Toronto Maple Leafs: Who Would Replace Kyle Dubas?

[Ianturnedbull]

where are the Lou fans now??

Lou Fans? He's a decorated/successful NHL executive. No one has his name on the backs of their official Leafs jersey. He was also managing Toronto for a very short period (3 years). We sadly never got to see what this team might have been had he been given more time.

 

[Ports]

They show plenty of life in the playoffs.

And unfortunately they die in the end. I’ve seen the ending too many times and Leafs ownership will run put of patience since they lose out on $3M per playoff home date.

 

[ErnieLeafs]

Outscored Tampa in last year’s series and didn’t win (somehow). Scorers didn’t show up against Columbus, and melted down against MTL. Flat cap and covid isn’t an excuse, it’s reality.

He’s drafted well, made some prudent FA signings, and been a net plus for the organization, in general.

Kyle can’t lace’em up and do the job for the guys on the ice.

 

[Gallagbi]

Outscored Tampa in last year’s series and didn’t win (somehow). Scorers didn’t show up against Columbus, and melted down against MTL. Flat cap and covid isn’t an excuse, it’s reality.

He’s drafted well, made some prudent FA signings, and been a net plus for the organization, in general.

Kyle can’t lace’em up and do the job for the guys on the ice.

Pretty sure we outscored MTL too and that usually happens once every playoff or two, league wide. Kinda crazy we did it in back to back years.

 

[hamzarocks]

Nah, there was an infamous poll about 2 weeks before Burke was fired asking if leaf fans wanted his contract extended. It was over 80% here that voted "yes".

Most of the Burkites pretended most of what they said about him the past few years just didn't happen. They immediately "approved" of the firing and could now magically acknowledge his mistakes.

There was a small minority of Burkites that fought on a few weeks still claiming he was a genius who shouldn't have been fired... but not too much longer.

Within a couple months the entirety of this leaf board was in agreement that he was a horrendous gm. 80% of whom "wanted him re-singed" weeks before his firing. It's the stranger than fiction type of stuff that you just can't make up.

With Dubas, this board is very divided on him. Nowhere near 80% approval rating. If the leafs lose in the first round again and he's fired, he will IMMEDIATELY go down as one of the biggest mistakes in maple leaf history (given all the assets he had when he started).

All I know is that when it comes to his replacement, I want someone experienced. I'm over rookie Presidents, GM's, and coaches.

This literally happened with Mark hunter and the 2016 draft

People were defending our strategy of going for overages and saying they are more polished and NHL ready and prais8ng it then

 

[Ports]

Black and white, no context, did you win past series or not is a pretty lazy and inaccurate way to evaluate a team's current potential to win, or a GM.

So you would evaluate someone on what they do in the future? Do you have a time machine ?

 

[ErnieLeafs]

Pretty sure we outscored MTL too and that usually happens once every playoff or two, league wide. Kinda crazy we did it in back to back years.

We should have won 3 first round series in his tenure, if not for some bad luck, and scoring going quiet.

 

[hamzarocks]

We should have won 3 first round series in his tenure, if not for some bad luck, and scoring going quiet.

You call it bad luck the team that won calls it shutting down our stars

This year we got our 5ht chance to fix things and get past round 1. That's too large a sample size to blame covid and just bad luck

 

[Apex Predator]

I have my theories on why he has the fanbase he does but that's not a discussion fit for this thread or board.

Would love to hear this theory

 

[Racer88]

We should have won 3 first round series in his tenure, if not for some bad luck, and scoring going quiet.

The losing side always calls it bad luck and the winners, they just celebrate and move on

 

[Racer88]

When he signed Reilly to that 8 year boat anchor he sealed his own fate. That and the Tavares contract means they can’t build a deep enough team to go deep in the playoffs or even win a round in the Atlantic. His lack of experience and arrogance in continuing to run it back has shown he’s not up to the job. Bring in Trotz and let him rebuild the team into a cup contender. Shanny should be shown the door too.

Don’t forget the train wreck of Foligno, Mrazek and now Murray

 

[Ports]

Ive described the issue as the yips in the past. You dont lose like we have on talent or luck, theres a mental block.

