End of Season Pressers (Monday May 15)

[wingman75]

Even Dubas playing hard ball with the organization, wouldn't be surprised if he gets overpaid too

Do we really care what they pay management? MLSE have deep pockets, and can use them in the best way to help their teams. Players $$$ matter because of cap hits, unfortunately.

 

[sxvnert]

He's going to Shittsburgh, isn't he?

Pitts is a garbage narrative put out there by his mouthpiece Friedman. As if it matters whether he'll be scooped up by another team after getting shitcanned. I would hope so.

 

[egd27]

Wow they all
Love it here.

Like teachers, they get the summer off.

 

[Mr Knies Guy]

Dubs hasn’t talked to his family/wife recently or what?

Anyways, this is a broken man and he’s gonna take time off, I think. He’ll be a GM next offseason

 

[57 Years No Cup]

yikes. Dubas admitting he's bouncing

 

[CapspaceKiller]

I don't buy the Dubas, Toronto or nowhere statement. If he takes a year off, his job won't be waiting for him here anyway.

 

[socko]

Leafs or nowhere for Dubas.

Nowhere sounds good to me....

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Hearing this if I was Shanny I think I would turn the page on Dubas and Keefe.

This is not the press conference I was expecting at all.

Yeah it's never a good idea to read too far into these, but I have less confidence in those two after listening to this. Especially for a guy like Dubas who is usually much more eloquent and confident person, he seems totally rattled

 

[mydnyte]

Do people realize what a shitshow our D is? Bunch of slow, low skill guys (other than Mo). How does it get fixed? It’s a mess back there.

I'm excluding Schenn since he was a D/L add
besides slow, they are WEAK ...easily outmuscled, and out-positioned by smaller players. they lose every board battle, and not one of them has any toughness, or intimidation factor.
they are accident prone (bad passes) and have poor decision making ability i.e. Holl, whenever he has someone about to bear down on him, he would try to trap the puck against the boards, rather than clear the zone, and then lose the board battle.
I said this before the start of last season that we didnt have a real chance unless we revamped the entire defense.
we still need to do that.
Keep Reilly, and McCabe because of contract
Lil, and Timmons also because of contract, but, open to upgrading them
Holl needs to not be offered a contract and let walk as UFA
Brodie needs to be traded ...he understands the game defensively, but, is too weak, and brings zero offense, and is a liability in the o-zone with the puck
Gio should be a 7th d-man/mentor

we need 2 big and tough defenders that have good hockey sense and a defense first mentality.
Gavrikov & Mayfield would be my top 2 targets as they wouldnt break the bank.
Dumba i think is too expensive and i dont think good enough defensively to be considered.
Soucy i'm not 100% sold on, but, the size is nice and could be an option depending on $$

K'Andre Miller would be a great trade target, but, what could we dangle to entice the Rangers? Lil & Robertson & rights to Bunting, doubt that would get them even interested to be honest.

 

[Apex Predator]

Just said it’s leafs GM next year or year off

 

[sxvnert]

Bullshit hes taking a year off if hes getting fired.

 

[Gary Nylund]

Dubas said the season was hard on his wife and/or family? WTF does that even mean?

 

[57 Years No Cup]

Kyle: "...this year has been hard on my wife. We'll talk tonight."

F*** me.

Hmmm...... which HF Leafs' Board poster is she?

 

[BertCorbeau]

Bullshit hes taking a year off if hes getting fired.

He has no contract, he’s not getting fired

 

[sxvnert]

What Kyle means is the current opportunities out there (Pitts) dont interest me. "But Ottawa would"

 

[CapspaceKiller]

Bullshit hes taking a year off if hes getting fired.

Yeah that's completely bullshit

That's playing hard ball to get more money. He takes a year off, he won't come back to Toronto anyway.

 

[Tak7]

Post-Mortem Monday: Keefe

* Met all players today. Players share disappointment with coach about missed opportunity. No one feels good about today. Never fun.

*On his desire to stay and keep the core the same: loves coaching this team. Enjoys every day of it. Feels like the core has grown a lot, alongside him. While today is difficult to sense any progress, feels like they have made a lot of progress. Says team still has plenty of excitement and potential. Calls getting through Round 1 important, but says important reminder in round 2 of how close the margins are and how hard it is to win this year.

*Says he questions doing a lot of things differently reflecting back on Florida series. Owns that he got some things wrong in the series. Felt like his team was in good position to win games, but highlights thin margins. Says he always trusts his instincts & decisions, understanding that some he will get wrong. Wants to get better and improve, much like his players.

*Praises Florida. Highlights that while they snuck into playoffs, they were still President's Trophy winners year before. Feels series was lost in first 3 games, and felt game 2 was series altering game. Thought series was much more wide open than they were expecting, and compared to Tampa series. Felt Bob's confidence grow, and that seemed to flow through Florida.

