Kyle Dubas not returning as GM

[Bill_Berg]

Spezza resigned... that stings.

No it speaks volumes to how Spezza feels Dubas has been treated here. That's what it says to me. Word on the street is he gave them the dbl fingers on the way out. This is a horrible look for Shanny and the Leafs.

Yeah I can't help but agree. There's a path here for Shanahan to be another villan in Leafs land. He better know wtf he's doing here, but it sure doesn't look like it.

And if this pisses off the players, which I'm betting it will because they all loved Vintage, this team is going to take a huge step back if said players aren't willing to sign extensions.

Yep. I mean that's the worst case, but it sure seems like a possible path ahead of us. McDavid in '25!

 

[CarltonTheBear]

So what are the odds of Dubas and Spezza taking their talents up the 401?

 

[Highlander]

So what are the odds of Dubas and Spezza taking their talents up the 401?

Montreal just got a new GM.

 

[herman]

So what are the odds of Dubas and Spezza taking their talents up the 401?

Montreal just got a new GM.

He means Ottawa

 

[Guilt Trip]

So what are the odds of Dubas and Spezza taking their talents up the 401?

New owners....possible

 

[Highlander]

So what are the odds of Dubas and Spezza taking their talents up the 401?

Montreal just got a new GM.

He means Ottawa

I knew that Herman, just pulling legs again. After reading about the players/staff/fans(yes 74% of Athletic readers wanted Dubas to continue), it seems like this is a massive fuck up, some it on Dubas yes, but more on Shanahan had some bad feelings in his gut on Thursday and spewed those out on Friday. For Spezza to leave like he did makes me a fan of his for life.  If the fans got together and turned in their season tickets then Dubas may be retained, but that won't happen.  I think he became a bit unwound at the end, his encounter with fans in the stands in Florida and his tossing water bottles.  I think he cared to much perhaps but I am not happy with this at all. I have been a Leaf fan for all my 67 years and seen it all; Ballard, JFJ, Burke, Nonis and the rest. The fact that names like Mark (I couldn't draft a flying pig)  Hunter is like a lot more of the same.

Hope Dubas will resurface and be given the reigns to really build a team. I will cheer him on. 

 

[Highlander]

Shanahan slept on for one night, perhaps he should have slept on it over the holiday weekend and taken some other counselling on the move. Its done and dusted as an old friend of mine used to say. 

 

[Bender]

Spezza resigned... that stings.

No it speaks volumes to how Spezza feels Dubas has been treated here. That's what it says to me. Word on the street is he gave them the dbl fingers on the way out. This is a horrible look for Shanny and the Leafs.

Both comments can be true.

It makes sense to me why he'd leave considering he gave him what was his last NHL shot and brought him into management. He's gonna probably follow him around like Burke and Nonis did for a while.

 

[Bender]

Spezza resigned... that stings.

No it speaks volumes to how Spezza feels Dubas has been treated here. That's what it says to me. Word on the street is he gave them the dbl fingers on the way out. This is a horrible look for Shanny and the Leafs.

Yeah I can't help but agree. There's a path here for Shanahan to be another villan in Leafs land. He better know wtf he's doing here, but it sure doesn't look like it.

And if this pisses off the players, which I'm betting it will because they all loved Vintage, this team is going to take a huge step back if said players aren't willing to sign extensions.

Then trade them.

I don't want to sound callous, and I get why people are angry, but if players don't want to stay because Kyle Dubas isn't here then you have to trade them. Mats, even under all the shit he went through, all the GMs, all the coaches, presidents, management chose to not waive his NTC in the last year of his deal. Where are guys like that now?

 

[WhatIfGodWasALeaf]

Dubas slit his own throat, can't go public saying you aren't sure you want it and then ask for a 50% wage increase and full autonomy a few days later.

Not really confident they'll hire someone more talented than Dubas to be honest. Shanahan saying they'd be looking for someone experienced is interesting, if it's a Bowman or Chiarelli type, I'm probably done with any kind of serious interest and will become more of a casual onlooker.

I can count on one hand the number of games I missed under the Dubas reign, feels a bit sad now.

 

[cw]

Sounds like Dubas basically engineered his own way out - made demands he knew weren?t going to met and would ultimately lead to his dismissal.

100000%

Strung the Leafs along since the trade deadline?  Then at the last minute demand more money?  Kinda bizarre. 

and then email Shanny on Thurs to say "I'm ok. I'll remain as GM."

