Kyle Dubas Out as Leafs GM, a Look at His Time at the Helm

Hired in 2018, after five years of regular season success and winning a round this spring, the team has announced he will not return next season.
Join this channel to get access to perks:
/ @thehockeyguy
Join us on our discord to chat hockey, talk with others during the game, share pet pictures, and more.
/ discord
Order jerseys from Ben H Sports while saving 10% off the listed eBay prices by sending him an email regarding jerseys you spot in his listings. [e-mail] Just tell him Shannon sent you.
Support The Hockey Guy via Patreon / thehockeyguy
/ youtubehockeyguy
Instagram: thgshannon and thg_cats
Spoutible: spoutible.com/TheHockeyGuy
[e-mail]
Contact me via snail mail at:
The Hockey Guy
PO Box 15038 Seven Oaks PO
Abbotsford, BC
V2S 8P1
In the USA:
Shannon Skanes
1125 Fir Avenue
Suite 119
Blaine, WA 98230

[@pascalbouchard6018]

Better commentary and breakdown than TSN and Sportsnet combined , thank you sir

[@vithursan.b]

LeafsNet, Toronto Sports Network and Steve Dangle are all in shambles

[@Neon002121]

I don’t know how I’d rank TSN or Sportsnet etc., but I know THG is the gold standard.

[@aaronbown8119]

I just lost 8 mins of my life listening to Dreger talk about "insider" takes that are just obvious hypotheticals...hats off to him making a career out of that.

[@Rob-uc8zr]

oh yeah it's not even close

[@kivisedo]

There is a reason I follow THG and not TSN or Sportsnet.

[@flok3n160]

Out of everything that could have happened, this wasn't what i expected. I hope they dont think a simple GM change will make the difference, players need to be moved

[@krytxps]

well isn't that the point, that a new GM would move the players?

[@flok3n160]

​@krytxps you would expect that, I'm simply going off the multitude of reports ive seen talking about the leafs running it back for one last go with the group intact.

[@kylejoly577]

​@@flok3n160 any reports that state that is pure speculation

[@jonontube]

​@@flok3n160 trust the process

[@johngreystone]

Hayley needs to be GM

[@andrearantin950]

Dubas was not the problem for the leafs. He tried his best to give the team everything it needed to succed year in year out. It's not his fault the players implode when it matters the most.

[@raymondrahim9591]

Signing Tavares to that contract is definitely one of the problems

[@jaymie-lee]

It is his fault if he's in charge. Can't keep losing and only offer excuses and no change. He gets a pass bc he looks like he's 25. Give me a break.

[@AXLHillier]

the Tavares move was popular, but was always wrong imo. But you are right, he put together a team that had the talent to win the cup. Unfortunately for him, those talented players did not have the collective will to win.

[@andrearantin950]

@@jaymie-lee When your core players keep choking and disappearing every single year in the playoffs when the team clearly has the talent it's on the players. It's easier critizing him for his signings looking back. Some of them were still questionable at the time but still the team had all the tools to win and just couldn't get it done

[@TheEDFLegacy]

Honestly, he lost my credibility when he said that he was putting his team on the line in 2022, then proceeding to try again in 2023. He should have made big changes last year after he said that and they failed again.

[@treyhawk42]

I hope Dubas enjoys a year off with his family and gets time to reflect what went well and what went badly in his Toronto tenure. Some NHL team will give him a second chance.

[@Wuwoot9863]

He's got offers lined up but he did say his only considerations are for the leafs. Well see how long that holds water.

[@dixonhill1108]

Anyone outside of Toronto understands his back was up against the wall, no one wants to play in canada, the weather and taxes are brutal. You have to overpay which makes it impossible to retain talent. I'm sure some sunbelt team will jump over their ball sack to get him.

[@joeb1955]

Considering there are people in the hockey world (GM's, coaches, etc.) that are twice his age, he'll be fine. He's got plenty of time to figure out the management game.

[@allentam5754]

He’s going to be Pittsburgh new gm.

[@andrew6815]

He will be the hottest available gm when he decides to take another job

[@StevexOwnz]

crazy I just meet Dubas and got a picture in florida after game 4. hope nothing for the best to Dubas.

[@jasonklenetsky5687]

I love how the Panthers are just leaving carnage everywhere 😂

[@Neon002121]

Hard result for a guy who was still learning. Core 4 were signed for way too much for sure… but I don’t think he could have anticipated how bad they would fail in the playoffs. Their curiously weak playoff play is more on them than him.

[@SirCanuckelhead]

Overall Dub did a good job. However imo it is no shock the core 4 couldn’t get it done. Look at Florida, they traded away a star skilled winger + for a grittier winger. That grit winger has been an x factor for them.

[@Deenaziamazinjg14]

Nylander isnt signed to to much? Rest are but he’s on a bargain deal lol

[@Neon002121]

@@Deenaziamazinjg14 good point. I meant the 4 together were too much. As the only one to show up consistently in the playoffs Nylander is worth his six and whatever for sure.