With that said, i do think theres a nig difference in how teams can lose and determining strictly by round this year could be really problematic especially if they show an ability to get over that mental barrier in round 1.

I agree. To me it’s pretty simple. When their opponents backs are to the wall late in series, they have another gear. They know if they step it up and increase the pressure on the Leafs they will fold. Their opponents know that the Leafs know it too. They don’t play well in tight checking, physical hockey games and almost every team that makes the playoffs has that game in them. The only team that doesn’t is the Leafs.

 

[Stephen]

Don’t forget the train wreck of Foligno, Mrazek and now Murray

I've noticed this strange phenomenon with Dubas. When it comes to being a Moneyball manager, his free agent acquisitions and contracts in the $2 million to $5 million range has been quite poor, whereas by the time he's down to his last remaining pennies on the super cheap, he does pretty good work.

$2 million - $ 5 million:

Murray - TBD
Mrazek
Ritchie
Kerfoot - not a trainwreck but consistently bleh
Kapanen
Johnsson

Up To $2 million:

Holl
Mikheyev
Campbell
Samsonov
Bunting
Spezza
Giordano
Timmins

 

[All Mod Cons]

I've noticed this strange phenomenon with Dubas. When it comes to being a Moneyball manager, his free agent acquisitions and contracts in the $2 million to $5 million range has been quite poor, whereas by the time he's down to his last remaining pennies on the super cheap, he does pretty good work.

$2 million - $ 5 million:

Murray - TBD
Mrazek
Ritchie
Kerfoot - not a trainwreck but consistently bleh
Kapanen
Johnsson

Up To $2 million:

Holl
Mikheyev
Campbell
Bunting
Spezza
Giordano
Timmins

To be honest, with his under $2mil signings, there are about 25 more that became nothing. When you're making 7 or 8 $1 mil signings each summer and 2 work out, is that good? Or is it the law of averages?

Hard to say.

 

[Stephen]

To be honest, with his under $2mil signings, there are about 25 more that became nothing. When you're making 7 or 8 $1 mil signings each summer and 2 work out, is that good? Or is it the law of averages?

Hard to say.

Lowered expectations to be sure, so there's definitely plenty of strikeouts at that price point too. But first line LW, starting G is already better than what's been achieved in the next salary bracket.

 

[hotpaws]

I've noticed this strange phenomenon with Dubas. When it comes to being a Moneyball manager, his free agent acquisitions and contracts in the $2 million to $5 million range has been quite poor, whereas by the time he's down to his last remaining pennies on the super cheap, he does pretty good work.

$2 million - $ 5 million:

Murray - TBD
Mrazek
Ritchie
Kerfoot - not a trainwreck but consistently bleh
Kapanen
Johnsson

Up To $2 million:

Holl
Mikheyev
Campbell
Bunting
Spezza
Giordano
Timmins

I wouldn't include Spezza or Gio since they wouldn't be here if the team was in another city and while he's hit on a few from the bargain bin his record looks better than it is because you can just waive and bury min wage guys and forget about them like Gaudette A-K to name just a couple from this year .

 

[Stephen]

I wouldn't include Spezza or Gio since they wouldn't be here if the team was in another city and while he's hit on a few from the bargain bin his record looks better than it is because you can just waive and bury min wage guys and forget about them like Gaudette A-K to name just a couple from this year .

Well, there's no risk at that price point so I wouldn't penalize Dubas for the misses, but the real rewards have surpassed the $2 million-$5 million bracket to date.

 

[Throw More Waffles]

You call it bad luck the team that won calls it shutting down our stars

This year we got our 5ht chance to fix things and get past round 1. That's too large a sample size to blame covid and just bad luck

Yep. The leafs under this core are 0-9 on series clenching playoff games. You know, the most stressful and important games. Games where mental fortitude matter most.

0 and 9. Based on pure luck and nothing else, the odds of going zero and 9 in those games is 1 in 512.

one in five hundred and twelve.

So it seems there's something... just something other than luck that might be factoring into it. Gee... I wonder what it could be?

