Rumor: Major hint that Lamoriello will be replaced as GM

A situation to monitor closely.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 6 years ago
Rumor: Major hint that Lamoriello will be replaced as GM
KeyStone Press

The Toronto Maple Leafs have built a management core that fans across the league should probably be jealous of. Helmed by Brendan Shanahan as President, Lou Lamoriello as general manager, and Kyle Dubas/Mark Hunter as assistant GMs, you have a serious recipe to succeed, as evidenced by the team's position in the NHL standings this season.

Having seasoned pro Mike Babcock behind the bench certainly makes it all that much better.

With all that being said, there may be a major change internally to that management core, and it revolves around Lou Lamoriello and Kyle Dubas.

Lamoriello's contract as general manager expires at the conclusion of this season, and it's unknown as of now whether or not he will be re-signed. A huge factor that comes into play and hints towards what the team will do moving forward, is the contract situation of Kyle Dubas.

He's believed to have one more year on his deal following the 2017-18 season, after which he'll be a "free agent", so to speak. And he'll be highly coveted by teams seeking a change in management, particularly at the general manager level.

He's been groomed for the job, and has shown that he could be an effective choice, despite being only 31 years old. 

Shanahan and company may decide that they want to keep Dubas in town, and giving him the reigns may be the only way to do so. He's been an instrumental part of this team's resurgence (as has Lamoriello, let's not forget), and they may opt for young blood.

It's a tricky situation, one that will yield answers as this season closes in the spring.

Source: The Athletic