Dubas appreciation thread

[Pi]

All while having to stick handle around re-signing a bunch of elite ELC players, and getting rid of a couple of the worst contracts in hockey to boot.

Yeah look how badly Vancouver screwed the pooch and they didn't even have talent like Matthews and Marner to sign. He not only got all of them signed but also left enough space to get an elite C like Tavares.

I don't know how he got out of that Zaitsev contract so cheaply. Lost a first to get rid of Marleau and got one back in the same range by trading Kapanen.

 

[Pi]

The kid did good. GM of the year talk?

Haha good one. Old school GM boys voting Dubas to become GM of the year? Won't happen. Even if the Leafs win back to back.

 

[Le Cobra]

The goaltending is the fly in the ointment for me. How Dubas handles the decline of Andersen might well determine his fate here in Toronto.

he's clearly done a great job with the rest of the squad in front of Fred though. With Robertson and a rejuvenated Simmonds added to the forwards, we've got a very strong lineup without making a single other move.

and of course, we know there's a 100% chance Dubas will try to add before the deadline, because this team is obviously good enough to warrant it.

I second this. We pick up an elite goalie and one more defenseman as good if not better than Brodie and we are set

 

[Pi]

I second this. We pick up an elite goalie and one more defenseman as good if not better than Brodie and we are set

Goalies are completely unpredictable though. Andersen and Campbell could be injured and the Leafs could ride Woll to the Cup and I wouldn’t be shocked.

 

[Ryan Michaels]

I would respect the Dubas/Keefe haters more if they just said they hate young progressive thinking people and be done with it. Still gross but more honest then their pathetic attacks against the people responsible for the best Leafs team in a generation.

 

[IPS]

They can talk shit about the North all they like, but:

#1 overall team in the league
#1 in Pts%
#1 Offensive team in the league

Just looks bitter if you're trying to poke holes

 

[RogerR]

Thornton and Spezza make 1.4 COMBINED...
This is why the non-stop whining over cap hits of our stars is all for nothing.
DO NOT overpay support talent. There is no reason to do so. A 4th liner making 700K can be much better than a 4th liner making 3 million per.

4 players for 40 million you say? Ok, let's examine what the other half is spent on..

 

[RogerR]

I second this. We pick up an elite goalie and one more defenseman as good if not better than Brodie and we are set

Most elite goalies don't win cups. You can win with a guy making 3 million per.

 

[X66]

I would respect the Dubas/Keefe haters more if they just said they hate young progressive thinking people and be done with it. Still gross but more honest then their pathetic attacks against the people responsible for the best Leafs team in a generation.

This is exactly it.

That's literally all it is.

 

[X66]

What I honestly don't get about the Dubas/Keefe detractors is that they don't even show up to celebrate the team doing well.

They only show up when they lose to bash Dubas/Keefe.

How pathetic and miserable can you be?

It's a hobby for God's sake, enjoy the highs lol.

 

[X66]

The kid did good. GM of the year talk?

That's voted on by other GM's, so there is ZERO chance they're giving it to a kid like Dubas.

 

[RogerR]

The Dubas haters still think mark Hunter is some gem. Guy can't get an NHL job. It's been so long since he left I think his window is closing fast. 13 GMs have been hired since he left...

 

[RogerR]

That's voted on by other GM's, so there is ZERO chance they're giving it to a kid like Dubas.

I think though, based on voting they seem to vote for the 4 GMs that make the E.Conf. finals. So it there's a strong playoff run he can win it

 

[IPS]

What I honestly don't get about the Dubas/Keefe detractors is that they don't even show up to celebrate the team doing well.

They only show up when they lose to bash Dubas/Keefe.

How pathetic and miserable can you be?

It's a hobby for God's sake, enjoy the highs lol.

I often wonder if this phenomena happens with other fanbases.

You cheer for what is currently the best team in the league but you're so petty with your hatred of a few guys in the organization that you can't enjoy it? Truly bizarre stuff.

 

[RogerR]

I often wonder if this phenomena happens with other fanbases.

You cheer for what is currently the best team in the league but you're so petty with your hatred of a few guys in the organization that you can't enjoy it? Truly bizarre stuff.

And this is a team without a finals appearance in 54 years and they still do it here. It's weird.

 

[Alamo Leafer]

No awards for him quite yet while we're still holding his beer

 

[Pucker77]

I have been a Kyle Dubas fan for a while and even though he has had his ups and downs with the team so far. It is impossible to deny how good of an offseason he had this year.

Signed:
TJ Brodie - $5 mil
Wayne Simmonds - $1.5 mil
Zach Bogosian - $1 mil
Mikko Lehtonen - $925k
Jimmy Vesey - $900k
Travis Boyd - $900k
Joe Thornton - $700k

Re-signed:
Travis Dermott - $874k
Jason Spezza - $700k

That is half of an NHL roster worth of depth for a combined $12.499 mil cap hit.

He also refilled the prospect cupboard by acquiring Hallander, Anderson, and the 1st that became Amirov.

That is a terrific way to continue to build this team. The Leafs are still top heavy in the sense that all their offense is in the top 2 lines, but with the prospects Dubas has acquired the team will have pieces like Robertson, Amirov, Anderson and Hallander on ELC's over the next few years to help spread out the offense with the highly paid Big 4.

 

[RogerR]

I have been a Kyle Dubas fan for a while and even though he has had his ups and downs with the team so far. It is impossible to deny how good of an offseason he had this year.

