It seems like the Toronto Maple Leafs have made the decision : Kyle Dubas will not return as team’s general manager, first reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
During his end-of-season exit interview, Dubas had mentioned he needed time to figure out if he even wants to continue as GM with his contract set to expire at the end of June.
Time is up.
Brendan Shanahan announced today that the club has decided to part ways with Dubas, whose contract expires on June 30. This was Shanahan's statement on the former GM:
“I would like to thank Kyle for his unwavering dedication over these last 9 seasons with the organization, including his last 5 as GM. Kyle fostered a great culture within our dressing room & staff, & consistently pushed to make our team better season over season.”
“We wish Kyle and his family the best moving forward and thank him for his valuable contributions.”
Dubas has said on Monday he won’t be leaving the Maple Leafs to join another club ahead of next season, but that can always change if he receives an offer he simply cannot refuse.
This will be a busier summer ahead of the Maple Leafs as the new GM will need to figure out many questions ahead of free agency. There is also the ongoing chatter of trade out one player of the Core Four. Auston Matthews and William Nylander are both entering the final year of their deals and can sign extensions as of July 1. Matthews and Mitch Marner – the latter’s contract runs two more seasons – both will have their no-movement clauses activated the same day. Nylander will possess a no-trade list of 10 teams.
While it was to be expected that Dubas could be done in Toronto, he remains the most successful GM in recent franchise history. The Maple Leafs won a playoff series for the first time since 2004 when they defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round before falling to the Florida Panthers in the second round.
Dubas signed a five-year deal back in 2018 after he was promoted to general manager in place of Lou Lamoriello. He was hired to be Toronto’s assistant GM in 2014 by Shanahan at the age of 28 after a three-year run as GM of his hometown Soo Greyhounds of the OHL.
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