Confirmed with Link: It's Started! (Management firings)

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I'm conflicted on FSG. The Sullivan extension before his current deal was even up was absurdly stupid, and they waited an extra year letting Hextall do his "Mike Johnston at GM" routine, so I'm not stoked about what they've actually done so far. Remains to be seen how they handle things as the era winds down and the rebuild begins, which all starts with this summer and the new FO (and hopefully scouting folks).

 

[Turin]

The best argument to bring Dubas is that he'd be the most likely to fire Sullivan and the assistants. Nothing would change the culture with this team more than that.
I suspect Keefe and the Leafs assistants may be fired soon, so he could bring those here. He's tight with Keefe from Soo Greyhound days.

Say what you will about Keefe, but I'd take year 1 of him here over year 9 of Sullivan all day. After the way Sullivan deployed his players this past year, I've lost all faith in him. Dude's on a heavy regression curve here. He needs a new group, or a year off to re-ignite his passion for the job.

Keefe is meh and the last thing I find attractive about a Dubas hire is him being married to coach ala Shero and Bylsma.

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

I'm conflicted on FSG. The Sullivan extension before his current deal was even up was absurdly stupid, and they waited an extra year letting Hextall do his "Mike Johnston at GM" routine, so I'm not stoked about what they've actually done so far. Remains to be seen how they handle things as the era winds down and the rebuild begins, which all starts with this summer and the new FO (and hopefully scouting folks).

Perfectly put.

 

[BusinessGoose]

f*** shanahan

 

[Ulf5]

That’s what happens when your team no longer worked on a shoestring budget. Shero simply copied what other teams were doing once the team was on solid financial footing. He ain’t Billy Beane or some innovator.

Sad thing is, the Pens were always behind the times before the financial problems.

 

[McGroarty2]

I'm skeptical that FSG would want to hire Dubas with the power Dubas seems to want. It seems like they're focusing on having both a president of hockey operations along with a GM, but it seems like Dubas wants to be both of those.

I'm fine with either Chayka as POHO and Tulsky as GM or Dubas as both POHO and GM. Both of those are built with young analytic minds and I think that is the absolute most important thing to get in the new management.

Also I'm going to mistakenly call Tulsky "Tlusty" because Jiri Tlusty was an old player for the Hurricanes that I remember.

I'll mistakenly call Chayka "Chaka, Chaka Kahn"

 

[Pens x]

No one is a little worried about Chayka for being a flake after the stuff that went down in AZ?

 

[SomeDude]

No one is a little worried about Chayka for being a flake after the stuff that went down in AZ?

More than a little. He threw a temper tantrum, which should be expected from a man child, when it became evident he was in over his head and not the genius he was supposed to be.

Not to mention his sister further embarrassed the family name with her draft “commentary” last year.

Let’s just keep the Chayka’s away from hockey.

 

[Pens x]

More than a little. He threw a temper tantrum, which should be expected from a man child, when it became evident he was in over his head and not the genius he was supposed to be.

Not to mention his sister further embarrassed the family name with her draft “commentary” last year.

Let’s just keep the Chayka’s away from hockey.

Yeah, it’s a little worrisome that FSG is interviewing some of these jokes, and a bit frustrating that fans are cool with it.

 

[pistolpete11]

I just want Tulsky as GM. Since it would be his first time as GM, I think they'd be wise to also go with a POHO with some experience. Dubas would be my pick. Not because I think Dubas is something special, but of the guys with previous experience, he has the least amount of question marks in my mind. I'd be fine with Chayka as well, but the stuff that went down in Arizona is a little bit of a red flag. Botts would be OK, too, but I worry about him being loyal to Sullivan. The rest of the guys with experience? No thanks. Could be someone from out of left field, I suppose, like Burke was.

Keefe is meh and the last thing I find attractive about a Dubas hire is him being married to coach ala Shero and Bylsma.

It's the lesser of 2 evils compared to keeping Sullivan.

I'd be more worried about it if our core was coming into their prime.

 

[Pens x]

At least whoever they hire have very small shoes to fill.

 

[hockeywiz542]

Former NHL President’s POV on Leafs’ GM Change | Kyper & Bourne

SPORTSNET

May 19, 2023 Real Kyper & Bourne

Former NHL President and GM Doug MacLean joined Nick Kypreos and Gord Stellick to give his perspective on the fallout of the Maple Leafs' front office.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

If FSG wanted to fast-track Dubas to the pile of 2nd interviewees, I've gotta imagine it's because they think extremely highly of him.

Possible, but FSG think extremely highly of Sully as well, so…

Dubas + Tulsky would be cool.

I follow the Leafs closely.

Dubas has by and large been a failure of a GM for Toronto. He took over a 105 point playoff team at the end of the 2017-18 season with a young Matthews, Rielly, Nylander, Marner, and Liljegren already signed, with tons of cap space opening up. The Leafs were poised for great things at the time, if only they had a competent GM at the helm. Dubas was given the keys to the kingdom and nearly limitless resources at his disposal.

Dubas handed out insane contracts, signed a player significantly older than the rest of their core in Tavares to an 11M x 7 year deal, hired his unqualified longtime buddy as HC, and won only one playoff series in the following half a decade.

Dude reeks of failure and entitlement, and apparently also makes shady power plays against a guy who made him out of nothing (Shanahan).

