Auston Matthews Extension is Not a Focus Point for Brad Treliving
The Toronto Maple Leafs have officially announced Brad Treliving as their new General Manager.
The announcement sets in motion a series of actions that will soon put Treliving's decision-making skills to the test. Crucial decisions regarding both the draft and the status of the team's free agents are expected in the following weeks.
Arguably the most significant free agent is Auston Matthews. While his contract doesn't expire until the next season, it is likely that negotiations for their top player will commence sooner rather than later.
However, a former Maple Leafs player has challenged the presumption that extending Matthews' contract should be Treliving's primary focus.
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Former Maple Leaf Suggests Luke Schenn Should be Treliving's Top Priority
Carlo Colaiacovo, a former player for the Leafs, presented some intriguing insights on TSN's First Up. In his view, Treliving's primary focus should be Luke Schenn, not Matthews.
He argues,
"You're starting with some nice pieces. You've got Morgan Rielly, T.J. Brodie, Mark Giordano, Timothy Liljegren, Connor Timmins, but there seems to be something missing. Your first order of business is to find a way to bring back Luke Schenn.
For years, they've been trying to find a steady partner for Morgan Rielly. Other than Ron Hainsey and Brodie at times, Morgan Rielly's game has never been better than when he started playing with Luke Schenn. So that's a positive. You find a guy to play with Morgan Rielly.
Luke Schenn has contributed more to the Leafs than anyone expected, and he has significantly improved Rielly's game. So that would be priority number one on the back end-to find a way to keep Luke Schenn.
For years, they've been trying to find a steady partner for Morgan Rielly. Other than Ron Hainsey and Brodie at times, Morgan Rielly's game has never been better than when he started playing with Luke Schenn. So that's a positive. You find a guy to play with Morgan Rielly.
Luke Schenn has contributed more to the Leafs than anyone expected, and he has significantly improved Rielly's game. So that would be priority number one on the back end-to find a way to keep Luke Schenn.
Why Keeping Luke Schenn Makes Sense
This season, Morgan Rielly's game has flourished when paired with Luke Schenn, reaching its peak performance. Schenn, who has demonstrated his desire to continue playing in Toronto, would provide a risk-free option for the Leafs both on the ice and in managing their salary cap.
As Read on HockeyPatrol - Brad Treliving's Top Priority Isn't an Auston Matthews Extension
| POLL | ||
31 MAI | 88 ANSWERS Auston Matthews Extension is Not a Focus Point for Brad Treliving Should the Leafs focus more on Re-signing Matthews instead? | ||
| Yes | 47 | 53.4 % |
| No | 41 | 46.6 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
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