How can GM Brad Treliving make Maple Leafs' DNA change happen?

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Take your pick, Brad Treliving.

The possibilities for DNA change in the Maple Leafs are bound to be sitting right in front of you.

Sam Bennett. Brad Marchand. Corey Perry. All of them are slated to become unrestricted free agents on July 1.

If only it was going to be that easy for Treliving, heading into his third season as Leafs general manager, once free agency opens in the National Hockey League on Canada Day.

Thursday marks three weeks since Treliving, in his post-playoffs media availability some 11 days after the Leafs were eliminated by the Florida Panthers, said that “there’s some DNA that has to change in our team.”

That was evident after the Leafs were atrocious in Games 5 and 7 against the Panthers. There was further clarity as the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs progressed into the respective conference finals and the Cup final without, as usual, the Leafs’ participation.

The challenges for Treliving in retooling the Leafs aren’t limited.

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To begin with, if you’re Bennett or Marchand, we can’t see a reason why either would want to leave Florida.

Panthers GM Bill Zito said after Florida beat the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 of the Cup final on Tuesday that he thinks he can re-sign Bennett, Marchand and defenceman Aaron Ekblad, never mind that Florida has just $19-million US in salary cap space and have other players to consider as well.

With the way that each performed in the post-season — Bennett won the Conn Smythe Trophy after scoring 15 goals in 23 games, narrowly beating Marchand, who had 20 points in 23 games, in the voting done by a panel of Professional Hockey Writers Association members — Bennett and Marchand should have numerous interested teams lined up on the open market.

Bennett’s previous cap hit was $4.425 million. If the 28-year-old forward doesn’t at least double that on his next contract, it would be surprising.

Marchand, of course, at 37 is little more long in the tooth. Still, after what he just accomplished, why would he take anything less than the $6.125-million cap hit he had on an eight-year pact, that he just earned?

And then there is Perry, who, at the age of 40, scored three goals in the Cup final, though all were scored in Oilers losses. He made $1.15 million this past season. It’s obvious Perry still can be a factor, but no matter who signs him, anything long-term should be out of the question.

With the expectation everywhere that Mitch Marner’s time with the Leafs is done, Treliving will have just under $26 million in the bank to use at his discretion to re-model the Leafs roster. Chunks of that sum are earmarked for restricted free agent Matthew Knies and, presumably, John Tavares.

Any one of Bennett, Marchand or Perry would help the Leafs, to varying degrees, in the alteration that Treliving desires. But would that be enough for the Leafs to finally shed the annual playoff frustrations and have actual success in the post-season?

The challenges for Treliving and coach Craig Berube include getting players such as captain Auston Matthews and William Nylander to a point where there are changes in the way they go about their post-season business.

There was more grit in the way the Leafs played in Berube’s first regular season behind the bench in Toronto, but the stars, Marner included, couldn’t make an emotional difference against the Panthers in the second round. Ditto for Tavares.

It’s not just at the top where a change in the Leafs’ approach has to happen. The Panthers depth players, specifically the third line of Anton Lundell between Eetu Luostarinen and Marchand, were tone-setters in the march to a second Cup win in as many years.

The Leafs don’t have much comparable in their bottom six, not that many teams in the NHL do. What players such as Max Domi, Scott Laughton and Bobby McMann bring is OK, but they’re a notch below what Panthers coach Paul Maurice had at his disposal.

And, if you’re going to follow the Panthers model, there’s going to have to be change in how the Leafs work on the forecheck, isn’t there? The Panthers’ diligence and tenacity was crucial throughout the playoffs.

It’s not that the Leafs don’t have a good forechecking system — under Berube, they do — but finding ways to make it more impactful have to be among the off-season goals.

The clock started ticking on the Leafs and their off-season goals late on the night of May 18, when the Panthers squashed them in Game 7 at Scotiabank Arena.

Adding some of the Panthers’ DNA, or something similar, would add up to a good summer of work Treliving.

A stiff test awaits. We’ll have a firm idea in a few weeks whether Treliving was able to attain a good grade.

tkoshan@postmedia.com

X: @koshtorontosun