News Article: The Athletic: Shanahan blocked Dubas from completing trades that "could have improved the Leafs’ ability to advance further in the playoffs"

[Squiffy]

People don't like Mirtle these days? Mirtle is one of the best, imo. Of course, I'm also not viewing everything Leafs through a prism of "is it pro-Dubs or not".

 

[kb]

That and protecting kerfoot are the two that we have video proof that Dubas was the one who pushed for it

Kerfoot wasn't protected.

 

[Amadeus]

I like Mirtle too but its been pretty clear he's pro Dubas. Highlighting that Shannahan blocked trades that 'could' have improved the Leafs ability to advance further in the playoffs is menacing.

 

[MilkofthePoppy]

Of course this article was written by Mirtle.

Seigel, Mirtle, Johnson, and Friedman are Kyles biggest ball faners in the league.


Its always "my sources tell me" or "people high up in the organzition"

Professional jock sniffers. I miss the days when Pat Quinn treated the media with the contempt it deserves.

 

[Superstar]

The one making the round is he blocked Knies. What does making the team better mean? It’s not like Dubas wasn’t trading picks and making immediate thinking moves? So Shanny didn’t let him completely mortgage the future, the horror. I wonder too how much this change in adding muscle and grit this year, was that Shanny having more of a say? I like Mirtle, but he is a partisan here, good dirt, useless for balance. And Jonas is in mourning, poor thing.

Leafs future would be bleak without Knies...don't know if Robertson will make it in the NHL, and I hope Amirov could live a normal life, let alone play hockey...the Leafs pool of up and coming young talent is quite thin...thank goodness Shanny stopped that trade if true.

 

[New User Name]

Knies+ mrazek + a first for the flower and Hagel.

Even last summer the SDPN dudes were saying this (so coming from CJ) to tell people that Shanny was blocking trades

Basically the one that the Chicago GM leaked at the last deadline was the one that shanny blocked appearently

Wasn't it reported that Fleury had the Leafs on his no trade list?

 

[Petrus]

You guys need to give Mirtle credit. He was one of the few hockey writers who was skeptical about the Kessel era Leafs even though they were winning in 2013. The guy was getting death threats from Leaf fans who thought he just had it out for the team.

He's originally from BC and is a Canucks fan btw. Don't see why he'd be biased.

He may be a Canuck’s fan but he is a Dubas fan first. All of his articles have been in support of Dubas from the onset. I don’t ever recall one that ever criticize Dubas.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

Are fans really going to go down this path where they imply that Dubas was "abused" by Shanny? Or that Dubas was "never truly autonomous"? Come onnnnnnnnnn!


Just to add:

I'm listening to their last "leaf report" podcast. Both Jonas and Mirtle are reeling after Shanny's decision.

 

[Superstar]

I like Mirtle too but its been pretty clear he's pro Dubas. Highlighting that Shannahan blocked trades that 'could' have improed the Leafs ability to advance further in the playoffs is menacing.

Yes, it is...and it's a fallacy because it can't be proven.

 

[Nineteen67]

I would hope that Dubas had everything approved last year.

 

[Budz]

Are fans really going to go down this path where they imply that Dubas was "abused" by Shanny? Or that Dubas was "never truly autonomous"? Come onnnnnnnnnn!

….and since it appears Shanny signed off on everything he should be canned. Like what does he actually do? Design Jersey’s?

 

[notbias]

People don't like Mirtle these days? Mirtle is one of the best, imo. Of course, I'm also not viewing everything Leafs through a prism of "is it pro-Dubs or not".

He says things that don't align with the narrative they made up in their heads so they dislike him.

 

[ULF_55]

I like Mirtle too but its been pretty clear he's pro Dubas. Highlighting that Shannahan blocked trades that 'could' have improed the Leafs ability to advance further in the playoffs is menacing.

Most of what I've read from Mirtle's has been about the team.

How many here believe he had as much access to Shanahan on the daily running of the team as he did to Dubas?

Fringe, no matter how loud, is still fringe.

 

[MilkofthePoppy]

People don't like Mirtle these days? Mirtle is one of the best, imo. Of course, I'm also not viewing everything Leafs through a prism of "is it pro-Dubs or not".

The media in this city has been embarrassing long before Dubas came along. These guys are nothing but parasites that think they have all the answers. I am reminded of the scene from Moneyball when Billy Bean says, "but you don't know".

Imagine being Auston Matthews and turning on TSN only to witness Jeff O'Neill, Frankie Corrado, and god knows whichever fourth liner or number 8 defenseman the media could conjure up, trash you?

 

[notbias]

That and protecting kerfoot are the two that we have video proof that Dubas was the one who pushed for it

Kerfoot has a high gpg and ppg than McCann in the playoffs.

McCann is super overrated.

 

[Superstar]

Are fans really going to go down this path where they imply that Dubas was "abused" by Shanny? Or that Dubas was "never truly autonomous"? Come onnnnnnnnnn!

Dubas' biggest downfall is locking up 4 forwards with half of the salary cap, and surrounding them with soft players...the Leafs have only become more grittier in the last couple of years, showing that Dubas is learning on the job...but those teams in the first few years of his tenure as GM were soft as butter, getting bullied every shift with no pushback...even Babcock got brainwashed by Dubas into believing that their powerplay was their toughness.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

It does kind of seem like a lot of teams are going this direction though. The president is definitely more in the day to day then maybe in the past. The GM in the past made these decisions, but this wouldn't be the first team to have the President be able to block or even have to go through the uppers.

