Shanahan is the puppet master

[ITM]

For me it stems from who do we think agreed to let Dubas sign those post ELC deals? Trade those first rounders and ect? Shanny could have and should have put a stop to that immediately. I didn’t love Dubas but it’s also kind of crazy and convenient for Shanny that he (Dubas) gets 100% of the blame for that when Shanny had to sign off on all 3 deals. Where was the energy of everyone has to take less. He completely folded a few months later and signed off on them getting paid. That was the beginning of the end.

Shanny is as much to blame as Dubas is IMO for the state of the organization.


From that standpoint I understand where Dubas is coming from. He’s getting crushed in the media for all these decisions. But he has someone above him approving all these decisions and not catching a single bullet for it. I also don’t believe for a second that Dubas woke up one day and said I’m going to make a power play for Shanny’s job (while it is plausible and maybe he did). My gut (which could be totally wrong) says that there were contentious moments between them behind the scenes leading to Dubas feeling he needed to make a power play to do his job. Like you said, Shanny helped put Dubas in a great position and helped build his career, do you honestly believe he would turn on him for no reason at all? Just out of pure self-ambition? I don’t see that, sorry.

I do, and I think the fact that Dubas called him last minute to accept the previously agreed to then rebuffed contract proves the point.

 

[Martin Skoula]

Dubas was fired for an attempted power-grab from the man who gave him his NHL life on the basis of his (Shanahan's) faith in him (Dubas). The week that was Dubas' undoing and the relay of events, has to my knowledge, never been corrected by Dubas. And that speaks volumes in terms of his culpability.

"More autonomy" was leveraged publicly and in bad faith. That additional autonomy that you've cited, was part of Shanahan's role.

Dubas' definition of "more autonomy" included ignoring Shanahan's collegial advice, all but rejecting the once agreed upon contract, ignored repeated requests to talk and confirm said accepted contract, and then renegotiate through his agent...ONLY...to realize the mistakes that are red flags in any like situation.

The best thing Shanahan has done so far was bring in a new culture of winning to the point that constant 100-point seasons bore us, which not incidentally, included our organization's first Calder Cup. The next best thing after all of that -- which included getting best of the best management, including the shock of nabbing LL (and don't for a moment pretend like you didn't grow ten feet tall when you heard the news on the day) -- was righting another wrong, that he apparently didn't notice before.

But when he saw Dubas in a way that few of us did or could, he didn't puppet master a single minute. Not through back channels, not through text or email or phone. Nah. Shanahan took 24 hours from point of realization, let it all sink in, then drove to tell Dubas in person that he was done.

Where this notion that Shanahan is duplicitous or deceptive as a manager is beyond my ability to suspend disbelief.

He can't make our forwards grittier, take less money, score series winning goals or save soft series ending ones. He has to guide the club in modes of high-regular season achievement, and high post-season disappointment with the pieces we have and attempt to maintain the former just to have a chance at the latter.

Where better options exist, they are few and far between and not compelled to sign in Toronto. If he was a puppet master of any repute, then he would have signed our Big 3 to graduating contracts rather than publicly appeal to their (apparent?) sense of championship aspirations and personal sacrifice. But he's not, and he did.

It was Dubas who tried his hand at manipulation. The once rumoured and denied position with Pittsburgh was eventually taken when Dubas' agent couldn't use it as leverage in for a piece of Shanahan's seat.

If anything, Shanahan used his position to insulate Dubas. And when Dubas turned on him and asked for the very shield that cultivated his entire professional career that but for Shanahan's faith would have never happened, Shanahan remembered that a shield is also a weapon when needed.

Brendan, buddy, shouldn’t you be busy looking for a new GM, new coach, or a new job?

 

[leafsfan2point0]

Yes Shanny is the puppet master, but he had to control someone like Dubas. Look at the mess Dubas has created in Pittsburgh in his short time. Lou wasn’t controllable but he made some major mistakes that set us back

 

[Maple Leaf]

yes he tricked you into beleafing in this team

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

The only reason Shanahan hasn't been fired already is dumb luck.

He's lucky ownership is too dumb to do it.

The dumb owner is too dumb to fire the dumb president. This isn't a case of too many cooks in the kitchen. It's a situation of too many clowns in the tiny little car.

ML$E's front office is a three ring circus that would rival Ringling Bros.

A slapstick shenanigans of head scratching decisions. Shanahan's proven about as smart as the clown that lights his crotch on fire. Anyone who keeps someone that dumb around is even dumber.

Only an ownership that doesn't care about results could be "fantastically supportive" of all this.

One playoffs series win in nine years is not an accomplishment of which to be proud. It's so hard for fans to remain optimistic when the president and owner are such incompetent twits. Not sure how the "greatest fan base in the world" ever managed to get stuck with these bozo's.

Dumb luck I guess.

 

[Leaf Fans]

The Shannysites and the Shannahan cult will never go for this.

 

[ITM]

Brendan, buddy, shouldn’t you be busy looking for a new GM, new coach, or a new job?

File under Marketing Potential: How many Leafs fans holding candles for obscure, unproductive Czech defenceman are there?

Thanks for your question, Karel.

 

[HockeyVirus]

Thank god I avoided this subforum after the last loss. Comical.

 

[hurdemz]

This for me.
Of course hes involved like any president would be.

He's hardly a 'Puppet Master'

The dramatics of this fanbase is crazy.

One day it's "we're built different this year, look out!!"

The next day it's "Shanny has ruined this team, we're soft and will never win this way!!!"

Wonder why the media is so crazy here? Leafs fans feed into this sh*t like kids on haloween.

Go play in traffic.

 

[the squared circle]

I wonder how Shanahan felt after the Bruins game. He was a player himself who would have either gone after Marchand on his next shift, or grabbed another player to pummel, until he could get to Marchand later in the game.

 

[Maple Leaf]

Thank god I avoided this subforum after the last loss. Comical.

I would retool the entire team

 

[kevsh]

The best thing Shanahan has done so far was bring in a new culture of winning to the point that constant 100-point seasons bore us

What?????

Yes, that's the biggest gripe from Leafs fans these days, we're bored from all the winning ...

 

[ITM]

What?????

Yes, that's the biggest gripe from Leafs fans these days, we're bored from all the winning ...

Wait. So…As a Leafs fan, you need the distinction between our club before vs after, Shanahan’s arrival and his efforts to be explicitly provided and distinguished between the regular and post-season?