 

[pistolpete11]

The "Dubas overplayed his hand" narrative strikes me as the media rallying around the Leafs because they're the Leafs and good ole Shanahan. If you're only considering that Dubas wanted to stay on as GM under any circumstances (which I think they are because in their minds, who the hell wouldn't want to be involved with the Leafs!), then sure, he f***ed up.

Sounds like he didn't see eye to eye with Shanahan, though, so he was only willing to come back under different terms. The Leafs didn't agree to his terms and they moved on.

 

[reino]

 

[Lust for Life]

I want the Pens to hire whoever pisses Pens x off the most.

Which, to be fair, seems to be anyone who breathes.

 

[pistolpete11]

Possible, but FSG think extremely highly of Sully as well, so…

I follow the Leafs closely.

Dubas has by and large been a failure of a GM for Toronto. He took over a 105 point playoff team at the end of the 2017-18 season with a young Matthews, Rielly, Nylander, Marner, and Liljegren already signed, with tons of cap space opening up. The Leafs were poised for great things at the time, if only they had a competent GM at the helm. Dubas was given the keys to the kingdom and nearly limitless resources at his disposal.

Dubas handed out insane contracts, signed a player significantly older than the rest of their core in Tavares to an 11M x 7 year deal, hired his unqualified longtime buddy as HC, and won only one playoff series in the following half a decade.

Dude reeks of failure and entitlement, and apparently also makes shady power plays against a guy who made him out of nothing (Shanahan).

The question for me is how much meddling was there by Shanahan? Sounds like at least some so who knows what decisions were his and which were forced on him.

Also, saying Tavares is significantly older than their core is kind of disingenuous. I'd agree $11M is too much for him, but he was a 28 year old point-per-game C when he signed in Toronto. You don't get chances to sign good players that are younger than that very often.

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

I want the Pens to hire whoever pisses Pens x off the most.

Which, to be fair, seems to be anyone who breathes.

Ahh f*** the Pens X bubba.

 

[Andy99]

I just want a GM who recognizes that with all of our NMCs etc, that we likely can’t do enough retooling of the skaters to improve our odds of playoff success in the two years or so left of Sid….focus on 1) a big impact scorer if possible and 2) the best goalie they can get….and 3) recognize that a coach firing pays immediate dividends and do it lol

 

[The GM]

More than a little. He threw a temper tantrum, which should be expected from a man child, when it became evident he was in over his head and not the genius he was supposed to be.

Not to mention his sister further embarrassed the family name with her draft “commentary” last year.

Let’s just keep the Chayka’s away from hockey.

He was much younger at the time he threw his hissy fit, people mature and grow out of that stage……….look at GMJR

 

[Turin]

Give me the Punished Kyle arc. It’s the most entertaining option. Though Toronto probably won’t trade us Marner then

 

[Pens x]

I want the Pens to hire whoever pisses Pens x off the most.

Which, to be fair, seems to be anyone who breathes.

Tulsky or Darche would be good. I just don’t want to hear our fans defend the next GM for 2.5 years if it is apparent immediately he is a complete moron like last time. Let’s not bury our hands in the sand again. The new GM shouldn’t get a free pass to not do anything for the first couple of month while he “evaluates” the team.

Look at the film from last year; it ain’t that hard. But our premiere ownership group needs to find someone first. Let’s just hope it’s not one of these guys with warts on them or anyone with ties to Sully or the team.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

The question for me is how much meddling was there by Shanahan? Sounds like at least some so who knows what decisions were his and which were forced on him.

Dubas is the GM, the buck stops with him. He has said as much himself. Any POHO has the capacity to call a halt if their GM is making questionable moves. And after 4 straight 1st round exits in Dubas’ first 4 years as GM, is it a surprise that some of his decisions were questioned (or overruled) by his superiors, and why the MLSE board sent him into his final year without a contract renewal?

Also, saying Tavares is significantly older than their core is kind of disingenuous. I'd agree $11M is too much for him, but he was a 28 year old point-per-game C when he signed in Toronto. You don't get chances to sign good players that are younger than that very often.

I mean, Matthews, Nylander and Marner are 25/26 years old.

Tavares was already looking slow out there in the postseason, and he will be 33 and 34 years old for the next two seasons, posting an 11M cap hit while on the decline. This hampers the Leafs significantly now (their fans are already calling him an anchor), and was Dubas’ big idea. A secondary effect of the Tavares signing was that it came shortly before they had to sign their young core players, and blew up any chance of a team-controlled lower cap dynamic for their core.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

The best argument to bring Dubas is that he'd be the most likely to fire Sullivan and the assistants. Nothing would change the culture with this team more than that.
I suspect Keefe and the Leafs assistants may be fired soon, so he could bring those here. He's tight with Keefe from Soo Greyhound days.

Say what you will about Keefe, but I'd take year 1 of him here over year 9 of Sullivan all day. After the way Sullivan deployed his players this past year, I've lost all faith in him. Dude's on a heavy regression curve here. He needs a new group, or a year off to re-ignite his passion for the job.

I’m all aboard the fire Sullsma train, but we can do better than Keefe.

 

[Pens x]

Dubas definitely rolled over for Marner and Tavares. It would also be interesting to see Dubas run a team that isn’t a free agent destination. No one is signing with Pittsburgh for a discount like Toronto.