The Toronto Maple Leafs introduced Brad Treliving as the 18th general manager in franchise history on Thursday, via press conference and not only did the ex-Flames GM handle himself well in his first media availability as Leafs GM - he had a pretty strong message that he wished to convey about the team.
It didn't take long for a question to arise about what might happen with the "Core 4" in Toronto, being Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander, and while Treliving openly stated that they "will look at all things" this summer, he emphasized that the team doesn't have a "Core 4" problem. They have a 23-man until to develop.
Right now, we're seeing first hand what a united 23-man roster with their goals aligned can do for a team, as the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers - two teams who may not be the best on paper but who are both "team-first" clubs - are about to lock horns in the Stanley Cup Finals. The hope from Treliving is to be able to instill some of that mindset on the group and surround their stars with the right sort of players to be able to help push this team to the next level.