If there is anything to take away from the Cup finalists this season, it's playing fast and as a unified group. Simple games at a strong pace can really let your offensive talents flourish. Slow, methodical and too easily disrupted games wastes your goalscoring skill in DZ efforts.

I get that to a certain degree (maybe a large degree) Carolina got goalie'd in the 3rd round, but watching a team that was considered by many to be the most structured team in the league both offensively and defensively just fall apart against whatever the heck system Florida was playing made me question some of my beliefs about hockey a little bit.

At this point I've just come to terms that it's probably the flukiest of most team sports...

By 'it' you mean the NHL coin flipping tournament?

It's funny how a team's success is on the GM, when we're talking about GMs. When we're talking coaches, it's on the coach. GMs are only one small part of the team. They may do the best job ever and if the other pieces don't pull their weight, it's not the GM's fault.  It seems clear to me that Sutter was the problem in Calgary last year at least.

I'm not a fan, but considering the place they put themselves, it could be worse. I'll save my opinion till after the core four are settled. I can see many paths here anywhere from the absolute worst possible case, to something good not great. Prove me wrong, Treeliving.

Anthony Bass.......................

Got an extra B in there!

The longer this goes the less likely Treliving is their absolute #1 target... right?

It feels like a lot of the "insiders" latched on to him as a possibility before Dubas was even let go, and they're just sticking with it. But, who knows?

At this point Shanahan should just stick his neck out and be the GM instead of playing puppet master crap. 

I wonder if the press conference aspect is why he doesn't want the GM role. His presser about Dubas was ridiculous, imagine what it would be like explaining a trade dealine or a draft? Or anything?

I want a GM that forechecks hard, clears the front of the net, and makes the timely save in a game.

I want a GM who gets up early, stays up late, with uninterrupted prosperity, and who uses a machete to cut through red tape.

You can't have your cake and eat it too. 

I want a GM that can though.

I want a GM that forechecks hard, clears the front of the net, and makes the timely save in a game.

I want a GM who gets up early, stays up late, with uninterrupted prosperity, and who uses a machete to cut through red tape.

At least we weren't swept!

Jays need to learn how to spread this offense around.

The players have all the leverage here and considering we couldn't sell them on reasonable rates with Dubas when Dubas had all the leverage then I really don't see a difference.

Not to re-hash all of the old talk of their contracts but I think Dubas did get pretty reasonable rates on those first deals but, regardless, things and people change. You're negotiating now with guys who have earned many millions of dollars. You're negotiating with guys who might be looking to settle down more. You're also negotiating with guys who've seen some of the results of a team being top-heavy salary wise. There's really no way to know how any of these guys might be going into the negotiations.

And now they're going into a situation where instead of negotiating with someone they might like and trust, who's got one of their old teammates around as an advocate, you might have someone they don't know and who might want to get rid of some of them.

The new guy may be negotiating with players that have suddenly noticed the grass on the other side of the fence is looking pretty darn green.

Not giving autonomy to the future GM is going to cost us chances at the very best candidates. And I mean, it already has.

I don't know if it's common practice or not, the way the Leafs operated with Dubas and how they would with a new GM regarding autonomy, but if it's not the norm, wtf!

https://theathletic.com/4536147/2023/05/20/maple-leafs-kyle-dubas-brendan-shanahan/

As reported previously in the aftermath of the Leafs elimination, Shanahan and Dubas had been at odds for a while. On Friday, more details emerged on that front. Multiple sources close to the team said that Shanahan had blocked transactions that Dubas wanted to make at key points in the past several seasons, creating frustration in parts of the management group. Shanahan had also at times dictated certain moves he wanted made that Dubas didn't agree with.

The president, as per his place in the hierarchy, typically won out in those battles. And, in some cases, the moves that weren't made could have improved the Leafs' ability to advance further in the playoffs.

Easy to say advance further in the playoffs. No trade can assure that. I believe the part that Shanahan blocked trades, but whether they were trades that would have worked out well or not, pffft, who knows.

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!

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.

Well shit. Spezza gone? Everyone pissed? I bet at least one of the core 4 is done with MLSE too. Probably Matthews.