Brad Treliving will keep hold of Sheldon Keefe, according to NHL analyst - "He is going into this decision with an open mind"

Brad Treliving became the 18th general manager in the history of the Toronto Maple Leafs franchise and was introduced to a media press conference on Thursday, June 1.

Treliving is tasked with making major decisions on the Toronto Maple Leafs' roster of players and other staff members as the team prepares for a busy summer season. However, one thing is certain - just as Auston Matthews is his top priority, head coach Sheldon Keefe is also high on his list.

When asked about Keefe's future, Treliving praised him and expressed his respect for the work he's done thus far, especially in maintaining his top players' performances. Mark Masters, an NHL analyst, shed more light on the situation of Keefe, who is entering the final year of his contract.

On SportsCentre, Mark Masters said:

"If Matthews is the top priority, Sheldon Keefe is priority 1A. He admits it's a unique situation for Keefe who is kind of hanging out there. He has been with Dubas as the GM in the OHL, the AHL, then brought him to the NHL, felt like they were the packaged deal."

He added:

"But Treliving praised Keefe. Pointed out his regular season success and the fact that he has got these top guys playing defensively. He was on overdrive talking about how if Keefe was available, he would be a top candidate for any of these vacancies. It's clear that Treliving is going into this coaching decision with an open mind."

Treliving mentioned his time as the Calgary Flames' GM in 2014. He stated that Bob Hartley was the Flames' coach at the time of his appointment and that they had no prior relationship.

However, Hartley received the Jack Adams Award for best coach that season. It is safe to assume that Keefe is clearly part of Treliving's plan at least for the next season. Both of them are going to meet in the coming weeks.

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Toronto Maple Leafs President Brendan Shanahan is confident in Brad Treliving's leadership

Brad Treliving

After the Toronto Maple Leafs decided to release Kyle Dubas after five seasons on May 19, the club began to look for a new candidate for the vacant position, and Brad Treliving's name started floating within the organization from Day 1.

On Wednesday, May 31, club president Brendan Shanahan announced Treliving as the new general manager and said that he is confident in the latter's leadership and that his vision will help in elevating the Maple Leafs' pursuit of a championship.

"I'm very pleased to welcome Brad into the Maple Leafs organization," said Shanahan. "Brad brings a wealth of knowledge from his years of experience as a General Manager and hockey executive in Calgary, Arizona and beyond."

"We are confident that Brad's leadership and strategic vision will elevate the Maple Leafs in our continued pursuit of a championship," he added."