![]() Despite this month’s one-sided series loss to the Florida Panthers, the Leafs finally won a round and public fury shifted mostly to Keefe and the Core Four. ![]() Though he traded picks for prospects, he hit the jackpot with secondary selections such as Nick Robertson, Joseph Woll and Matthew Knies. He fired $50-million coach Mike Babcock, promoted old pal Sheldon Keefe and, with the help of cap-wizard Brandon Pridham, got the club out of some tight corners and re-invented half the roster at the most recent trade deadline. While the Leafs should have won a Cup or two with top draft picks Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander, augmented by Dubas’ major-league signing of UFA John Tavares, Dubas never found the right formula.ĭubas, who was chosen by Shanahan to stay, ahead of Hall of Fame exec Lou Lamoriello and OHL rival Mark Hunter, did prove to be bold at times. Shanahan was to comment further in a solo media availability Friday afternoon, in the same room he introduced Dubas nine years earlier. He requested a few days to discuss the future with wife Shannon and, at noon Friday, club president Brendan Shanahan announced a parting of ways before the official end of Dubas’ contract on June 30. One of five general managers in franchise history to win more than 200 games, Dubas surprised a media audience at Monday’s season-ending locker cleanout day by hinting he’d not take an extension if immediately offered it by the club. The cumulative pressure of the team’s on-ice failures in spring, a militant fan base and the toll all that took on his home life with a young family proved too much. He brought his desired new-age change to a hockey team at all levels and pulled off major trades and challenges in the NHL’s salary-cap era.īut as even Dubas often opined, a hockey exec is always judged by playoff success and one series win in five years didn’t cut it. Marie wunderkind worked his way up from assistant to fully fledged general manager, despite critics dismissing him as too young and too nerdy with all his analytic gadgets. Care for a wager? Head to our sports betting section for news and odds.On that summer day in 2014, a bright-eyed 28-year-old named Kyle Dubas was hired by the Maple Leafs, declaring “I think it will be a lot of fun over the next number of years.”Ī string of regular-season successes certainly made for happy times as the Sault Ste. The Leafs have a great opportunity to continue to prove as much in the second out our sports section for the latest news and analysis. It will be fun and fascinating to watch Maurice and Sheldon Keefe try to out-do each other as the series progresses.Ī Leafs-Bruins clash would have been one for the ages. On the blue line, Montour, Gustav Forsling and Aaron Ekblad head up a formidable group.īehind the Florida bench, former Leafs coach Paul Maurice has seen it all. Tkachuk, who agitates better than any other star in the NHL, has plenty of support in Verhaeghe, Aleksander Barkov, Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart. ![]() Now, Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, captain John Tavares and Morgan Rielly and the rest of the Leafs will look to build off the first-round success.įor the Panthers, Matthew Tkachuk, who will appear on more than a few Hart Trophy ballots (but not the first vote), is the undisputed leader. ![]() Manage Print Subscription / Tax Receipt. ![]()
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