UPDATE: Kyle Dubas has released a statement.
Check it out:
Read below for our earlier report on this developing story.
It's been just a few days since Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan unceremoniously dumped GM Kyle Dubas in a very frank and somewhat shocking press conference.
Shanahan offered up a surprising level of detail to fans and media in his press conference, essentially running down the timeline of events that led to Dubas' dismissal. On the highest level, Shanhan accused Dubas and his representation of upping their ask during negotiations, to the point where it was made clear to Shanahan that Dubas was not the right fit for the job.
Frankly, as I watched and listened to the press conference I was fairly certain that Dubas came back to the table asking for more money and that Shanahan and the Leafs' ownership balked at the ask. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman has also hinted at that possibility, as well. To be perfectly frank, it sounded a lot to me like an old school hockey guys (Shanahan) was not happy to have the terms changed on him so quickly and then got heated as a result. It felt to me like Shanahan made a snap decision based on a gut reaction. Certainly not a smart way to run an organization.
A report yesterday from NHL insider Frank Seravalli though seems to indicate that maybe the money wasn't the sticking point. Rather, Seravalli reports that Dubas was trying to effectively cut off Shanahan from his role as President. The current line of approval goes from the GM, up to the President and then ultimately up to ownership and then back down. Seravalli reports that Dubas "made a push to get Brendan Shanahan out of hockey operations. That he wanted complete and full autonomy."
From Seravalli:
Frankly, I can't wait to hear Dubas' side of this story.
I'm willing to bet that Seravalli is bang on the money here and I'm also willing to bet that Shanahan made a hasty decision. Both of these can be true simultaneously and I think it's most likely that both Shanahan and Dubas share some responsibility in this disaster. The 'he said, she said' of this entire fiasco is only beginning.
