Speaking of our pals in Toronto, a funny sequence over the past week resulting in a spat between Treliving's Maple Leafs and The Athletic. This circus is amazing to watch.
- The Athletic notifies Treliving and the Maple Leafs of a forthcoming critical article and offers them a chance to comment. No response.
- The following day The Athletic again offers them a chance to comment. No response.
- For the third day in a row, The Athletic offers them a chance to comment. No response.
- The Athletic publishes the article.
- Treliving immediately throws a fit and calls The Athletic to defend against the content within, resulting in The Athletic publishing a follow-up Q&A with Treliving.
On the first day of June 2015, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced an unexpected hiring. Dr. Jeremy Bettle would become the team’s director of sports science and performance.
The Leafs, overseen by then-team president Brendan Shanahan, had no general manager at the time. The move was explained at the time by Kyle Dubas, one of two assistant GMs co-managing the team.
“In hiring Dr. Bettle,” Dubas said in a statement released by the team, “our sole objective is to be able to have our players know that as a program, we are doing everything we can in all aspects to optimize their performance and maximize their potential as a hockey player, regardless of what stage of their career they’re at.”
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In the 2015-16 season that followed, the Leafs lost the second-most man games in the league to injury, mostly on account of Stephane Robidas’ 73-game absence. The following season, Bettle’s second year in charge, the Leafs had the second-fewest man games lost to injury. A year later, the third-fewest in the NHL, and the year after that, the 2018-19 season, the second-fewest once more.
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Last summer, not long after Shanahan was dismissed as president, Rotenberg became the director of performance for Dubas’ Pittsburgh Penguins. The Leafs, the most valuable franchise in the NHL, did not replace him or Sachin Raina, who had the title of sports scientist and who also left to join the Penguins.
Injuries have been a major sore spot for the team this season. The relatively high age of the group and a compressed schedule due to the Olympics have both likely played a part in that. Injury levels are high across the league.
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The majority of NHL teams have some kind of performance director, a person tasked with overseeing the optimization of player performance.
The Leafs now lack anyone with such a title, though they currently employ Steven Hirsch as a sports science consultant. The team says it has also bolstered its medical and training staff in other ways this season, adding an additional assistant strength and conditioning coach, an assistant dietitian and a third assistant athletic therapist, as well as consultants in mental health and mental performance.
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The Leafs have already lost nearly 200 man games to injury this season, eighth-most in the NHL, including prolonged absences to Chris Tanev, Brandon Carlo and Anthony Stolarz as well as the first spate of injuries in William Nylander’s career.
The Leafs general manager reached out Thursday morning, as fans and league observers reacted to the story online, and said that the team, even if it hasn’t hired someone with the same title, has addressed the vacancy through the redistribution of duties and other staff additions.
“You guys get wrapped up in one guy’s fancy title,” Treliving said. “I don’t get wrapped up in titles. I get wrapped up in people doing the jobs.”
The Athletic asked Treliving and the Maple Leafs for comment multiple times over three days prior to publishing the original story, which noted the team said it had bolstered its medical and training staff through other hires this season, adding an additional assistant strength and conditioning coach, an assistant dietitian and a third assistant athletic therapist, as well as consultants in mental health and mental performance.
Treliving said Thursday morning that the Leafs “moved somebody in that role” rather than hiring a replacement at the director level for Rotenberg, who took over for Bettle in 2019.
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“We’ve brought in support people underneath” Paul Ayotte, who leads the medical staff. “I think what you’re getting lost in is you see somebody with a title and saying we didn’t replace that position.”
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Treliving believes the main cause for the Leafs’ nearly 200 man-games lost to injury is the schedule, condensed to squeeze in a break for the Olympics.
He cited leaguewide data, which he said pointed to a 42 percent increase in the number of players placed on injured reserve from the period of Oct. 1, 2025 until Jan. 28, 2026 as compared with the same period the previous season.
“It looks like there’s a lot more injuries happening in the league,” Treliving said. “The schedule plays a factor in it; not that the Maple Leafs have cut their sports science department.”
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Leafs players have expressed missing Rotenberg this season.
“Obviously a guy that I miss,” William Nylander told reporters in November after seeing Rotenberg when the Leafs faced the Penguins. “He did a lot of things behind the scenes for the players, making sure they’re feeling good and stuff. He’s for sure missed.”
