The Toronto Maple Leafs have parted ways with general manager Kyle Dubas, the team announced Friday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Dubas was the 17th general manager in Leafs franchise history. The Maple Leafs named Dubas GM on May 11, 2018.
- With Dubas as GM, the Leafs signed William Nylander, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner to extensions.
- The Maple Leafs have made the playoffs every season under Dubas as general manager. Their only postseason series victory during that span was against the Tampa Bay Lightning in this year’s playoffs.
- Dubas’ contract is set to expire on June 30.
Why did Dubas and Lives separate?
In what we assume was Dubas’ final press conference as Leafs GM, he was candid about the serious emotional toll this past year has taken on him and his family. Elliott Friedman, who first reported the news, would later report that Dubas told MLSE that any decision about his future would only come after a lengthy conversation with his family. It’s fair to assume that — at least in some part — position and season losses resulted in Dubas not renewing his contract with the Leafs.
How should Dubas time be watched in Toronto?
Dubas has been the best Leafs GM in recent memory. He has stuck to a vision of a skilled team that wants to keep possession of the puck and has kept the likes of Matthews, Marner, Nylander and John Tavares on contract as promised.
Under Dubas, the Leafs put together their best regular season in franchise history. Dubas’ vision then constantly evolved as he added the necessary pieces to make his team more suitable for playoff hockey. His ability to identify gaps in the list and fill them in was one of his strengths.
The Leafs drafted well with Dubas in charge, adding rookie forward Matthew Kniss in the second round of the 2021 draft. Ultimately, going deep into the playoffs won’t be part of Dubas’ legacy as GM, though players and coaches deserve to wear that failure just as much, if It wasn’t over.
What will the next Leafs GM have on their plate?
There is no shortage of awesome decisions for the next GM. Should I be trading one or more of the four basic futures contracts, and two of them only have one year left in their contracts? Trading neither of these players seems like a bargain at first glance for the Leafs.
The next GM will have to carefully consider both the options available in the trade, and what kind of identity they want this Leafs team to go forward with. And what becomes of Coach Sheldon Cave, who was raised through the Leafs organization by Dubas? Keefe has just one playoff series win to his name as the Leafs’ head coach. It’s fair to assume that the next GM will bring in a new coach to fit their vision.
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Going into the 2022-23 season, Dubas was in the final year of a five-year contract. The contract extension has not been announced.
The Leafs finished second in the Atlantic Division this season with a 50-21-11 record. The Florida Panthers eliminated the Leafs in five games in the second round of the playoffs.
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(Photo: Nathan Dennett/The Canadian Press via AP)
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