*Highlights inability to convert chances early in series as key turning point

*Believes in Dubas and the work that he's done. Hope it gets worked out. Has tremendous respect and admiration for Kyle for what he's done with the team, but also personally for Keefe's own professional growth.

*Wants team to take away the good feeling of beating Tampa and getting over that hurdle, but also realize just how difficult it is to win this time of year. Says reaching the final 4 felt very tangible and achievable, and they went into the series too guarded and tentative. Highlights that next step as growth that team can focus on moving forward.

*Says deadline moves helped improve team. Highlights tight games in Tampa series that tipped their way due to having new additions help grind through those tighter moments. Trusts the scouts and Dubas on player decisions.

* Says he can have honest discussions with the core 4 - says they respond well when being challenged and pushed. Highlights Nylander having a career year, as a guy they've pushed hard to get to this level, and that he's responded well. Says that while the core 4 didn't breakthrough in round 2, says their process and standard they set themselves earned them plenty of chances and looks.

Post-Mortem Monday: Last but not least, Kyle Dubas

* Feels team had great opportunity to continue playing into the spring, and is disappointed they couldn't push through.

* On his own situation - will speak to Shanahan & owners over next few days, but speak with his family also and see how to proceed. Says this has been a very taxing year for his family and that's important to him.

*Says that he, and he alone, is responsible for the team. Says that Shanahan doesn't need to be up here shielding him, as this is on him.

* Says players and staff collectively need to continue to raise their level, and that's the focus heading into the office.

*Admits that while the goal is the same, to win, thinks that the pathway may need to be adjusted headed into the spring, draft, and free agency.

* Praises Keefe - felt that Sheldon and his staff made good adjustments to change things in the series. Highlights the role in closing the Bennett line down. Says a full evaluation will be needed in the offseason in order to establish how to move forward.

* On still having a desire to manage the Leafs - says that he needs to have a full and proper discussion with his family. Says it's been very difficult for them. Says that he can't answer that question until they have a clear idea. Doesn't want to go anywhere else though. Says it will either be here, or taking some time to reflect with his family

* On the emotional moments during the playoffs - says that the Tampa incident was in support of Rielly and Leafs fans in Tampa. Said that he probably shouldn't have used that sort of language, but felt he wanted to stick up for them. Defends his emotional nature, including the water bottle toss. Jokes that he could see in Tampa, everyone pulling out their phone, and the incident evolving. Saying this is him, and can't commit to not doing things differently. "This is me".

* On the 6 new bodies added at the deadline, and what else he can do to win - was worried that he brought in too many new faces at the deadline, but praises the leadership core & the new adds to integrating so quickly. Says that they have some younger players pressing for bigger roles (Robertson, Knies, McCann, Niemela, Villeneuve, Minten), and having those guys continuing to develop and jump in and find value bets in free agency.

* On his disappointment in his players - didn't like the narrative around the team about just winning a single round. Said the goal was always to win 4, and is disappointed that they weren't scoring. Highlights 2 goals a game, 7 games a row, wasn't good enough. Wants to build more offensive principles that can allow team to create more in those games. Says the Western conference seems to be scoring more, and the East has tended to be tighter. Says they need to find better ways to break through in those tighter moments, and is disappointed.

* Confirms that he will either work for the Leafs, or no one, next season.

* On the core - from now until next October, after a thorough evaluation, will make decisions then. Points to Florida moving core guys in a big move. Says it wasn't a hasty move that they made, but a late July move. Says he would consider anything and everything that would help them get better, but not until a thorough evaluation had been conducted.


So, the briefest of summaries:

1 - Doesn't commit to bringing Keefe back
2 - Doesn't commit to bringing the core 4 back - "Take nothing off the table"
3 - Doesn't commit to coming back himself
4 - Does confirm that next season, he will either be working for the Leafs, or no one.

 

[BallardEra]

Bullshit hes taking a year off if hes getting fired.

Technically he's not getting fired if Leafs don't offer him a contract.

 

[The Masters]

he just ran off ? lol

 

[ToneDog]

He has no contract, he’s not getting fired

He is if they don't want to wait until his contract runs out June 30th.

 

[Phion Keneuf]

Said he’s open to trading a member of our core.

Has to be Marner.

 

[Mr Knies Guy]

Wait, did he just sort of get thanked by the press handler and get up and leave without saying anything? Or did I not hear it properly?

Normally a quick thanks or something like Leefe is said.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Dubas said the season was hard on his wife and/or family? WTF does that even mean?

That it was hard on his family I would assume.

 

[sxvnert]

He has no contract, he’s not getting fired

I'm sure they'll make that distinction in the articles written afterwards.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Well he did say he views Florida as a template that traded away core pieces and got better, and he's committed to making any move that helps the team. I don't know if he'll actually do anything but at least he's not shutting down the concept of making a real change