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Dreger on Barn Burner thinks Detroit could circle back with CGY on Weegar if he's available, and then said they also want a 2C (Kadri) and have the pieces to make a big splash.
ASP + Danielson + 1st for Kadri and Weegar
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I'm just not sure if Kadri would want to go to Detroit. Assuming we are disregarding his partial NTC and letting him pick destinations - might be moot. Same with Weegar.
Any chance Detroit likes Frost and Whitecloud package? I'd just take Danielson + future 2nd (I'd just take Danielson to be honest).
Will be interesting what Kadri gets. Points declining for the 2nd straight season, obvious issues with age and his GAF meter, but when he's on, he's very valuable. Just 1 goal and 4 points in his last 18 games, but 3 of those points in his last 6, and his stats are clearly affected by Calgary's offensive ineptitude.
I'm just not sure if Kadri would want to go to Detroit. Assuming we are disregarding his partial NTC and letting him pick destinations - might be moot. Same with Weegar.
Any chance Detroit likes Frost and Whitecloud package? I'd just take Danielson + future 2nd (I'd just take Danielson to be honest).
Doubt they put Danielson in a package for those two when they wouldn’t put him for Andersson
Dreger on Barn Burner thinks Detroit could circle back with CGY on Weegar if he's available, and then said they also want a 2C (Kadri) and have the pieces to make a big splash.
It's going to happen just because I bought a Weegar jersey on sale a month ago.
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Is this just a reflex now? Thoughtlessly rejecting any trade for other teams valuable assets just because and not bothering to explain your position. Lame.
ASP + Danielson + 1st for Kadri and Weegar
The value for Kadri by himself is supposedly close to "Ritchie + 1st".
Weegar with 6 years of control is going to be worth more than Andersson with 6 months of control (2 1sts).
The Red Wings 2026 1st is going to be in the 20s (or later), so it won't be nearly the same value as when they were picking in the top 10 or teens. So the question mark is whether or not one values Danielson and ASP as being more than 3 1st round picks.
I think if you retain on Kadri (50% and 4 retention slots) the value is there for the Red Wings. The Red Wings lose a chunk of youth but gain two strong vets with years of control.
The one adjustment I would make (and perhaps make it more feasible) would be to swap ASP for a winger like Nygard or Bear. Wingers have less value than RD so it may be easier for the Red Wings to get onboard (and the Flames do not need a RD prospect coming back).
It would definitely excite a huge portion of this fan base if Conroy swings a big trade with Utah and gets Tij Iginla. I don't think he does, as that's just way too much pressure on Tij in trying to live up to his dad here, but hot damn that would be exciting. I see Tij as a potential top-line center anyway, and I would be willing to move quite a lot to obtain that sort of potential.
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It would definitely excite a huge portion of this fan base if Conroy swings a big trade with Utah and gets Tij Iginla. I don't think he does, as that's just way too much pressure on Tij in trying to live up to his dad here, but hot damn that would be exciting. I see Tij as a potential top-line center anyway, and I would be willing to move quite a lot to obtain that sort of potential.
I would target Desnoyers... there are too many "feels" around trying to acquire Iginla. First pick of the Utah franchise, family pedigree, etc. And then all of the drama on the Calgary side.
Landing Desnoyers would be less dramatic on the Utah side even though he was selected higher (in a different draft class).
There is no chance that the Mammoth catch up to a division spot but if they start loading up now they can probably secure the top wild card position and then battle it out with the Pacific division.
I think there's about a zero percent chance you can get Desnoyers or Iginla in any deal. Those were the first 1st rounders under their Utah identity, and those are also ideal core prospects to build around. I'd imagine they are not nearly as committed to the Arizona prospects. But is a good shout.
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From sureLoss's summary of Friedman's 32 Thoughts in the Panarin thread...
If Utah is looking to make a splash, Calgary could be a one-stop shop for them with Kadri, Coleman, and either Weegar or Whitecloud potentially available.
They have some good pieces that could be appealing to the Flames too (especially you know who).
Given how strong the top of the Central is, this might be an odd year for them to go big game hunting, although getting the top wildcard spot and facing either Vegas or Edmonton in the first round could work out better than finishing 3rd in the Central. Plus, all of those Flames players have term left, so it wouldn't be selling the farm for one chance.
Just can’t see kadri waiving for Utah for a myriad of reasons. Chief being they aren’t that good this year. Attractive prospect base for sure. But don’t think it’s the right fit.