Why would you do that if you want out?

Saying "I'm taking a year off to decompress for family reasons" is more appealing for someone to hire than someone who says "I'm not sure because of my family" and then at the last minute makes a whole bunch of demands for money and authority when he thinks he's got the team over a barrel - such that they fire him?

I'm sure someone will give Dubas another shot in the NHL. But if what Shanahan says is what went down, Dubas has damaged his credibility some as a prospective GM.

 

[Bender]

Dubas slit his own throat, can't go public saying you aren't sure you want it and then ask for a 50% wage increase and full autonomy a few days later.

Not really confident they'll hire someone more talented than Dubas to be honest. Shanahan saying they'd be looking for someone experienced is interesting, if it's a Bowman or Chiarelli type, I'm probably done with any kind of serious interest and will become more of a casual onlooker.

I can count on one hand the number of games I missed under the Dubas reign, feels a bit sad now.

I watched even during the garbage years. Winning in the regular season is meaningless if they luck out of the first round and roll over the next. It's almost worse knowing the team has underachieved. At least I knew during the tank years the expectation was that they'd suck and they were going to draft high. Overpromising and under delivering is a cardinal sin in any business.

 

[Bender]

Sounds like Dubas basically engineered his own way out - made demands he knew weren?t going to met and would ultimately lead to his dismissal.

100000%

Strung the Leafs along since the trade deadline?  Then at the last minute demand more money?  Kinda bizarre. 

and then email Shanny on Thurs to say "I'm ok. I'll remain as GM."

Why would you do that if you want out?

Saying "I'm taking a year off to decompress for family reasons" is more appealing for someone to hire than someone who says "I'm not sure because of my family" and then at the last minute makes a whole bunch of demands for money and authority when he thinks he's got the team over a barrel - such that they fire him?

I'm sure someone will give Dubas another shot in the NHL. But if what Shanahan says is what went down, Dubas has damaged his credibility some as a prospective GM.

Because money and power talk. He didn't want to come back in the existing set up and I think after thinking it over he thought he could leverage his way into more because who else would be signing the contracts? Maybe that's what gets you back into it. Anecdotally I have a friend who asked for a raise he didn't think he'd receive at a company because he was thinking of leaving and they gave it to him because they viewed him as too important. Money and power can patch up a lot of holes.

 

[Highlander]

Spezza resigned... that stings.

No it speaks volumes to how Spezza feels Dubas has been treated here. That's what it says to me. Word on the street is he gave them the dbl fingers on the way out. This is a horrible look for Shanny and the Leafs.

Yeah I can't help but agree. There's a path here for Shanahan to be another villan in Leafs land. He better know wtf he's doing here, but it sure doesn't look like it.

And if this pisses off the players, which I'm betting it will because they all loved Vintage, this team is going to take a huge step back if said players aren't willing to sign extensions.

Then trade them.

I don't want to sound callous, and I get why people are angry, but if players don't want to stay because Kyle Dubas isn't here then you have to trade them. Mats, even under all the shit he went through, all the GMs, all the coaches, presidents, management chose to not waive his NTC in the last year of his deal. Where are guys like that now?

What players have publicly commented on this?  None as I have heard. Players are human and even if they loved Dubas they are also mercenary in the way they move from team to team with no loyalty over a large paycheck. I don't think that many will publicly comment until they move onto their new teams after the sell off.
I guess Keefe is next, wonder why the axe has not cut of his expanding neck line as yet.
I have lost a ton of respect for Shananhan and a certain extent to Dubas as well.

 

[Zee]

Is Pridham the next to go?

 

[cw]

Sounds like Dubas basically engineered his own way out - made demands he knew weren?t going to met and would ultimately lead to his dismissal.

100000%

Strung the Leafs along since the trade deadline?  Then at the last minute demand more money?  Kinda bizarre. 

and then email Shanny on Thurs to say "I'm ok. I'll remain as GM."

Why would you do that if you want out?

Saying "I'm taking a year off to decompress for family reasons" is more appealing for someone to hire than someone who says "I'm not sure because of my family" and then at the last minute makes a whole bunch of demands for money and authority when he thinks he's got the team over a barrel - such that they fire him?

I'm sure someone will give Dubas another shot in the NHL. But if what Shanahan says is what went down, Dubas has damaged his credibility some as a prospective GM.