[@heathclark318]

Really think the covid stoppage and resulting flat cap really did the Leafs in like a few other teams not named Tampa Bay.

[@dixonhill1108]

Marners-Matthews are worth every penny. Marner will resign, he's a good ol ontario boy. Taveres is the problem, and Matthews is simply an American in the wrong country.

[@Mlchael839]

He was a great GM in the sense that he improved overtime, cared about everyone in the organization, and helped keep the Leafs competitive despite the pandemic disrupting things. Having said that, the bottom line is his teams did not win in the playoffs and it's time for a different perspective

[@jeffreym.8957]

Yes - Columbus beat them. Montreal beat them.

[@CurriedBat]

He built a nice structure. They can definitely build on that. I can't wait to see what he does next.

[@Marissa_Amalia]

I feel bad for Dubas, okay as bad as I can feel as a Canucks Fan, but he really really did some miracles to get this team loaded up,... just for them to not deliver... so good luck to the next GM; though I assume that this also will mean that Keefe will be out (and thats something I understand fully)

[@TheEDFLegacy]

Keefe was so badly outcoached last playoffs. His line blender also showed a lack of a grasp of what his best matchupscwere.

[@InsignificantNick]

After hearing his last presser, it sounded like he needed a break. Aside from his moves within the team, he was a great ambassador in the community. As a Leafs fan, I'm left wondering if others will leave. Like Chris Johnston said on the SDP, if Dubas leaves, Keefe probably leaves, too. Dubas will definitely be back in the NHL at some point. It'll be interesting to see what this team looks like in October.

[@TheEDFLegacy]

Personally, if I was the next GM, I would seriously consider trading the entirety of the core for draft picks, and keeping 90% of the cap hit. It would make the team absolutely crap for a few years, but it would be a complete rebuild from the ground up.

[@Zaghzackio]

​@@TheEDFLegacywhat good is that gonna do? They already built this core through the draft and no luck

[@07foxmulder]

⁠​⁠​⁠@@Zaghzackio Buddy literally said trade this core and start a rebuild. As in, start over with a new core. “What good is that gonna do?” What good is it keeping the core together when they’ve only made the second round one time?

[@chrisbelos2834]

they've got every Jack Adams nominees from 2022 to pick from, they'll be fine. Sutter might be a good fit to remove the softness of this team.

[@stevendchu]

I'd be very glad to see the back of Keefe. He's been outcoached in virtually every series, and takes forever and a day to make adjustments. His entire strategy when losing boils down to "just play my core 5 guys until something good happens". It's also clear as day that he doesn't control that locker room. No way Matthews and Marner should've kept playing together when they were largely anonymous vs Florida.

[@stoddard1953]

Dubas was the best GM we had since Cliff Fletcher. A great guy who made it clear he wanted to win no matter what. His passion for the game is unmatched. He made blunders along the way, and he had to get rid of Lou's mess (Marleau's contract + the 1st that became Seth Jarvis) which arguably didn't help things, but he was a GM you WANT on your team. Young, talented, and now he's more experienced. I will miss him.

[@mortaljorma69]

Yeah, he showed passion by throwing water bottles around and crying like a child 😂😂😂

[@johngreystone]

When you have a temper tantrum and are yelling at fans because you can’t handle the pressure then it’s time to go. This is not highschool lol

[@stoddard1953]

@@mortaljorma69 That was a one-off.

[@stoddard1953]

@@johngreystone That was a one-off. You also don't know if the fans were saying other things to him either.

[@johngreystone]

@@stoddard1953 no excuse. He is way too immature to be a gm. Plus he overpaid his players and stuck by Keefe. He needs to go

[@Jgardonis]

From an outside perspective, being a Pens fan who was hoping Dubas would be coming here after how badly Hextall messed up the team, there was a lot to like about what Dubas did in Toronto. He saw to it that the team had everything it needed to be a winner. Very aggressive kinda like how Jim Rutherford was as Pens GM. He was always moving pieces around to build a team to win it all. Were there some mistakes or risky moves that just didn't pan out? Yeah there are few, like him rolling the dice on goaltending the last few years. But were there lots of good moves he made? Absolutely especially getting O'Reilly, Schenn and Accicari. It just seemed like no matter what he did, Toronto just couldn't figure out how to get over the hump. At the end of the day, I think his overall roster construction was solid. Remember the GM isn't on the ice, so its up to the players to perform when it matters, and Toronto just hasn't done that.

[@eirikrdberg1161]

Pens have zero chance of winning with their current core. 35 year olds leading the way don’t win cups in todays NHL. Veteran player’s important. Not the whole team though.

[@mrfake675]

Reilly and Tavares are to slow. Having one of them is ok.

