End of Season Pressers (Monday May 15)

[The Iceman]

Tbh, the dubas presser was telling to me he is not coming back. Shanahan wasn’t with him, whereas shanahan was with dubas in the 2022 end of season presser. And dubas said nothing that indicated he was coming back, like no “we will work out the details” just a sob story how it’s taken a toll on his family. Dubas is 100% bailing. This is kind of like the Alex anthopolous situation. Dubas shot his shot, realizes his vision hasn’t and won’t work. And I’ll even go as far as dubas approaching matthews recently and said something to the lines of “Austin, before I sign my extension , i need you to be frank with me. I won’t say anything to anyone, but I gave you the contract you wanted, are you going to resign in Toronto”, and when Auston says “well when I first signed the 5 yr contract I had intentions to resign when it is up and I said that I would to you, but things change, and so I’m likely not resigning then resigning here”, which means dubas is bailing. Dubas doesn’t want to be the gm when he a) has to trade matthews for what will likely be an underwelming return or b) have him walk. Both scenarios makes dubas and his wife would be public enemy #1. i might be wrong, it’s just my opinion, but I don’t think so.

Shanahan was not at the year ender with Dubas because he had nothing to add.

How many times can he say he will take the next few days to evaluate when in reality he is re-negotiating a new deal with his GM.

 

[Gallagbi]

Imagine living in a hockey mad town. Your wife goes to the grocery store and she hears her husband being talked about. Imagine the online nonsense that your friends and family see. Sportsnet, TSN talking about your performance nightly. It goes deeper than that. but you get the point.

Thats the job though and not something unexpected. Its the "deeper" piece that we should steer clear of.

 

[57 Years No Cup]

Probably running the cori numbers on how the family tal panned out……..

 

[rumman]

Imagine living in a hockey mad town. Your wife goes to the grocery store and she hears her husband being talked about. Imagine the online nonsense that your friends and family see. Sportsnet, TSN talking about your performance nightly. It goes deeper than that. but you get the point.

Yup, this family are victims of him landing his dream job, all fans, media, hockeydom must feel the guilt and shame of the incredible injustice this has been to the Dubas family. I know I’m long in the tooth, but this current trend of everyone being victims is getting a little out of hand don’t you think?

 

[Leaf Fans]

Yup, this family are victims of him landing his dream job, all fans, media, hockeydom must feel the guilt and shame of the incredible injustice this has been to the Dubas family. I know I’m long in the tooth, but this current trend of everyone being victims is getting a little out of hand don’t you think?

You are one of the few claiming Dubas is a victim.

 

[Trapper]

Everyone can interpret things anyway they like, and that diversity of thought is what makes any community super fascinating and interesting.

For me personally though - I'm struggling with how anyone can view the Dubas-family stuff as anything other than completely & totally genuine.

That was raw, and real, and it's frustrating to see so many people second guessing it.

The guy doesn't need sympathy. Sympathy isn't currency or leverage you can bring into a negotiation.

I’m sure it was genuine, but why is this like Days of our Lives?
It’s none of our business and why is it being aired at an end of year conference?
The team could say he is dealing with family issues. The end. Then are you GM or not? Shanahan could have delivered the message.

 

[justashadowof]

"The players think if I keep doing the same things I've been doing it's eventually going to work."

That's the mindset put into their heads by a management that's reiterated over and over that they "believe in this group."

The sad thing is every single one of these core players train hard and aren't bad actors in terms showing up for practice, media availability, trouble away from the team, etc. They could each be better playoff performers if pushed to be that. They are the formerly precocious kid who was praised and believed in so much he/she didn't reach his/her potential as an engineer or doctor but is instead just very good at computer games.

 

[ShaneFalco]

from the hotstove

“In Kyle Dubas’ end-of-season press conference, the Leafs GM mentioned that the easy thing to do would be to make bold changes. I’d argue the opposite at this point. The easy thing to do is to not shake the boat or roll the dice on making a change that could push the team over the top. Running back a strong regular season team that has looked good in one of the last three playoffs is the easiest possible thing to do. It requires almost no work… Running it back pretty well ensures 82 risk-free games. It’s a virtual certainty the team will be good in the regular season.”

– It was surprising to hear Sheldon Keefe note, “I thought the game [vs. Florida] was really wide open. Frankly, we weren’t expecting it to be as open as it was early in the series.” This is a division rival. They played them multiple times down the stretch, and this is how the Panthers have played for a few years now. They are one of the best rush teams in the league. We noted before the series how aggressively they attack with two forecheckers; this leads to wide-open play. I don’t know how the Leafs could have possibly been surprised.

– The other thing that stood out was in regard to the offense: “We weren’t able to play long enough for them to find their way through that.” The team can’t just throw its hands up and chalk it up to the other team’s goalie every year. They have to find ways through it.

 

[4thline]

Yup, this family are victims of him landing his dream job, all fans, media, hockeydom must feel the guilt and shame of the incredible injustice this has been to the Dubas family. I know I’m long in the tooth, but this current trend of everyone being victims is getting a little out of hand don’t you think?

Wow. I thought it had been a while since I'd seen your avy, like a hundred posts since the team was eliminated- none all season. So f-ing sad.

 

[57 Years No Cup]

Yup, this family are victims of him landing his dream job, all fans, media, hockeydom must feel the guilt and shame of the incredible injustice this has been to the Dubas family. I know I’m long in the tooth, but this current trend of everyone being victims is getting a little out of hand don’t you think?

THIS^.

