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Kyle Dubas: Keep or Move?

Arn

Arn

Well-known member
So, keep or move on?

I?m 100% for retaining him. But as Kloke says, he probably needs to continue to evolve and be a bit more cut throat, likely starting with replacing Keefe and moving players he maybe didn?t want to

https://theathletic.com/4517458/2023/05/14/kyle-dubas-maple-leafs-gm-future/
 
Arn said:
So, keep or move on?

I?m 100% for retaining him. But as Kloke says, he probably needs to continue to evolve and be a bit more cut throat, likely starting with replacing Keefe and moving players he maybe didn?t want to

https://theathletic.com/4517458/2023/05/14/kyle-dubas-maple-leafs-gm-future/
Click to expand...

This entirely depends on how certain players feel about Dubas, but I'd keep Dubas and let Shanahan and Keefe go.

I can't really fault Dubas for the job he's done.

 
I think that cutthroat stuff will come naturally if he re-signs. He promised this group he'd keep them together, all bets are off now though. Things are going to change one way or another.

I am also increasingly fearful that Matthews will bolt after next year. I wonder if he'll have any influence on the Dubas decision, one way it the other.
 
Simple for me:

Kyle, who are you trading?

If he has a clear answer to change the roster I do everything to bring him back.  The person who has a solution to the roster design is the guy who should get the job 
 
I'm not fussed either way. I think he's a pretty good GM but if he left I think a pretty good GM should be the minimum expectation for what the club, with its resources, should be able to find. For continuity's sake I'd probably lean towards keeping him but, like, honestly if I were Shanahan I might get in touch with Matthews' people and see what would make him more likely to extend. Signing him really should be the priority.
 
Meh, who knows. We've done this dance 56 years, I'll still be here even if Craig Button is the new GM
 
L K said:
Simple for me:

Kyle, who are you trading?

If he has a clear answer to change the roster I do everything to bring him back.  The person who has a solution to the roster design is the guy who should get the job 
Click to expand...
There's no clear answer though because you don't know what the market is. There's no way you're giving any of these guys away. Same goes for a guy with the solution. There isn't one. This team could be constructed exactly the same and next year have totally different results. There's such a fine line between winning and losing. A post here or there makes all the difference. Same goes for a missed call or a bad call.
The Leafs need to find out what Matthews is thinking. That's the priority right now. If he's hesitant or whatever, you move him. If he's committed to the team you sign him and then deal with Willy and see what he's thinking. There's no need to reinvent the wheel here.
 
Guilt Trip said:
The Leafs need to find out what Matthews is thinking. That's the priority right now.
Click to expand...

I think equivalent to that, is to go to Tavares, tell him that they're moving the C to Matthews, and ask him to waive his NTC. It's not impossible that he wouldn't, given many precedents, and that would allow for a huge reallocation cap space. This is the most obvious solution, but it seems like a taboo subject for some reason. Maybe it's the pajamas.

So maybe a smart GM would go in that direction before trading a Hart winner, a Selke finalist that leads the team in points every year, and a 40g scorer on a team friendly deal for a can of beans, that is.
 
Bill33 said:
I think equivalent to that, is to go to Tavares, tell him that they're moving the C to Matthews, and ask him to waive his NTC. It's not impossible that he wouldn't, given many precedents, and that would allow for a huge reallocation cap space. This is the most obvious solution, but it seems like a taboo subject for some reason. Maybe it's the pajamas.
Click to expand...

I think tying the captaincy to a July 1st extension to Matthews is probably necessary, and presumably always somewhat part of the long-term plan all along. I don't see Tavares going anywhere though. He got his NMC fair and square and deserves to use it as he sees fit. I will say though I think a big part of the offseason plan this season should be to make sure Tavares doesn't need to play another game at centre. Tampa did it with Stamkos, Leafs can do it with him.

And barring a trade of a core player having a new person lining up at 2C for the first time in 6 years could represent the major change to the line-up the team maybe needs.
 
I don't think anyone is taking Tavares for two more years at $11m per unless the Leaf retains salary or give up more assets.  I don't really think Tavares is a problem but a move to the wing would probably do him good.

Tavares at 32 is still a point per game player.  He's the ultimate professional and someone you want around the team. He just scored a massive goal for this team, a goal that put them into the second round.  Something Matthews, Marner or Nylander couldn't do. 

So pajamas or not, Tavares did nothing wrong to warrant having the captaincy taken away, or to be asked to waive his NMC. 
 
Rob said:
I don't think anyone is taking Tavares for two more years at $11m per unless the Leaf retains salary or give up more assets.  I don't really think Tavares is a problem but a move to the wing would probably do him good.

Tavares at 32 is still a point per game player.  He's the ultimate professional and someone you want around the team. He just scored a massive goal for this team, a goal that put them into the second round.  Something Matthews, Marner or Nylander couldn't do. 

So pajamas or not, Tavares did nothing wrong to warrant having the captaincy taken away, or to be asked to waive his NMC. 
Click to expand...

It's not entirely because Tavares did something wrong (although yeah if the Leafs say won a Cup with Tavares maybe the conversation isn't coming up right now) and more that I can't imagine there wasn't always some sort of idea for the C to eventually get passed to Matthews. The signing of a possible 8-year extension which likely signifies his commitment to the team for the rest of his career just feels like the right time to do it.
 
If I was making a range of moves, I think I would like to see something like

Dubas stays on.

Matthews signs that new contract, and yeah, probably takes on the C as part of it.

Tavares transitions to play wing, O?Rielly gets a new deal. I?d bring Schenn back too.

The ?core? is re-jigged by something like Nylander and Brodie for someone the calibre of Makar or Josi or McAvoy or Hughes or something.

And try and see what you can do to cast off Murray.

So you end up with something like

xxxx-Matthews-xxxx
Tavares-xxxx-Marner
xxxx-ROR-xxxx
xxxx-xxxx-xxxx

New stud D-xxxx
Rielly-xxxx
Schenn-xxxx

Samsonov
Woll

As your core, so it?s distributed slightly differently.


That?s nothing against Nylander (or Brodie), it?s just that trading someone probably comes under the ruthless decision that needs to be made and he?s kind of the vulnerable one.
 
The more time that passes, the more I'm cool with running the core back. Dubas has to get rid of that Murray contract though. 
 
Bill_Berg_is_less_sad said:
The more time that passes, the more I'm cool with running the core back. Dubas has to get rid of that Murray contract though. 
Click to expand...

He can be bought out on the cheap. 

$687,500 this year cap hit to the Leafs and $2m cap hit next year. 
 
Rob said:
Bill_Berg_is_less_sad said:
The more time that passes, the more I'm cool with running the core back. Dubas has to get rid of that Murray contract though. 
Click to expand...

He can be bought out on the cheap. 

$687,500 this year cap hit to the Leafs and $2m cap hit next year. 
Click to expand...

You mean 2 mill to 2024-2025? That is the tight cap year. 2025-2026 Tavares will be off the books.
 
If I'm Dubas, I would want to know where Matthews is headed before committing long term.
As well, if I'm Dubas, I am looking around because I know the wick in Toronto is considerably shorter.
If I'm Dubas, it is not a certainty that I would want to stay on.
 
L K said:
Simple for me:

Kyle, who are you trading?

If he has a clear answer to change the roster I do everything to bring him back.  The person who has a solution to the roster design is the guy who should get the job 
Click to expand...

My questions:
What's your plan to get Matthews to re-sign?
Who's the coach that can push whatever buttons these guys need pushed to perform in May?

I think Marner should be traded before the NMC/NTC kicks in, so long as it doesn't complicate re-signing Matthews.
 
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