The Toronto Maple Leafs hired former Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving on Wednesday to fill their vacant GM role.
The Flames and Treliving mutually agreed to part ways in April after the team missed the playoffs.
Treliving was hired as Flames’ GM in April 2014.
The Flames made the post-season five times in nine seasons under Treliving, with their best showing being two second-round appearances.
Calgary won the Pacific Division title last year before losing to the Edmonton Oilers in the second round.
Last summer, Treliving had to do some heavy lifting after Johnny Gaudreau signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets in free agency and fellow star forward Matthew Tkachuk indicated he would not be open to re-signing a long-term deal with the Flames. Treliving dealt Tkachuk to the Panthers for forward Jonathan Huberdeau and defenceman MacKenzie Weegar in a deal that was widely praised, considering the lack of leverage for Calgary.
However, the Flames had a rocky season, with reported friction between players and coach Darryl Sutter, as well as between Sutter and Treliving.
After Treliving left the Flames, the team later fired Sutter.
The Leafs cut ties with GM Kyle Dubas on May 19 after five years at the helm. The team was ousted in five games in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Florida Panthers – after losses in the first round of the post-season in Dubas’ first four years in charge.
Treliving takes over a Leafs team that has had plenty of off-ice drama since being eliminated. Four days before Dubas was fired, he said during a media conference he wasn’t sure he wanted to return to the Leafs as GM because of family considerations. He had a contract that expires next month.
Three days later, Dubas’ agent sent new financial requests to Leafs president Brendan Shanahan. The next day, Shanahan informed Dubas he was no longer GM.
Coach Sheldon Keefe, hired by Dubas and with long-standing ties to the ex-Leafs GM, has one year left on his contract.
Treliving also has key decisions to make on some of the Leafs’ top players.
Top forwards Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews and William Nylander all have no-movement clauses that kick in July 1. Matthews is eligible to sign a long-term extension the same day.
