It's been a whirlwind few months for the Leafs and their fans. They finally won a playoff round, defeating the mighty Tampa Bay Lightning to do so, before being beaten to a pulp by the Florida Panthers in round 2. Kyle Dubas had seemingly earned a contract extension before a dramatic turn of events that ended with Dubas as President and GM of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Brad Treliving occupying his former office in Toronto. Since coming in, Treliving has done some good work, adding grit throughout the lineup and most importantly, signing Auston Matthews to a 4-year deal that keeps him in Toronto for the next 5 seasons.
Since joining the Penguins, Dubas has been busy as well, landing reigning Norris trophy winner Erik Karlsson in a blockbuster trade. He hasn't talked much about his former group in Toronto. Treliving has very publicly tipped his hat to Dubas on a few occasions over the summer, calling Dubas a good friend and someone he respects. Dubas, on the other hand, had not commented on Treliving being his replacement until now. In an Athletic article by Pierre LeBrun released on Friday, Dubas and Treliving both touched on their relationship.
Treliving, recounting his decision to come to Toronto, alluded to his pre-existing friendship with Dubas
On the ice, you want your players to hate anyone wearing a different jersey. Off of it, it's beneficial for your GM to have strong working relationships with front offices around the league. Don't be shocked if you see the Leafs and Penguins doing business this season. Having said that, I hope that when they do, Treliving is able to fleece Dubas harder than Matthews and Marner's agents did.
