Elliotte Friedman Reveals Treliving's Plans For The Core Four

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S. Harper
June 1, 2023 (11:55)

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The Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that Brad Treliving has been appointed as the 18th General Manager in franchise history, succeeding Kyle Dubas, who was dismissed following a second-round loss to the Florida Panthers.

New GM, Same Problems

Now with Treliving at the helm, many fans from Leafs Nation are curious about his potential moves, particularly regarding the "Core Four".

Elliotte Friedman, Sportsnet's Hockey Insider, addressed this topic on his 32 Thoughts Podcast, stating:

"Treliving doesn't seem eager to make any substantial changes to the Core Four. He definitely doesn't want to trade Marner and it seems he intends to make adjustments around this group, especially with respect to defense. Treliving has a well-known history of drafting and trading for defensemen."

The Core Four Remain in Leafs Nation

Treliving addresses Auston Matthews:

We're not going to get into any public discourse about contracts," he said. "Obviously, we know where these contracts are at. Auston is one of the elite players in the world. ... Getting to Auston is a priority.

"But outside of the contract stuff, No. 1 is just getting to build that relationship. It's not walking down and trying to arm wrestle about contracts. It's me getting a chance to meet him but, more importantly, having Auston get a chance to meet me, know what we're about, and just talk a little bit. That's priority No. 1. ... We're prepared to get after it."

Based on this, it appears that the Core Four will likely return for at least one more season. However, with Auston Matthews and William Nylander having only one year left on their current contracts, questions are arising about the longevity of this group.