Hell in Toronto with the Raptors it is the same. Masai isn't the GM, but lets be honest, he makes the decisions, not Bobby Webster.

Depends on situation, and a lot of the ones who do are reporting to a guy who was an experienced GM in the past. Vancouver with Rutherford/Allvin. Montreal with Gorton/Hughes. I believe Trotz is technically operating that way now too in Nashville but once again, zero GM experience since the mid-80's when he was a HC/GM of an MJHL team, and I suspect Poile is going to be very hands off for the most part. Briere is another rookie who will be under a rookie President so we will see how that works out.

Maybe it made sense for Dubas at the beginning, when he was a complete rookie GM, but he has 4 years of NHL experience as an NHL GM under his belt and more years as an AGM under his belt than Hughes and Allvin combined. Plus Gorton has about a decade of GM experience while Rutherford has a lot more than that plus 3 Cups under his belt. Shanahan has literally zero GM experience at any level and his only executive experience before becoming President here was as Director of Player Safety.

IDK if Dubas wanted to cut Shanny out entirely, and that is why Shanny said 'no'. IDK if he just wanted more power than he had when being offered the job 4 years ago. Those are two very different scenarios. Former is a bit of a toss up, especially given how much money and power Shanny wields, but if Shanny rejected the latter, then that is on him for not seeing how Dubas or any other experienced/quality GM may not want to be second-fiddle to a President with zero GM experience. Only guys who are likely going to accept that are guys with no other options or with no experience, and neither are better options than Dubas unless you roll the dice on another wiz Dubas-esque rookie with upside like a Tulsky with the hope that he turns out.

Also, Ujiri was originally hired as GM (+ VP) and had GM and AGM experience before coming to Toronto. He eventually passed on the role to someone else (after 3 years of being the GM and VP) and then that guy passed it on to Webster once he got an offer with more power and control. Honestly, while Webster has the title of "GM", the dynamic there always seemed like Ujiri was the GM and Webster was just his assistant. That is not how it was supposed to be with the Leafs given Shanny did not have that experience, and even if by some chance that was what the dynamic was supposed to be, Dubas clearly wasn't happy with that arrangement going forward.

 

[Guided by Veseys]

Maybe Shanahan blocked a Gudus trade? His name was out there around the deadline when Florida was still on the bubble. That would be a good one haha.

 

[nuck]

Trades such as…?

A Bobrosky deal was nixed and Shanny forced him to deal for Murray instead:

 

[Squiffy]

People don't like Mirtle these days? Mirtle is one of the best, imo. Of course, I'm also not viewing everything Leafs through a prism of "is it pro-Dubs or not".

Is he the new Cox (showing age and time on board here lol..)? People hated him too, as a rampant anti-leafer, I always maintained he was shooting straight.. is it like that?

We all still agree Simmons is a tool at least right?

 

[Rude Dog]

This Knies speculation is ridiculous. Yes Shanny flew in with his cape and saved the day on Knies. He was never in the mix. Ridiculous. Side note, Fleury had no problem coming to Toronto. Believe what you will but Fleury was coming to Toronto as a free agent. Deal was pretty much done when goalies started flying off the market. Agent got cute and demanded more… leaf’s said no and went back to Minny. Which was a blessing in disguise. Hence Dubas circling back on Murray fearing being left out with no one. Again believe what you want

 

[Leafs at Knight]

People don't like Mirtle these days? Mirtle is one of the best, imo. Of course, I'm also not viewing everything Leafs through a prism of "is it pro-Dubs or not".

A certain group of people dismiss anything/anyone that might say something positive about dubas or paint dubas more in a positive light so yea. It's like the republicans in the states that dismiss everything that doesn't come from fox news.

I do hope that Shanahan shit isn't true though, not many GMs especially experienced ones who want to a puppet for the puppet master.

 

[rocketman588]

Kerfoot has a high gpg and ppg than McCann in the playoffs.

McCann is super overrated.

Kerfoot has 4 points in his last two playoffs...

67 goals in two years compared with being a 3.5 mil a year guy that was put on the 4th line for long stretches of this year

 

[ULF_55]

Seriously, Dubas causing the COVID-Cap was his greatest downfall.

Second greatest issue, was he couldn't get the team ready for puck drop, or period end.

Players came out of the dressing room and waited for the other team to hem them into their own zone to start the game, and then they'd stop skating around the 18 minute mark of each period, unless it was the third and they had to pull the goalie.

And the refusal to separate marner and Matthews in the playoffs.
Against Montreal 1 goal.
Against Florida 1 goal.
Let's try it again in 2024!

 

[rocketman588]

This Knies speculation is ridiculous. Yes Shanny flew in with his cape and saved the day on Knies. He was never in the mix. Ridiculous. Side note, Fleury had no problem coming to Toronto. Believe what you will but Fleury was coming to Toronto as a free agent. Deal was pretty much done when goalies started flying off the market. Agent got cute and demanded more… leaf’s said no and went back to Minny. Which was a blessing in disguise. Hence Dubas circling back on Murray fearing being left out with no one. Again believe what you want

Tht Chicago GM leaked the trade dude so yes he was in the mix

I do believe the fluery free agency thing however