Dubas, 32, has never won anything in hockey, or been a general manager of an NHL team. He represents a new order in hockey, a culture that believes in numbers as much as it believes in heart and soul.
This is a clear choice by team president Brendan Shanahan, and he better be right. It’s a bold choice, but not really a risky one in that Dubas has been training for this very moment for years. He’s proven he can run an excellent minor pro operation in Toronto. Now he has to demonstrate he can run an excellent NHL operation in Toronto.
When Shanahan hired Lamoriello three years ago, it was scrutinized just as his hiring of Dubas was. Some suggested the game had passed Lamoriello by. But Shanahan reckoned the Leafs needed to have a great deal more discipline as an organization, and Lamoriello supplied it. No more Red Bull caps during post-game interviews. No more leaks. No more rookies doing on-camera interviews. No more shenanigans from Nazem Kadri, no more Salutegates. No more Joffrey Lupul, for reasons that are still a little murky.
In general, no more nonsense. And no more beards.
Elevating Dubas, a logical and seamless transition, is evidence that Shanahan believes the team now needs something else, some other qualities, to get to the next level. A younger voice, perhaps a fresher approach.
