Love him or hate him, Steve Simmons from the Toronto Sun makes some very good points regarding former Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas' clear misreading of his circumstance, Brendan Shanahan, Maple Leafs ownership, and
overplayed his hand, somehow turning an extension offer of more than market value — five years and probably close to $4 million a season — into no offer at all when he shot for the moon with his counter-offer and in doing so, basically shot himself.
Kyle Dubas ostensibly fired himself as general manager of the Maple Leafs.
torontosun.com
Dubas clearly misread his circumstance, misread Shanahan, misread Maple Leafs ownership, and overplayed his hand, somehow turning an extension offer of more than market value — five years and probably close to $4 million a season — into no offer at all when he shot for the moon with his counter-offer and in doing so, basically shot himself.
I have been present for a lot of firing press conferences over the years but nothing quite like this one before. Usually, a grim-faced owner or president says a few words, thanks the fired boss for his contributions, and then moves on to questions.
That’s the way it usually goes.
But there was nothing quite normal about the Leafs today and we wait now to see what tomorrow might bring.
And there was nothing quite normal about Shanahan going into extensive detail — minute details really — in explaining why Dubas was fired, how Dubas was fired and the doubt about him that began to seep in on Monday afternoon after the GM’s post-season availability.
That was the beginning of the end for Dubas as GM of the Leafs. In somewhat surprising form, Dubas went public with his personal doubts about staying as a GM in the NHL, talking about the toll it has taken on his life and the life of his family. The Leafs and Shanahan had some idea about whatever had been bothering Dubas and his family but clearly Shanahan — and possibly Leafs ownership — didn’t appreciate the public way in which Dubas chose to express his feelings and also began to worry about the 24/7 nature job and the toll it has taken on him.
They would have liked to have heard all that for themselves, behind closed doors. They didn’t want anyone’s laundry, personal or professional, being hung out to dry for the public to chew on. Monday’s availability rattled the cages inside Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment and certainly got to Shanahan in various ways.
This was hard on his family,” Shanahan said of the life of a public figure, especially a figure as public as the Leafs GM. “Quite frankly, it’s hard on all of our families.”
After Dubas went public about his personal challenges, Shanahan admitted there was a “dramatic shift in my thinking. In the next few days, I didn’t get any more clarity.”
When they met on Wednesday, two days after Dubas went public and two days before the firing, “I had more questions than answers,” said Shanahan.
On Thursday, Shanahan got a call from Dubas’ agent, an agent better known for golf than hockey. There was a new financial package from the Dubas side, a mistaken counter-offer of sorts. “The conversation was brief,” said Shanahan. He knew what he was suddenly thinking. After wanting to give Dubas an extension last summer and being told no by Leafs owners, Shanahan made another offer to keep him.