 

[stickty111]

Of course it's a distraction, they would be getting plans set for the off-season right now if they knew and if it's a new GM it's going to be even longer

He's had half a decade as GM and a full decade in the organization, he's failed

Sack him

If letting someone figure out what's going on with his family is a distraction, this organization has a lot of human elements to learn. It's not a huge deal, the team let him take some time and then come back with an answer. Family shouldn't be a distraction for an organization. If it was, they would have moved on after the presser.
They probably have given Dubas a deadline to make his decision anyways

 

[rumman]

Wow. I thought it had been a while since I'd seen your avy, like a hundred posts since the team was eliminated- none all season. So f-ing sad.

I do not to post during the season anymore, there’s no point because the changes that will result in the team improving won’t happen (new mgmt). I’ll post until it’s confirmed Dubas is back, then go silent until next spring when the same results offer hope that he’ll be replaced.……….

 

[4thline]

I do not to post during the season anymore, there’s no point because the changes that will result in the team improving won’t happen (new mgmt). I’ll post until it’s confirmed Dubas is back, then go silent until next spring when the same results offer hope that he’ll be replaced.……….

I'll repeat. So f-ing sad.

 

[ITM]

Tavares has to agree to waive his NMC first and also I don't think Doughty's contract is going to age well either. Tavares has 2 years left, while Doughty has 4 years left at 11 AAV. I wouldn't do it for a 33 yr old D-man.

The best play IMO is to ride out Tavares' 2 years, re-tool during that time. Miss playoffs for these two years, draft well and move on.

Avs got Makar and Rantanen out of that. We may get lucky with that too. We are going to have to be tactful and have a foresight on how to achieve our goal of winning the cup while stacking up the roster in a hard salary cap league.

Not so dissimilar from a post I wrote months back on a cup half full apprehension about our cap once past Tavares.

I think you’re absolutely right: Team first approach with zero compromise on short term moves while stockpiling assets and maximizing draft position.

 

[Bomber0104]

I do not to post during the season anymore, there’s no point because the changes that will result in the team improving won’t happen (new mgmt). I’ll post until it’s confirmed Dubas is back, then go silent until next spring when the same results offer hope that he’ll be replaced.……….

I have scores of Leafs fans friends (some in my display pic), a lot of whom are only watching during the playoffs when it matters for them....

I guess it never occurred to that poster that not everyone cares to contribute to meaningless regular season chest-thumping anymore

 

[ToneDog]

It doesn't appear to be a distraction to the team. Shanahan has yet to speak,

Yup and the SCs they've won prove they know what they are doing.

 

[Bomber0104]

I'll repeat. So f-ing sad.

I can think of something much sadder...

Defending Kyle Dubas' every bowel movement on a discussion board for the past 5 years, while the team won a single first round matchup.

Know anyone like that?

 

[stickty111]

On the who is here and not here opening night, CJ thinks the only UFA's that will return are Schenn and Acciari. He thinks Samsanov will be here. Of the core 4, he thinks the guy that will be traded is Marner.

 

[ShaneFalco]

I'll repeat. So f-ing sad.

It is sad that a team with this amount of talent has pissed it away with a training wheels GM who up until now (appraently) is too loyal and too stuck in his ways. With zero success. Many fans I know have lost interest - if that's sad to you, you do you, I however get it

 

[ToneDog]

Imagine living in a hockey mad town. Your wife goes to the grocery store and she hears her husband being talked about. Imagine the online nonsense that your friends and family see. Sportsnet, TSN talking about your performance nightly. It goes deeper than that. but you get the point.

Imagine being paid $3m/year as GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Where do I sign ??

 

[Trapper]

I'll repeat. So f-ing sad.

What do you want him to say anymore during the regular season?
Stroke them players cause they are off to the all star game?
Be nice if he could post more during the playoffs, no?
So f-ing sad.

 

[Tak7]

I’m sure it was genuine, but why is this like Days of our Lives?
It’s none of our business and why is it being aired at an end of year conference?
The team could say he is dealing with family issues. The end. Then are you GM or not? Shanahan could have delivered the message.

CJ points out on both podcasts this week, that the organization were caught off guard by it.

I think Kyle was too - it didn't feel pre-meditated or calculated to me, but just in the process of answering the question he went down the road of being completely honest, and the emotion got to him.

At that point, the media justifiably continued down the road.

I think part of the delay in this process now, the way I understand it, is that MLSE had already laid the groundwork to bring Dubas back, but were thrown off-guard by the direction that presser took, and are now giving Dubas the time he needs to decide what he wants.

The most telling thing to come out of all of this, is perhaps the realization that MLSE do intend to bring him back.

 

[egd27]

I said it before... I thought it was interesting how Dubas structured the Matthews, Nylander and Marner contracts.

Matthews and Nylander up for new negoations and NMC and limited NTC kick in for both respectively
Marner's NMC also kicks in 2 years early at the same time

And guess what... Dubas' contract extension is also at the same time

Masterful move or coincidence who knows

Either masterful or completely inept. I'm leaning toward the latter.

 

[Trapper]

I do not to post during the season anymore, there’s no point because the changes that will result in the team improving won’t happen (new mgmt). I’ll post until it’s confirmed Dubas is back, then go silent until next spring when the same results offer hope that he’ll be replaced.……….

I hear you. I stepped back from posting a lot in the regular season as well. This team can put you in the negative zone quickly so sometimes you need a break or you can get too angry/frustrated. At least I can.
The playoffs already does that for me, don’t need to add regular season to it all the time.

 

[81Leafs50]

Imagine being paid $3m/year as GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Where do I sign ??

clearly your brain is too shallow to understand the 24/7 demands of the job. Money is not everything.