‘Most difficult part lies ahead’ for Dubas, Leafs
New general manager faces increasing expectations now that team is contender
Four years ago, when Kyle Dubas jumped the queue to the front office, the critics hacked and whacked him about his age and analytics.
Starting now, he’ll be judged on wisdom and winning a Stanley Cup, having apparently proven himself ready for the chance to be general manager of an Original Six NHL franchise with a worldwide following.
The 32-year-old, considered the favourite to edge fellow assistant general manager Mark Hunter, was confirmed as the team’s new GM on Friday morning by team president Brendan Shanahan, who gave Dubas a five-year deal compared to the three-year deal given his mentor, Lou Lamoriello. The Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., native also went on about five times longer than his media-shy predecessor about his role, past and present, and where he thinks the Leafs are headed.
“I understand the degree to which the expectations rise and I’m very excited about it,” Dubas told a packed news conference at the Air Canada Centre.
“In the last couple of years, the team has transformed the atmosphere and the narrative around it, the standard of the way people behave and what it means to be a Leaf. Now we enter another part of our journey, to reach our ultimate goal, to be fighting at this time (of year) for a Stanley Cup, not sitting here.
“The most difficult part lies ahead. We’re in a very difficult division. We saw that firsthand in the first round (a loss to Boston, which in turn fell to Tampa).”
Like a proud papa, Shanahan referenced his first meeting with Dubas when the youthful GM of the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds was interviewed for a hockey office position, a chat supposed to be just a couple of hours, but one that kept Shanahan enthralled all day.
“To watch him grow and work under some esteemed people in our business, no job was too big or too small for Kyle,” Shanahan said. “To see how he reacts with our fans and the respect level he has for the Leafs and everyone in our office, it gives me great pride to announce him.”
The 17th GM in the franchise’s 101 years, Dubas has endured an uphill battle to convince the hockey world, particularly the old school, that he is more than a numbers geek. He drew upon the experience of his strong hockey family in the Sault, where he was a scout since age 17 and at one time a certified player agent.
“I’m immune to it,” Dubas said of his analytics tag. “Hopefully, it’s the last time I get asked. I’ve worked in hockey every day since I was 11 years old. You hear the questions, but after a decade you tune them out.”
He and the 75-year-old Lamoriello turned out to be a good match, as the Leafs went from worst in the league to a clubrecord 105 points. It remains to be seen how long Lamoriello stays on as senior adviser, one of the many unknowns awaiting Dubas in a busy summer. The Leafs have been eliminated in the opening round of playoffs twice and the honeymoon with fans and coach Mike Babcock is ending. The hole on defence is still there and there are contracts to be worked out with William Nylander and, soon after, Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews. The “Shanaplan” might be a year or two ahead of itself, but the rest of the league is not idle.
“You build it up to where it is now and that’s difficult, but then you see how many great organizations are trying to get over that (Cup) threshold,” Dubas said. “I realize I’m saying this with (first-year) Vegas in the conference final, but they’ve done a good job as well. We have to stay ahead of Florida (coming hard at the end of the regular season) and also close the gap on the two teams ahead of us.”
Lamoriello decided promoting Travis Dermott was enough to help the Leafs’ blue-line, having decided the price of trades and free agents to be too high. That didn’t work, and the next move is Dubas’ call.
“I like our defence and where it’s at,” he insisted. “We have some very good defencemen coming. The coaching staff here, with D.J. Smith, have done an excellent job developing the ones we have and finding increased roles for others coming into the organization. I know teams can sometimes overestimate what they have, ( but) I watch the (AHL) Marlies play and there’s a good collection there as well.
“Each of the last two years, there have been teams who’ve gone a long way with the same questions about their teams. If we can make a marked improvement to our roster, in any position, we will, but I’m also excited about what we have coming.”
Dubas and Brandon Pridham, the Leafs’ salary cap specialist, have already been crunching numbers for a Nylander contract and deciding who among a group of UFAs such as 36-goal winger James van Riemsdyk might get offers this summer.
“We’ll convene and have some discussions on the tack we want to take with that, get in touch with their (agents) and see where they’re at as soon as we’re eligible to (near July 1).”
Head coach Mike Babcock was not at the press conference as he’s at the world hockey championship in Denmark, but was not far from Dubas’ thoughts.
“I’ve worked for Mike for three years and we’ve always had a good relationship,” he said. “We talk not just about hockey, but all the aspects of life, fatherhood and family. The way that he’s perceived (stubborn) is not ... my opinion. He’s very open to ideas, change and trying to make the Leafs better. That’s his only focus.
“The GM and the coach have to be on the same page, like Lou and Mike were. Mike and myself will sit and discuss the way we play.”
Dubas counts himself among Leafs hierarchy who don’t see the need to name a captain now, while the lifting of Lamoriello’s banonbeardswasraiseda couple of times Friday.
“I’ve come to enjoy some of the rules Lou put in place,” Dubas said. “We’ll sit as a staff and go through everything, evaluate where we want to move forward. That (facial hair) is for Mike and I to go through, maybe in consultation with some of the veteran players and get their impressions. We’ll roll with that.”
I know teams can sometimes overestimate what they have, (but) I watch the (AHL) Marlies play and there’s a good collection there.
KYLE DUBAS, Toronto Maple Leafs’ new GM