[@Jgardonis]

@@eirikrdberg1161 the core wasn't the problem this year. Crosby and Malkin didn't miss a game and still produced at a high level. Too many other old guys around them that were washed up was the problem. They might not win another Cup any time soon, but that's certainly not the Crosby, Malkin, Letang trio's fault. The new GM is going to have get the most of what's left of this team while putting building blocks in place for the future

[@brendanjames7551]

​@@mrfake675 Reilly was not the problem. Not even close. He out produced 3 of the 4 star players on the Leafs in the playoffs. Matthews and Tavares were the two who looked awful against Florida. Reilly, Marner and Nylander were practically trying to drag a carcass that series

[@sdeepj]

I can see him going to Pittsburgh, but he’s going to make it clear that it’s a rebuild

[@bobroberts2067]

After his comments earlier in the week at the locker clear out it was clear he knew he was gone. Very very classy exit BY him, he handled it very well. Love him or hate him you can't take that away from him. Best wishes to a guy who obviously loves and values his family as he does, pass him some shades... his future is bright.

[@chrisg1556]

The extension was given to Dubas right after game 5. Dubas then proceeded to say he wasn't sure if he wanted to come back. At that point it was clear Dubas wasn't 100% committed. Dubas overplayed his hand. The job was his and he said let me think about it. Leafs had no intention of finding a new gm until Dubas spoke on Monday. Dubas basically fired himself.

[@maxentiusdecimus9341]

After saying that he ghosted Shanahan for two days and then had his agent send a “new offer” to Shanahan (I.e. more $$) Then he got himself fired

[@haysbrickell9579]

Dubas is being made the fall guy, all of his decsions haven't worked out but no gm is perfect, I'm predicting the Leafs will drop a good 10 points in the standings next season

[@dixonhill1108]

The funny assumption is that Shanahan isn't the problem. Dubas took heat for mandates that were pushed by MLSE. They wanted Tavares not him, why would an analytics guy chase a high priced UFA?

[@Firearcher4]

If they trade any of the core YES they will drop. You build a talented core and watch them mature to age 26. then just as they enter their prime you blow it up. That is the leaf's fans recipe for success. Not mine! I am a Leafs fan and I want this group intact.

[@figgerhead]

Yes. and hopefully gain 2 more rounds in the playoffs.

[@drew651]

@@Firearcher4 If Matthews wants 14 million a year, trade him before July 1st. These guys contracts should stay the same. They are getting paid more then enough and have achieved nothing.

[@Firearcher4]

@@drew651 I do agree with that. Marner and Matthews are paid well and should get no more than what they are getting now. Nylander deserves 8.8.. Tavares deserves no more than 6 million and after his deal is done I would only re-sign him for 2 years at 6 million not a penny more. His value is declining rapidly. Kerfoot needs to go at 3.5 million. Brodie is overpaid. Matt Murray needs to be dealt. But I do hope Matthews, Marner and Willy remain.

[@psell8628]

great video and commentary, as usual. i look forward to your analysis more than that of the TV panels

[@hughjass1044]

My father was always fond of saying "trying and failing is always better than never even trying." Whatever his successes in the signings and trading department... and let's face it; you're always going to have a few stinkers.... the one thing you can say about the guy was that he was never scared to try.

[@jonfreeman9682]

He succeeded and did not fail. Problem was his core 4 let him down.

[@govindamun4512]

Always appreciate your insight and succinct analysis - excellent job in breaking it down !!

[@helpmeplease402]

This is a long time coming. Toronto’s problem has been the coaching! There is no way a team this good chokes like this on multiple runs with a good coach. Keefe should’ve been let go after that brutal Montreal loss.

[@jeffreym.8957]

How do you lose to the Habs?

[@chadcodner3309]

Another great video. Much better analysis than the networks on TV. Thanks again.

[@rnbtheadventuresofrhettbri1933]

Your work ethic is incredible man. This was a fantastic breakdown by someone who knows what they’re talking about. Very refreshing. I come here way before I go to the mainstream sports sites because this is the kind of educated breakdown I like to see. Been a subscriber (in some form or another) since your very early days and you just continue to impress. All the best to you man, keep up the great work

[@atarileaf]

His loyalty to the big 4 may be one of the big reasons he's gone. He wouldn't do what needed to be done

[@RandomPlaceHolderName]

And his loyalty to Keefe. Giving Trotz a chance was a no brainer imo.

[@pjpredhomme7699]

@@RandomPlaceHolderName Trotz was never going to come to Toronto to coach - that is a dream world. When he was available - he looked around and then did what he wanted to do - become GM in Nashville where he started. He wasn't going to give that up for another coaching job.

[@RandomPlaceHolderName]

@@pjpredhomme7699 Trotz would have taken the Leafs job in a heartbeat. His original 6 comment made that clear as day.

[@keithck3720]

Dubas was probably elevated to GM too early IMHO. As with all GMs, he made his fair share of mistakes, some of them were rookie mistakes in his case but overall he was a good GM who learned from his mistakes. He really did care about the job and the team he put together. I wish him well in his future GM position wherever that is.

[@adamsteele6148]

They play with live ammo and he screwed up by signing Tavares

[@jonfreeman9682]

No wishing needed. Rumors are Ottawa Montreal and other teams are circling him with offers before next season start. This guy is Stanley Cup winning material. Shanahan screwed the pooch there.

