Confirmed with Link: Kyle Dubas Not Returning

[Cleetus]

Keefe is destroying a wheel right now.

extra cheese, and pepperoni! lol

 

[keonsbitterness]

Huge tipping point for the team as many personnel and coaching decisions have to be made in the next six weeks. They better get this right.

 

[Fogelhund]

So who wins a cup first? Dubas with another team, or the Leafs?

 

[Al48]

Very nervous to see where we go from here. I don't have a great feeling.

Were you Leafs fans filled with warm, fuzzy feelings of assuredness before?

 

[JSn0w93]

View attachment 710385View attachment 710386

Why do people want him to do anything with the Leafs?

He had a gun to his head there and at the time that trade was viewed as a big W for him.

 

[6ix]

He was too buddy buddy with players. A GM should be straight business.

 

[Trapper]

This is solely on the players. Dubas had complete faith in the core, he provided them a strong lineup and they didn't deliver. He proudly supported them but they wouldn't him when the pressure arrived.

The mistakes for Dubas are not as significant as other GMs, but by the time he really figured it out, he was handcuffed. Ultimately, this is on the top paid players who refused to go through the wall for him.

1. Signing Johnny T. I thought at the time it was too soon for this big outlay of Cap Space and I didn't think he made sense. He has delivered, but he needed immediate playoff success, didn't get any and the throw-ins years at the end of his contract simply don't age well.

2. Giving in to the RFAs. Yes, they rewrote the game when Willie say out. I would have traded him. As it turns out, the contract has aged very well, but, it impacted MM and AMs asking. Taveres earned his contract as a UFA, RFAs have limits. The no-trade options make them worse. I blame many in sports media in this city for putting the heat on getting them signed. They made his job more difficult for sure.

3. Not trading MM or others after the Columbus or Habs series. There was enough history and little Cap Space to NOT make such a decision. He needed to be objective and I hope ownership didn't prevent such decisions. IMO only Matty was off the table.

4. Never being able to get a legit #1 goalie. To a lesser degree, missing a true #1 Dman.

Worse than all of these were the unforeseen Cap hit that covid had. This handcuffed him for three years.

Most of Dubas trade were spot on. Some were even phenomenal. Getting Muzzin, a First Rounder for Kapenan, McCabe for two more years, ROR, Acciari, Schenn. This last deadline was an A+.

This team as constructed now SHOULD be a winner on paper, but some lack the will. Imagine if he had picked up Bennett (he tried) and Pietriangelo?

Keefe can't be far behind now, that is usually how this goes.

Keefe is low priority. He can be fired anytime.
And sometimes in the summer other organizations change coaches and more become available.
The draft and July 1st is our priority.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

This is solely on the players. Dubas had complete faith in the core, he provided them a strong lineup and they didn't deliver. He proudly supported them but they wouldn't him when the pressure arrived.

Ain’t that the truth. If the players had just managed to beat Montreal especially Dubas is likely still here.

 

[Leaf Rocket]

Just as I wanted this decision to be know...Now I am giddy to know when the next GM will be announced.

 

[sampollock]

dubas got killed due to the core 4

JT contract is a killer.... I would think big changes coming

 

[Cor]

Time will tell if this is the right decision or not.

Praying for a Pridham promotion or Eric Tulsky hire.

Expecting Treliving or Chiarelli fml

 

[Niagara Bill]

Mixed emotions.

I did not like the Dubas hire, and wanted an established GM.

Hated his obsession with small skill, moving out Marchment and bringing in Malgin and Petan.

Never should’ve hired Keefe to begin with, and should have been jettisoned after losing to Montreal.

Completely botched the Seattle expansion draft and Kadri trade, as well as the Foligno and Murray trades.

He did show some astute drafting and under the radar trades such as Timmins and Bunting.

This TDL was excellent, with the exception of trading Sandin and not adding a LW that left us reliant on Kerfoot, who should have been traded.

I see he has evolved as a GM and is putting it together. I was open to him him coming back provided Keefe was gone and he hammered out deals with Matthews, Marner, and Nylander that were more team friendly for us. I think he had earned that respect from them all for the lumps he took after their last deals.

I hate that he did his training here, to realize his full potential elsewhere, at our expense.

