Brad Treliving expected to land Maple Leafs GM job: Report

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Brad Treliving, with whom the Maple Leafs conducted their only live interview for the vacant general manager’s job, remains the front runner and appears headed to an official hiring this week.

TSN’s Darren Dreger tweeted Tuesday night the 53-year-old Penticton, B.C. native, most recently GM of the Calgary Flames before parting ways when they missed the playoffs, has a clear field.

“The search is wrapping up and all signs point to (Treliving),” Dreger posted.

Leafs president Brendan Shanahan said he wanted an experienced executive at the helm when he fired Kyle Dubas almost two weeks ago, in a surprise move.

Who should be the first available but Treliving, who is not only well-versed in hockey operations in a major Canadian market, but inherits a similar contract conundrum in Toronto as he had in Calgary when Matthew Tkachuk wouldn’t sign a long-term extension as a restricted free agent. A trade was arranged with Florida involving Jonathan Huberdeau which has yet to pay dividends for the Flames while Tkachuk is a Conn Smythe Trophy candidate for the Stanley Cup finalist Panthers.

For the Leafs, Auston Matthews has a year to go and can renegotiate after July 1, so, too, can William Nylander, while Mitch Marner has a year left but he, captain John Tavares and Matthews all have no trade/no movement clauses about to be triggered around July 1.

The ‘Core Four’ would like to know who is in charge as that date approaches and hear what the post-Dubas plan is.

There are also numerous unrestricted free agents to deal with in the coming weeks such as forward Ryan O’Reilly and defenceman Luke Schenn and restricted free agent goaltender Ilya Samsonov.

The NHL draft is in less than a month in Nashville, but the Leafs choose late in the first round at 28th and have only two other picks at present.

Treliving was a defenceman who played more than 250 minor-league games. As an exec, he co-founded the Western Professional League in 1996,helping merge it with the Central Hockey League five years later.

In 2003, he became assistant GM of the Phoenix Coyotes under Don Maloney.

In April of 2014, he was hired to be GM of the Flames. Their lack of playoff success, especially after the Tkachuk trade and the high profile signing of ex-Leaf Nazem Kadri, led to a mutual parting when his contract was up this last April.

Brad is the son of former Mountie and Canadian businessman Jim Treliving, founder of the Boston Pizza chain. He follows the path of Cliff Fletcher more than 30 years ago who came from the Flames to the Leafs, albeit in a rebuild situation.

The Leafs have had two seasons with 110-plus points but short playoff runs.

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