[@pjpredhomme7699]

@@jonfreeman9682 Montreal ???? there is absolutely zero chance of that happening - put down the bong . He might get another GM job before next season starts but it sure as hell is not going to be MTL.

[@mikejednorog3383]

Your where I come for my hockey news and “real” talk. Your the best Shannon

[@CoachCares12]

Fantastic report!

[@daveallen9921]

GOOD ONE! Thanks.

[@dbassman27]

Excellent analysis HG!

[@DorisPeixoto-lm6cz]

Love your commentary

[@LeagueOfJared]

The Tavares signing continues to be his biggest blunder, and has crippled the structure of the team ever since

[@splitfinger7719]

Being married to the core was his downfall. We need our next gm to be a stone faced assassin ready to make any move to win a cup

[@jaymie-lee]

True. He wanted to be proven right they could do it. And they proven they can't. It's that simple.

[@smiling-monkey]

Dubas tried his best. I believe some Leaf’s top players can’t take the heat when it matters the most!!!

[@J.CashDro]

Luv the jersey w the orange NHL logo🔥

[@southsidesky]

I would think that a big challenge for a general manager, in these days of metrics and statistics, is to evaluate what numbers from the regular season translate to the playoffs. I can't remember a year when there is such a difference for individual players from regular season to playoffs, and we're only half way through the playoffs.

[@jean-philippedoyon9904]

I won't say it's a shock...his last press conference was very emotional and the way he talked about checking with his family meant it could have gone both way....That being said, finding a new Gm will not be easy, or more precisely finding the right GM. What do you focus on ? Culture or pure assets management...The next month will be crazy !

[@SuperStrik9]

I agree 100% with Shannon that the Leafs needed to beef up the blueline instead of getting Tavares.

[@pale_saint]

Had Tavares stayed with Isles he quite probably would’ve been a Stanly Cup champion instead of underachiever in Toronto. The series with TB were so close Tavares could’ve been the difference. TB-NYI series was the true SC Final back then

[@drew651]

@@pale_saint If Tavares had stayed there that team would probably have also looked difference since he would have taken a good chunk of the cap.

[@hankrearden5460]

I am so happy today. It was about time!

[@gordonmacdowell8117]

I think that Dubas was the best GM at gaming the salary cap, but had a huge blind spot for understanding that defence generally wins championships. If he'd had more focus on goaltending and defence early on, the Leafs wouldn't have been in the mess they were in during the last few seasons. I don't blame the goalies that the Leafs had. I blame the manager that put the fate of the team in the hands of backup goalies every year.

[@charlieb308]

Yeah, amazing job, giving everyone huge money more than other players got, gave everyone short deals so they could be UFAs at contract end and also no movement clauses for all! Wonderful job.

[@pjpredhomme7699]

Your absolutely right - but he couldn't because he didn't have the cap space - he spent it on Tavares . Name me another team that has a 2nd or 3rd line center that is making $ 11mill/yr - you won't find one

[@jeremy008100]

Greatly appreciate your take on this. I don’t think any party is without blame in this. Players first and foremost for not getting it done. Dubas second for drastically overpaying marner. And shanny third for overseeing the 11 mil thrown at JT (the real issue with this team)

[@lenkennedy9214]

He traded all their draft picks away 5 years in a row to win 1 round. Great job! I can't believe they didn't promote him.

[@pjpredhomme7699]

that is another part that gets overlooked - he traded away all their draft picks and prospects - he let it all ride on those 4 and they scored 1 goal collectively in the 2nd round that is pretty horrible.

[@lenkennedy9214]

@@pjpredhomme7699 3 of the for members of the "core" were already there before he was even GM. He deserves no credit for Marner, Matthews and Nylander being on the team. He did overpay everyone in the core though accept Nylander which made sure it was almost mathematically impossible to pay the rest of the roster without underpaying them or getting lower quality players. He then tried to shoehorn a winner at the deadline every year by trading away the future and failed each time. I'm happy they won a round but they went all in for this 1 round. That's not good enough. Florida is on a heater right now though they were never winning that series.

[@humanbeing2420]

The Hockey Guy uploading a video just as relevant news breaks is actually neither a trope nor a meme.

[@matthewr9471]

I thank Dubas for his time with the Leafs he helped the Leafs a great deal be the team they are and come from where they were. They will benefit from a new voice. LETS GO!!!! big offseason for the team

[@pjpredhomme7699]

Huh?? he took over a team with a bunch of young prospects that made the playoffs and lost in the first round - 5 years later he made the playoffs, spent most of their draft picks and cap space , and won 1 round once in 5 years - what great help he did is a puzzle to me.

[@matthewr9471]

@@pjpredhomme7699 Anyways that's my opinion I feel like he led the team well and made plenty of smart moves not all of them were great but he was good when he needed to be especially this trade deadline that passed. He was a good leader and kept our core together. So but anyways I would welcome a new voice and as a Leaf fan that's what are gonna get.

