The Executive’s Pulse
Date: November 18, 2025
Source: Toronto Maple Leafs (YouTube)
On Tuesday afternoon, Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving addressed the media at Scotiabank Arena as the team hit the 20-game mark. Treliving spoke at length about the club’s underperformance, defensive issues, identity concerns, patience with the roster, belief in head coach Craig Berube, injury timelines, and the expectations ahead. The GM repeatedly emphasized accountability, consistency, and reconnecting the group to the hard-working identity that defined last season.
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Opening Statement: “We’ve Underperformed… The Responsibility Lies With Myself”
“We’re not where we want to be or where we envisioned to be. We’ve underperformed to this point. I take full responsibility. I’m in charge of the hockey department. I’ve put the people in place on the ice and off the ice, so the responsibility lies with myself.”
On Areas Most in Need of Improvement
“We’ve given up too much defensively. We’re not playing connected. We’ve scored goals, but we haven’t done the things you need to do to generate offense on a regular basis. Conversely, we haven’t done the things you need to do collectively to prevent the other team from scoring.”
On the Team’s Inconsistency and Lack of Enthusiasm
“I think the inconsistency of effort in some cases… there’s been some inconsistencies there. When you go through a difficult time, it’s easy to feel a little bit tight. We need to get that enthusiasm back in our group.”
On Why the Team Has Struggled to Grasp the System
“Injuries are not an excuse. Everybody goes through injuries. There is that disconnect that we’re not doing it. It comes back to the inconsistency. You have to keep hammering home the message and keep working with these guys on a daily basis for them to grasp it.”
On Why They Can’t Replicate Last Year’s Defensive Success
“Just because you did it last year doesn’t make it that you’re just going to do it. You have to commit to the work. The plan is not a different plan. Unless you commit to the hard parts of the game, it doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the past.”
On His Confidence in Craig Berube
“Craig didn’t become a bad coach overnight. The way out of this is not pointing fingers but digging in together. Craig and his staff are working hard at it and I support and have all the faith in the world in them.”
On the New Additions Struggling to Reach Expected Levels
“I think there’s a different level that they can get to. If we were sitting here in September and said, ‘This is what my game should look like,’ I think probably all of them would say it’s under where the expectation is. They need to be better and we’ve got to help them get better.”
On How Much Patience He Has Before Making Moves
“You’re not trading your way out of problems. You have to have patience, but patience isn’t inactivity. If there are ways to make our team better, we’ll look at them, but the majority of the problems we have need to be solved within that group.”
On the Team Lacking an Identity
“I think there’s been too much vanilla with our team. You don’t know how it’s going to look from night to night. I think you can count on one hand how many full complete games we’ve had.”
On Whether Expectations for the Season Have Changed
“No, the expectations aren’t changing. Right now it’s getting our team playing to the level they’re capable of. Before we start worrying about expectations, it’s getting individuals and the team to the level they can play at.”
On Timelines for Chris Tanev, Auston Matthews, and Injured Players
“We probably know a little bit more in the next week or so on Chris. We miss Chris — it’s hard to replace top people. On Auston, he skated this morning. He’s day-to-day. I don’t anticipate too long, but Tuesday and Thursday are out of the question.”
On Whether the Roster Needs Upgrading
“You’re consistently looking at ways to improve your team. From the goaltending out, that’s an area we want to stabilize. Our defense shares in the defensive issues. Moving pucks is an area we look at. We’ll continue to look at all positions.”
On David Kämpf’s Departure
“David didn’t want to play with the Marlies. He left the team and made it clear he wanted a new start. We worked with him on opportunities to see if there was a trade. He decided a fresh start was what he wanted.”
On the Tight Standings and Staying in the Race
“You have to be process driven. If your process isn’t right, the odds of getting the right result are very low. Once your game starts to get right, then you can focus on the standings. You can’t expect everybody else to lose — you have to get your game right.”
On Whether He’d Trade Futures to Improve the Team
“We’re not going to panic and start throwing things overboard just to do something. If there’s a way to make our team better, we’ll look at it. But if we’re playing the way we’re playing, bringing in players won’t change the result.”
On Anthony Stolarz’s Play Before His Injury
“I thought Anthony had a real strong start. He gave us some points early. Then the workload caught up to him. Our hope is to get him healthy. I’ve got all the faith in the world in Anthony and glad to see Joe back. They’re a big part of our team.”
On Whether a Coaching Change Is on the Table
“I’ve got all the faith in our coach. I don’t look at that as the issue. My job right now is to support our coach, support his message, and support our group.”
Pulse Takeaway
Brad Treliving delivered a blunt and accountable assessment of the Maple Leafs’ rocky first quarter. The GM stressed defensive disconnects, inconsistency, and a loss of identity as the core issues — not coaching. He backed Craig Berube, emphasized that solutions must come from within the current group, and refused to use injuries as an excuse. With the standings tight but the process lacking, Treliving’s message was clear: recommit to structure, rediscover the work ethic that defined last year, and build the identity back piece by piece.
Quotes from Brad Treliving via Toronto Maple Leafs (YouTube).
Quotes have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
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