Having said that, work-life balance comes first, always. No one can know what he and his family were feeling and going through. Nothing is worth your mental health, and your family’s happiness. If there was trouble with that balance, then stepping away is absolutely what he needs to do and everyone needs to STFU about it.

So much we don’t and probably won’t know. He’s done some things I liked, some things I didn’t like, and honestly some things I’ve hated, but no one can say he didn’t try and didn’t care.

I wish him and his family well, and if this is what needed to happen for him to have that, then so be it. We will move forward.

His choices fir Marlies ended same as Leafs. Something rotten in the plan somewhere.

 

[kevsh]

At the presser he didn't look fully committed and I imagine MLSE took notice.

Considering what an important off-season this is the Leafs have to have a GM 100% anxious and ready to go, looking forward to taking this team to the next level (in corporate NHL speak).

Clearly Kyle wasn't, so good call if it was MLSE's decision to not bring him back. Plus I don't think he was nearly the great GM so many fans believe he is. Now get someone in here that a) knows $40 million in 4 players who don't deliver when it matters doesn't work and b) can manage potentially hugely significant contract extension(s) and hugely significant trades.

That means, no "green" GMs need apply, but I won't be surprised if Shanny brings in another young, promising GM whose (lack of) experience and pull doesn't threaten his own job.

 

[uncleben]

Say what you want about Dubas, but he always reflected and admitted when things didn't work.

Team needed to tighten up their D? He went out and got reliable vets
Team needed forward depth? He got it in spades
Goaltending needed a refresh? He gutted and rebuilt
Grit, leadership, experience, etc., he was not afraid to face his adequacies and try to address them

The only thing he didn't do is shakeup the core 4.



And now we'll be hard pressed to get a GM that's more open and on top of things. Looking at the average GM in the League, we're likely to get some dinosaur come in and trade away top players without any formal insight into the organization and locker room.


And maybe that's exactly what we need right now! But I don't see a possibility where we're better next year. We'll probably have to take at least one step back before we take a step forward.

 

[thewave]

Finally something positive. See ya Dubas

 

[rumman]

What I find weird is he said nothing was off the table before making the exit himself before anyone else.

obviously Kyle isn't good at playing poker.............

 

[notbias]

He had a gun to his head there and at the time that trade was viewed as a big W for him.

results? or not this time. Right now it is a big failure.

Also, aren't we making someone trade one of our young players, pretty much the same situation...

Not a fan of him as our GM.

 

[93LEAFS]

You have a horse? I figure the list is small at this point.

Tulsky
Treliving
Futa
Gorton (if he's allowed to leave)

No chance on Futa, he's just media hyped because he's buddies with the TSN guys (and a constant source).

Tulsky intrigues me the most. But, we don't know whats next. We managed to pull in Burke and Lou out of nowhere when no one thought they were available.

 

[Leafsfan74]

Keefe is low priority. He can be fired anytime.
And sometimes in the summer other organizations change coaches and more become available.
The draft and July 1st is our priority.

True. My point is I don't see him behind the bench next year

 

[TheBeastCoast]

So who wins a cup first? Dubas with another team, or the Leafs?

Dubas. He trades for Marner on his new team who leads them to a cup and a Conn Smythe. Otherwise known as the darkest timeline...that we live in.

 

[All Mod Cons]

Leafs just lost a massive portion of their fanbase.

The Soo unemployment rate will be through the roof come Tuesday.

Best decision I've heard in a long, long time. Now we can build a Cup contender.

 

[Buds17]

I get a sinking feeling new GM comes in keeps that bullet in the chamber for next offseason

I'm thinking that's the easiest shoe to have drop if the new GM isn't an internal hire/promotion.

 

[thewave]

damn. we're going to regret this move. he was a good GM.

Ya he did and said everything right except his job at getting us to be a winning playoff team.

 

[Daisy Jane]

My goodness. well. bye Dubas. I don't really have an opinion one way or another.I don't know who is available for GMing - but if Quennville is there, please get him.

 

[Pebble live]

The team is at a very dangerous point in my opinion. They either get it right here and the team takes the next step by moving one of the "core 4". Or it goes wrong and its rebuild time again in 3 to 4 years.