[@Worldsportstalk24]

As a Leafs fan I’m massively disappointed. Anyone looking at this organization and saying he was the problem are fucking insane. Seemed like the Leafs wanted him back but his family probably didn’t. Really too bad

[@Mark-ly4lq]

He went above and beyond to appease his stars whom had a lot of promise for reaching new heights, and they floundered

[@Worldsportstalk24]

@@Mark-ly4lq he didn’t really though. What specifically did he do to appease them?

[@TheCanadaGoose]

Dubas is gone! Oh what a happy day for the Leafs and TRUE fans of the team! Wooo! Eat it, your Dubas is OUT! Na na na na! Na na na na! Hey Heeeeey! GOOD BYE!

[@TheCanadaGoose]

I'm soooooo happy Dubas is gone! What an AWFUL GM.

[@jackmakackov7077]

How is it not his fault when he is the one that put the team together? They failed 7 times in a row. He signed contracts that have made it impossible to put a team together. You need 14 forwards 8 defenseman and 2 goalies to win a cup. That coach needs to go as well for burrying O'Reilley on the third line. Imagine putting the best playoff performer in the league on line 3.....

[@TheEskimeaux]

I thought Dubas did an exceptional job this year, especially at the deadline. He gave that team a very good chance to win. Certainly the best iteration of the leafs in the past decade.

[@pjpredhomme7699]

I am not a Dubas slappy - but I was impressed with what he did at the trade deadline - particularly O'reilly, Accarri.

[@Wugpot19]

Dubas should have no problem landing another job IMO.

[@buckminsterfullerene2149]

Now he can spend that quality time with his family that he was talking about lol

[@chinmayhejmadi7902]

I just saw your video which said the Leafs are in a holding pattern, and now this 😂

[@biglemoncoke4095]

Dubas had his chances in Toronto, and it's just didn't work out as he expected. No one knows what to expect this Leafs team next season, but for sure, the fans is going to come back to buy the tickets, and happy owners is the only sure thing. We will see...

[@Onlytheclouds]

Damn dude you’re fast on this stuff lol

[@Johnmk24]

As usual a gutsy opinion Shannon. I thought same thing at original hiring. Completely agree with assessment. Poor personnel decisions were made. Defense & Goaltending wins championships. Not overpowering offense.

[@rockland3625]

2 things can be true at once. He made all the moves needed at the deadline and he also spent a lot of assets to fix his own mistakes. I would have preferred him staying after the pure skill growing pains. He will do very well somewhere eventually

[@eirikrdberg1161]

Not necessarily. He is ‘young’ now. Suddenly he is 55 with no cups.

[@clarkeslemon1312]

There is a difference between the type of team that can win the President’s Trophy and the type of team that can win the cup. For a potential seven game series against a single opponent, a very specific strategic plan can be implemented. Star players can be more easily neutralized with very specialized defensive match-ups. During the season you must work on the offensive talents of your own because defence has to be generic; you are playing a new team almost every second day. Also, tough banging play wins big dividends in a series because the hurt you delivery early benefits you in all the later games of that series. During the regular season hurting your opponent only softens them up for that other team that plays them next! In the regular season, your side has to combat tough play by having a strong power play stacked with star shooters. The reason is that you must score within the same game where you just got roughed up. In a series, playing tough and banging the opponent pays off in all the subsequent games of that series. The team that wins the Stanley Cup needs to be a team built for playoff series hockey. It doesn’t need to win the President’s Trophy- it just needs to make the playoffs!

[@-howie8671]

The o'reilly deal also included mikhail abramov who is a decent prospect too

[@drlca6601]

best news ever i'm so happy hallelujah

[@krazyshady902]

Best case scenario is, Tavares waiving his no trade

[@heathclark318]

Good for Dubas and his family. I love it when someone will take a step back and do what is best for the most important people in their lives, their spouses and children. I dont think Dubas was the issue and the fact Toronto is so incredibly brutal on the players and club they so love. The fans kind of suck the joy out of what is an amazing team. Think most fans fail to realize 29-31 teams, depending on the league, ultimately fail to secure the ultimate prize. Think most fans also fail to realize that all of these people they heap unrelenting hate and disgust towards are also human just like themselves. Like they are setting out to fail in order to infuriate and already irrate and I will add UNDESERVING fan base. Really kind of a sad state of our society.

[@jeffreym.8957]

He said it's his family then asked for more money. More money would solve it apparently.

[@MaverickWall238]

You need to make a video on Brendan Shanahan's press conference because the info given in that presser changes EVERYTHING.