Because money and power talk. He didn't want to come back in the existing set up and I think after thinking it over he thought he could leverage his way into more because who else would be signing the contracts? Maybe that's what gets you back into it. Anecdotally I have a friend who asked for a raise he didn't think he'd receive at a company because he was thinking of leaving and they gave it to him because they viewed him as too important. Money and power can patch up a lot of holes.

When you go about it the way Dubas appears to have, more often than not, you wind up where Dubas is: looking for a job.

Nothing wrong with asking for more money and authority. But don't play along from the trade deadline until a couple of days ago maintaining a framework of a deal that seems ok and then suddenly demand substantially more at the last moment.

Dubas did that to someone who stuck his neck out to hire him. Someone who sent Lamoriello packing to get him his chance. Someone who backed him when he'd lost four playoff rounds up to the March deadline when Shanahan made his first offer. I would have done the same thing as Shanahan did. I might not have slept on it because the behavior would bother me so much after what I'd done for this person.

Dubas would know that Shanahan had already gone to the board and got approval for the framework of the deal Shanahan thought he had. He embarrassed Shanahan in front of the MLSE board.

 

[TimKerr]

Sounds like Dubas basically engineered his own way out - made demands he knew weren?t going to met and would ultimately lead to his dismissal.

100000%

Strung the Leafs along since the trade deadline?  Then at the last minute demand more money?  Kinda bizarre. 

and then email Shanny on Thurs to say "I'm ok. I'll remain as GM."

Why would you do that if you want out?

Saying "I'm taking a year off to decompress for family reasons" is more appealing for someone to hire than someone who says "I'm not sure because of my family" and then at the last minute makes a whole bunch of demands for money and authority when he thinks he's got the team over a barrel - such that they fire him?

I'm sure someone will give Dubas another shot in the NHL. But if what Shanahan says is what went down, Dubas has damaged his credibility some as a prospective GM.

Because money and power talk. He didn't want to come back in the existing set up and I think after thinking it over he thought he could leverage his way into more because who else would be signing the contracts? Maybe that's what gets you back into it. Anecdotally I have a friend who asked for a raise he didn't think he'd receive at a company because he was thinking of leaving and they gave it to him because they viewed him as too important. Money and power can patch up a lot of holes.

When you go about it the way Dubas appears to have, more often than not, you wind up where Dubas is: looking for a job.

Nothing wrong with asking for more money and authority. But don't play along from the trade deadline until a couple of days ago maintaining a framework of a deal that seems ok and then suddenly demand substantially more at the last moment.

Dubas did that to someone who stuck his neck out to hire him. Someone who sent Lamoriello packing to get him his chance. Someone who backed him when he'd lost four playoff rounds up to the March deadline when Shanahan made his first offer. I would have done the same thing as Shanahan did. I might not have slept on it because the behavior would bother me so much after what I'd done for this person.

Dubas would know that Shanahan had already gone to the board and got approval for the framework of the deal Shanahan thought he had. He embarrassed Shanahan in front of the MLSE board.

I?m sorry but this implies that Shanahan has treated Dubas perfectly for 8 years and deserves all of his respect. We only know one side here and it is what Shanahan is saying.
Maybe Dubas wanted to trade one of the core 4 and Shanny said no, maybe he wanted to fire Keefe and Shanny said no.  I?m not saying this is true but to assume that Dubas has no right at all to act with anything but full respect for Shanny makes assumptions that we cannot know to be true.

 

[L K]

https://twitter.com/pierrevlebrun/status/1659677061462601729
Jeez

https://twitter.com/mikeystephens81/status/1659678463026921476
Louise

Oh good.  Nothing like screwing up a decent thing.  This franchise is a trainwreck.  I'm unbelievably pissed.

Don't win anything, I stick around.  Make aimless decisions I stick around.  Running into abject dysfunction with some of the best players in our franchise history.  It's like this organization doesn't want fans.  This shitshow honestly might be a breaking point for me with the team.  I was frustrated after the loss but I was still looking forward to seeing what they would pull off.  Right now I honestly don't give a rats behind what happens.  Burn it to the ground, salvage it.  Don't worry, we can charge 300 dollars for obstructed standing room seats. 

The fanbase deserves better than this sack of crap organization

 

[L K]

So what are the odds of Dubas and Spezza taking their talents up the 401?

Honestly I hope they do at this point. 

 

[gunnar36]

And if this pisses off the players, which I'm betting it will because they all loved Vintage, this team is going to take a huge step back if said players aren't willing to sign extensions.

I dunno, this group of players never seems to get pissed off, well never played like they were at least.