Signed:
TJ Brodie - $5 mil
Wayne Simmonds - $1.5 mil
Zach Bogosian - $1 mil
Mikko Lehtonen - $925k
Jimmy Vesey - $900k
Travis Boyd - $900k
Joe Thornton - $700k

Re-signed:
Travis Dermott - $874k
Jason Spezza - $700k

That is half of an NHL roster worth of depth for a combined $12.499 mil cap hit.

He also refilled the prospect cupboard by acquiring Hallander, Anderson, and the 1st that became Amirov.

That is a terrific way to continue to build this team. The Leafs are still top heavy in the sense that all their offense is in the top 2 lines, but with the prospects Dubas has acquired the team will have pieces like Robertson, Amirov, Anderson and Hallander on ELC's over the next few years to help spread out the offense with the highly paid Big 4.

And that is why the argument 4 players, 40 million is GARBAGE. it tells you NOTHING about the entire roster and cap situation. No NHL team is getting the amazing value in bottom 6 talent the Leafs are. But yet people can't stop obessing over cap hits to young stars.

He needs to win the award for top GM with his amazing offseason.

 

[Pucker77]

And that is why the argument 4 players, 40 million is GARBAGE. it tells you NOTHING about the entire roster and cap situation. No NHL team is getting the amazing value in bottom 6 talent the Leafs are. But yet people can't stop obessing over cap hits to young stars.

He needs to win the award for top GM with his amazing offseason.

I know the media and other team's fans complain about how much the Leafs spend on those players, but in general there is no problem with those contracts. As long as the players are actually worth those contracts.

What the problem is, and nobody in the media has been able to articulate this properly, is that when you sign 4 people to so much money it dramatically reduces your margin for error with other contracts. You cannot overpay other players or else it hurts the team a lot more than others who make the same mistake.

To build around those high priced guys you have to sign the right support player(s) to the right salary for the right amount of years. If you are wrong about any of those characteristics the team has to jump through hoops to create cap space or get out of the contract. Patrick Marleau is a good example of this, he was the right player (at the time) for the right price, but they were wrong on the term. Because they were wrong about giving him the extra year, the team had to offer their 1st round pick to fix the problem.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

Obviously the biggest knock folks have had on Dubas is his big contracts. Personally I would have liked to see them a bit lower (except Nylander) but I don't lose much sleep over it as it is nice to see bigger money going to stars in their prime. Basically we don't have any "bad" contracts.

Was a little curious with respect to how those guys are living up to their contracts. Here's how they stack up since signing:

Marner 7th highest cap

8th Pts/GP
4th A/GP

Matthews 3rd highest cap

9th Pts/GP
1st G/GP

Tavares 5th highest cap

10th G/GP
24th Pts/GP

Nylander 70th highest cap

91 Pts/GP

Tavares is probably a little underperforming but his is also a UFA contract. Nylander is underperforming since contract signing though he had a rough half year coming in midway. Since then he's actually overperforming coming in at 51st in Pts/GP.

All in all it appears those contracts are meeting expectations. It is interesting when you look at the top 30 contracts how many of them are not performing anywhere near their cap hits.

 

[stickty111]

Thanks to @Jimmy Firecracker for this. You have to feel for Dubas having to deal with Babcock.
I remember many on here wanted Jensen at that TDL, and now hearing Dubas being in on him, but Babcock pretty much sabotoging the potential move that stopped it from happening.

 

[ITM]

I would respect the Dubas/Keefe haters more if they just said they hate young progressive thinking people and be done with it. Still gross but more honest then their pathetic attacks against the people responsible for the best Leafs team in a generation.

Don't think that's the gist of every detractor, do you? Youth and progressive thinking?

I think impatience is a factor. I think boredom tags along with it. I think insincerity is a large part of a certain kind of fan that only cites the negative. And that's across the spectrum of criticism whether it's: Mike Babcock, William Nylander, Freddie Andersen or Kyle Dubas. And yet, all the mentioned have a basis to be praised.

Besides, but for Shanahan championing Dubas...no Dubas. And Shanahan isn't young, though it must be noted is absolutely progressive in his (hockey) thinking. And among those responsible for the best Leafs team in a generation, the single most responsible person of the bunch.

Just think it's important to note the importance of nuance every now and then. Especially to an audience of "haters", and whomever they hate at any given time.

 

[zeke]

I know the media and other team's fans complain about how much the Leafs spend on those players, but in general there is no problem with those contracts. As long as the players are actually worth those contracts.

What the problem is, and nobody in the media has been able to articulate this properly, is that when you sign 4 people to so much money it dramatically reduces your margin for error with other contracts. You cannot overpay other players or else it hurts the team a lot more than others who make the same mistake.

To build around those high priced guys you have to sign the right support player(s) to the right salary for the right amount of years. If you are wrong about any of those characteristics the team has to jump through hoops to create cap space or get out of the contract. Patrick Marleau is a good example of this, he was the right player (at the time) for the right price, but they were wrong on the term. Because they were wrong about giving him the extra year, the team had to offer their 1st round pick to fix the problem.

Marleau was the wrong player at a horrendous price, though.

Dubas has shown the ability to get many better players than Marleau for near league minimum.

 

[leafsfan2point0]

Another Dubas signing that seems to be forgotten by some is getting Joey Anderson for 3 years at 750k for his 22-24 year old seasons. Solid two way player with potential

 

[BertCorbeau]

Another Dubas signing that seems to be forgotten by some is getting Joey Anderson for 3 years at 750k for his 22-24 year old seasons. Solid two way player with potential

Anderson was acquired in the Andreas Johnsson trade actually, then Dubas re-signed him. Looks like a nice pickup and the league min extension after is looking good.