[@invecta18]

I am mostly a Bolts fan( 1st) but also a Leaf's fan (2nd) and I am sorry to see him go. Social media as well as the constant fan criticism that all the players and coaches and management experience is so toxic in Toronto that I think it makes it difficult to succeed or even function. Tampa had a very successful season in 2019 and not just lost, but got swept 4-0 to Columbus in the first round. A lessor talented team at the time coached by Tortorella.? A a fan base ,we only felt bad for the players. No one got fired and there were only negative comments from other areas as to how bad that was. Here in Tampa, the feeling was pretty much "we'll get them next year'. We felt bad we lost, but we felt worse for the players that tied to hard to win and didn't. We felt bad for them , not us. This in not an gratuitous comment, it is how we felt because they tried so hard and lost the series. No-one felt they let us down because they didn't. The Leaf's did the same this year. They had a great season. They did better than they had for years but the fans would could not take the 2nd round loss. And now Dubas is gone and whoever get it next my do worst ? And now start all over ? It is just too toxic. I can't imagine anyone wanting that job. Good lord ? I hope for the best.

[@boltinabottle6307]

The Lightning went to (at least) the ECF in 3/4 years prior to 2019, and guys like Cirelli and Point had just become "core" level players. Toronto's core has been together for quite some time and have not had any postseason success. It made sense to run it back (for TB). Cooper/Brisebois made the necessary tweaks and they were proven correct. Toronto has repeatedly failed with their core. This firing is not about just the dismissal of Dubas, it's their management giving up on their core as constructed.

[@rosskgilmour]

Probably the right time to part ways. The team has a lot of big money deals coming up and given the team's performance it makes sense to have a fresh set of eyes look at the roster. I actually don't mind the idea of walking his RFAs to free agency because it opens up a window to win provided you can maximize those cap savins which they didn't do a bad job of. The fact he didn't get playoff performance from the core 4 is in hindsight a problem, however, when those deals were signed it wasn't obvious this team would be a playoff flop

[@constantinentakos2907]

I think he matured as the leafs gm, he made a lot of mistakes early that sunk us from growing more (the contracts with Matthews marner and Tavares) but as he went on he got better. I think he’ll be great with this experience just sucks that it didn’t work out here

[@RandomPlaceHolderName]

His decision to stick with Keefe when Trotz was available isn't a sign of maturity though.

[@jeffreym.8957]

Keefe over Trotz, though?

[@constantinentakos2907]

@@jeffreym.8957 With Trotz being GM of Nashville it seems like that was his goal, not to be coach again

[@OttawaRocks]

Big Sens fan but have had utmost respect for the way Dubas tried to construct the Leafs lineup. His calculated risks were well worth taking even though they did not work out as well as the Leafs fanbase were hoping for. Overall, I would give his GM work an A- grade. Possible criticisms: (a) Overpaying on the Tavares contract and (b) Not being aggressive enough on getting a top line goalie over the years (but particularly not being aggressive enough over the last 18 months or so).

[@drew651]

Trading Kadri, not resigning Hyman, not resigning Anderson. Trading away all their draft picks to get players like Kadri and Hyman when he realised the team he built didn't work in the playoffs. Giving Matthews and Marner shorter term contracts while still at big money was also very silly. He did a lot wrong.

[@MrStevo808]

Totally going to Pittsburgh. Or maybe Calgary?

[@GoJays]

Looking at the results, it is hard to thank Dubas. But I sure as hell am going to miss him as my teams GM. Can only wish him the best of luck in the future because I know this guy has what it takes to build a contender. Just sad it didn't work out here

[@frankgrunseich4440]

I am absolutely bummed that Dubas is out. I think he had added some good pieces to Toronto, personally with Nylanders hold out I would have let him walk, I don't understand a season before Matthews becomes a free agent you go and fire the GM, who has been putting as best a team around Matthews as he could. Look at the Bunting deal he got, and before Bunting we had Campbell for a low payroll, I think sometimes maybe he is too focused on getting former Soo players, but overall I was very happy with his tenure as GM. I am surprised the GM is out before the coach in this situation after the playoffs, but I think Dubas should have had a short extension in place, let him resign matthews and marner if you want to keep marner and go from there,

[@tomchamberlain4329]

Not a Leafs fan but Dubas did a pretty good job there in my view. They seemed a well run team with a consistently strong roster. Most of the trades seemed good value for the Leafs and their drafting seemed good too. I guess the overpayments for Tavares and Marner probably made it tough to compete in the playoffs. Basically I've said nothing new here. Year off for him maybe to let his brain recover from the intensity of the job, then maybe a team like Columbus or Pittsburgh could use him from 2024. Or even the Flames.

[@gameimprovements4347]

I thought they should've kept Dubas, initially (because of the decisions he made this year). But he let the same story continue after five straight years of first round exits without moving anyone from the core, allowed music in practices, and contributed to the overall softer culture with all of these decisions, and the reasons why players on the team don't care and can smile at the end of the playoff post-game pressers while McDavid/ Draistital are in damn-near tears in theirs

[@pjpredhomme7699]

tell me if I am wrong but I got the sense that Reilly and O'reilly were really the players that really put it out there and were devastated to lose to Floriduh.

[@jfudge7384]

End of an era for the Leafs, very highly esteemed Soo Greyhounds alumni couldn't get the job done after winning at every level below the NHL. Such a shame it didn't work out in Toronto.

