henry Thrun from the San Jose Sharks.
While McGuire likes the player, he acknowledges that the Leafs don't need depth puck movers. They need puck-moving defensemen who can play in the top four.
Beyond an aging and deteriorating Morgan Rielly, they simply do not have that kind of player on the roster right now.
I'd love to see them try to make one upgrade in terms of a puck-moving defenseman. One of the things they did this summer, they brought in Henry Thrun. I think Henry Thrun is a very useful player; Henry's a really good puck mover, but he's a depth puck mover. He's not a top-four puck mover.
I think if they ever could add one of those and take some pressure off of, let's say, Morgan Rielly in the power play, I think that would help them. I would be trying to gauge and focus in on a power play defenseman.
Think about it: last year, they went five forwards on their first power play in Toronto, and Mitchell Marner is not there anymore. He was the guy running the power play. So, I think that would be something that I'd be looking for if I were a Brad Treliving and the Toronto Maple Leafs is a puck-moving, elite offensive-type defenseman.
I think if they ever could add one of those and take some pressure off of, let's say, Morgan Rielly in the power play, I think that would help them. I would be trying to gauge and focus in on a power play defenseman.
Think about it: last year, they went five forwards on their first power play in Toronto, and Mitchell Marner is not there anymore. He was the guy running the power play. So, I think that would be something that I'd be looking for if I were a Brad Treliving and the Toronto Maple Leafs is a puck-moving, elite offensive-type defenseman.
This is a pretty hefty criticism, but it is a fair one, all things considered. The Leafs do need some extra firepower on the back end.
There was a sequence last season in which the Leafs did not get a goal from a defenseman for literal weeks.
That is not acceptable, and the Leafs cannot allow the same thing to happen next season.
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