Imagine a team that WON nine straight series clenching games (odds 1 in 512 if just pure luck)? Imagine the fanbase of that team writing it off as a "lucky" team that isn't strong mentally?

It's insane. It's just flat out bewildering.

 

[ACC1224]

where are the Lou fans now??

Can’t say I’ve ever seen one.
What do you need them for?

 

[BayStBullies]

You call it bad luck the team that won calls it shutting down our stars

This year we got our 5ht chance to fix things and get past round 1. That's too large a sample size to blame covid and just bad luck

I call it a bad coach getting out-coached

 

[LeafsNation75]

I've noticed this strange phenomenon with Dubas. When it comes to being a Moneyball manager, his free agent acquisitions and contracts in the $2 million to $5 million range has been quite poor, whereas by the time he's down to his last remaining pennies on the super cheap, he does pretty good work.

$2 million - $ 5 million:

Murray - TBD
Mrazek
Ritchie
Kerfoot - not a trainwreck but consistently bleh
Kapanen
Johnsson

Up To $2 million:

Holl
Mikheyev
Campbell
Samsonov
Bunting
Spezza
Giordano
Timmins

Before Dubas traded them, I thought Kapanen and Johnsson were okay during their last season for the Leafs in 2019-20.

I also remember the credit Dubas got in the Kapanen since they got a 1st round pick and he didn't settle for anything less than that.

 

[Stephen]

Before Dubas traded them, I thought Kapanen and Johnsson were okay during their last season for the Leafs in 2019-20.

I also remember the credit Dubas got in the Kapanen since they got a 1st round pick and he didn't settle for anything less than that.

Kapanen to Pittsburgh was a great trade. Kapanen wasn't that good for us though, they were clearly looking to lock him up before he popped (which he never did).

 

[ShaneFalco]

What moves would you have done or do?

Be specific. Be constructive. Don’t tell us what you wouldn’t do.

How does anyone ask this? Nobody here has a whole staff working in the NHL and/or elsewhere

This is what I don’t get though. Dubas really have not done anything at the NHL level or any pro Hockey level before his Leafs career to have such a diehard fan base. And not like he had done anything spectacular as Leafs AGM and GM to warrant a followings either.

It is so weird, as if a lot of guys just want to support Dubas to piss off Leafsnation.

I think it's just management on down has been a joke for so long people are scared to look beyond regular season success

 

[LeafsNation75]

This is what I don’t get though. Dubas really have not done anything at the NHL level or any pro Hockey level before his Leafs career to have such a diehard fan base. And not like he had done anything spectacular as Leafs AGM and GM to warrant a followings either.

It is so weird, as if a lot of guys just want to support Dubas to piss off Leafsnation.

When Zach Hyman's rights were traded from the Panthers to the Leafs, it was Dubas who was responsible for that happening.

That happened when him and Mark Hunter were the Interim CO-General Managers, so he should get the credit for brining Hyman to the Leafs origination.

Dubas details first Maple Leafs trade, GM meeting: ‘I was scared’

www.sportsnet.ca

Dubas also rehashed the emotions surrounding his first NHL trade, which was consummated that same month.

Florida Panthers GM Dale Tallon held a University of Michigan wing prospect named Zach Hyman, a Toronto native Dubas had his eye on. In exchange, Tallon wanted a young checking centre in the Leafs’ system, Greg McKegg.

“At first, I thought it was some type of setup to pull one over, but in getting to know Dale, he was just trying to be helpful. And it ended up working out for them and for us,” Dubas said, modestly avoiding to name the players involved.

“[Tallon] was great to deal with. I don’t think you could ask for somebody more straightforward and blunt about their position on it. It was kind of refreshing and actually very helpful to me, because he recognized it was my first trade.”

We score Dubas’s first trade as a win for the Maple Leafs. Hyman has established himself as a fixture of Toronto’s top six, while Florida waived McKegg in 2017.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

Much more amazing are the people that think we'd be better off without him no matter who replaces him (see the above post).

Can't be any worse.

They fired the best internal candidate to replace him already, so you tell me who it should be?