[@bartsanders1553]

I like how they waited until ypu posted the video to announce it😂

[@philllllllll]

I'd love to see him in Ottawa.

[@joestrunk9663]

thought Dubas brought together the help the leaf's needed to make a great push as a blue jackets fan got to have secondary teams love watching the leaf's and will next year also big four didn't deliver enough but seriously how often does this work out Toronto fans should be grateful they have a great team delivering a lot of wins very exciting

[@love4adventurz]

For me Dubas while he made good trades was horrible in the signings he made. Giving Auston a 5 year deal at 11.6 is insanely bad, and had Lou stuck around for these contracts they would have been different, added to that him sticking to the core 4 year after year was a major downfall for him too because after that Montreal series one of them should have been traded, now it has to happen and I think Leafs ownership and Shanahan do not believe Dubas will pull that trigger.

[@PeterCPRail8748]

The leafs will regrets this move. I dont see Matthews staying now. So leafs need to trade him NOW. He will walk like Johny T and Johny G. Might as well trade Marner as well, cant see him wanting to re up either. I still think the fallout between Dubas and Shanny, was the Tavares signing. I dont think he was on board with that move from the beginning. Multiple years of failure most likley came to a head this past summer withing things boiling over between the two. I have said it for decades. The GMs in Toronto are nothing more then puppets doing the boards bidding. I fully agree with Chris Johnston, leafs should of resingned him last season, and Dubas will go on to being one of the best GMs, and presidents in the modern era. My hockey gut is still telling me he will end up in Pittsburgh as President and GM. Maybe not this summer but by mid season. I can see the Pens plugging in an interm from within and persure and intice Dubas fully. I wish Dubas all the best and thank him for his hard and smart work.

[@DucksUpDogsDownCatsSlide]

He did a pretty good job at drafting outside of the first round.

[@wilkinsoncam]

I would have signed him to a new 5 year contract as GM with a promotion to VP Hockey Ops with: - full autonomy to make significant changes to the core players - make depth changes with priorities on futures - focus on player development 18-23 - restructure hockey ops dept including scouting and coaching changes The guys a gem and I think the Leafs are messing up. Changes are absolutely needed but he’s smart enough to do them if he was given the ability to do it.

[@erikpavlinak6132]

im an outsider to the toronto fan base, but i really think his downfall was signing tavares. if he would have continued to draft well and build from the draft they would have continued to improve year after year. his bold moves every year and trading all his picks, and trying to make every year the year just spelled his doom. instead of a steady growth, trying to push every year above and beyond just capped them out and left them no wiggle room.

[@biffstrong1079]

A long time coming and this, to my mind, had to happen, probably last year. But it has happened. I think Dubas will be better at this in his second job. There were some critical mistakes early. I sort of think they decided this on the fly because they don't have someone lined up. They didn't lock up dubas but didn't have some one queued up. The biggest mistake was John Tavares. Was that thrust upon him? They signed him instead of the defensive help they needed. I think the organization should have tried to lock Nylander up quicker for 7 for 7. They didn't, they played hard ball and then they gave in. They needed to get at least a year of UFA for the $11 million they gave to Matthews. The only virtue of the $11 million for Tavares was I thought they had set a max salary for the team. Sandin for Gustaffson and a 28 draft pick, was crazy. Adding Tavares accelerated the run for the cup. their window narrowed and I think they are on the downward limb of their curve with this group. How can they pay matthews more for what he does? He's a great player he's not the second best or the third best or the fourth best player in the league. He is a top twenty player. Should have hung on Andersen. He with a good net mate is the best goalie they had in a while. Everyone saw the murray mess coming. This hasn't worked and they need to get back to a hard reboot. Hovering around in the playoffs without being able to win is useless. Nice look at where they are.

[@kylet6356]

I think Dubas did a good job in Toronto and time will only tell if the next person can do better. I feel as though the commitment to the core 4 and his press conference at the end caused this change. Nice GMs tend not to win cups and if he was unwilling to make a very difficult decision, then a change is necessary. The biggest question is who could give the fans enough confidence to get the job done.

[@gigatron2008]

4 teams left now and no player makes over 10.1m a season. Signing this many over 10m was a huge fail. Lesson learned.

[@Firearcher4]

I think there are too my hockey psychologists here who have all the answers. I believe in this team as it is. Just because you did not win in the past does not mean you cannot win in the future! It took Alex Ov, more than 10 years to win a cup. Some super stars never do. Not cause they suck. So many variables are at play. Injuries, puck luck, officiating goals that you score but get called back for some BS reason etc.

[@pjpredhomme7699]

Alex ovechkin said it was because of the way the team he was on played . And he said he saw the same thing with the leafs. Meanwhile we are not talking about winning a cup here - we are talking about being able to win a playoff series - which they have once in 7 yrs 5 with Dubas as GM

[@jeffreyg4626]

As a Sabres fan I wish the high rolling Dubas stayed on with the Leafs. Trading out Toronto's future and handcuffing the organization by overpaying some stars with bloated contracts while Buffalo builds steadily through the draft suited me fine. I really liked Kyle. What a shame.

[@rogerbenest3164]

One of his first deals set the template. Nylander had him flying back and forth to Europe to swing a deal then Dubas caved when it came to the wire. Probably didn't help having Babcock breathing down his neck. That deal proved to the others that he was an easy touch. This years deadline was horrible too. He was early with a blockbuster then a few old hands like Holland traded for one big piece and Dubas started scrambling and shaking up the team.

[@chiefexec7367]

Look how Zito worked miracles. Florida had 122 regular season points (Leafs 115) got beat early; Zito dumps Huberdeau’s 105 points (more than Marner or Willie have ever had) and Weegar and gets a gritty winner=Tzachuk. Zito played at an elite level and was around hockey for decades. Dubas has no idea which end of the stick to hold. I say go sign John Cooper as GM. Smart (a lawyer) and a resume second to none.

[@blackhawks9763]

The Canucks need a GM like Dubas bad.

[@wojowestcoast]

the john tavares signing doomed them but overall i think he did the best with what he had to work with

[@deansmith6593]

The saga continues, thought Dubas did a solid job as GM.

[@pale_saint]

Dubious work

[@TheCanadaGoose]

Dubas was dubious indeed. Traded Kadri for Barrie, AWFUL. Please tell me the good moves Dubas made. Signing do-nothing-Brodie for five million per year?

[@music80s65]

Trading for O Reilly and Acari were great trades. Signi g Bunting to a 925k for 50+points was genius.

[@MisterCaution]

@@TheCanadaGoose Getting rid of the full Mrazek contract for what amounted to moving a few spots down in the 2022 draft.

[@TheCanadaGoose]

@@MisterCaution But Dubas is the guy who signed Mrazek to a bad contract. How could you use that as an example of a good Dubas move, fixing a mistake that Dubas made himself which cost the Leafs a higher draft pick and potentially much better prospect. Good grief, that is a poor example.

[@johnalwell5795]

Great job . Great analysis.

[@KO_______]

13:46 surprisingly the leafs actually have quite a bit of cap space this summer, around 15M.

[@RoamHockey]

actually they have under 9M and need to get 9 guys signed to make a 23 man roster

[@angrymanatee4819]

He came out as a winner in that shouting match against TBL fans. 😂😂😂😂

[@Dorian803]

The Jets should do everything they can to try to get him

[@juanito1975]

I welcome the next GM with open arms!!

[@louscannon7493]

Dubas, early on, like a kid in a candy shop, tried to buy a Stanley cup with those big money signings. Later on, when reality set in and he was reeling, he tried to remake the rest of the team. Much to the delight of many, it blew up in his face...

[@drlca6601]

yeah... the chad GM move is to just build around D, not live and die by the gun.

[@georgenelson8284]

I couldn't imagine playing for Toronto. The preasure from the fanbase and media is crushing. No thank you.

[@calebkent6706]

@The Hockey Guy who do you think of any and all potential candidates will be Kyle Dubas’s replacement as the leafs gm? Also in your opinion, what do the leafs need to do in order to win a stanley cup and end their drought?

[@alcatraz8623]

I feel like we should keep the guy who got us across the line.

[@treyk4839]

It's kind of funny to look back before the playoffs when most of Leafs Nation was saying that as long as they make it past the first round they will be happy.... That Florida series pretty much blew up this organization. I wonder if it would have been different had they played a bit better and lost in 6/7 in a competitive series, rather than going down 3-0 immediately.

[@BedwetterCDN]

That was quick - Did you have that in the can?!

[@WatermelonCat941]

I know it won't happen but i really really want him in Pittsburgh as a pens fan. He could build one more cup winning team around our core and then have a blank slate for a rebuild. He could make it his franchise

[@klompsauce]

How did Shanny survive???

[@andrewhooper5933]

The Leafs are a joke of an organization, feeling more and more Ballard day by day. They fill the arena, sell tons of merch, who cares otherwise.

[@hassam363]

Shanny is a old hockey boy and thus harder to get rid of.

[@pale_saint]

@@hassam363 yea he could punch some nerd who comes to him trying to fire him

[@jay786786786]

@@andrewhooper5933 This is exactly what it comes down to at the end of the day. Win or lose, the organization is making bank

[@TheMaestro116]

Shanaban can't ban himself.

[@chrisg1556]

The contract was done and given to Dubas right after game 5. Dubas then proceeded to waiver in his commitment by saying he wasn't sure if he was going to come back. At that point he was gone. You cant be half in as leaf gm.

[@xJabro]

Wanted a new coach before a new GM. Dubas made some decent signings at the deadline to set the team up, Keefe got out coached by Maurice and the players didn't try hard enough

[@bunhead8]

I always thought Shanahan was the problem with the Leafs as he was a disaster with the NHL players association (IMO). Dubas would definitely get another job when he is ready. Passionate, compassionate, and smarter than anyone else in the organization.