Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Kyle Dubas

Latest On The Pittsburgh Penguins’ GM Search

at CDT | by 7 Comments

Teams are quickly beginning to fill their coaching and managing vacancies which opened at the end of the season. The Calgary Flames are one of them, expected to name Craig Conroy their next general manager tomorrow, but the Pittsburgh Penguins are one team yet to make a hire.

They’re getting closer, however, and The Athletic’s Rob Rossi doubled down and added to a report over the weekend from TSN’s Pierre LeBrun on Pittsburgh’s preferred candidates for a general manager (and potentially president of hockey operations) role.

One name the team appears to be zeroing in on is Carolina Hurricanes assistant general manager Eric Tulsky, who Rossi says has impressed the members of Pittsburgh’s ownership, Fenway Sports Group. He’s certainly the most progressive hire available for Pittsburgh, as he’s one of the most reliant on analytics among managers in high-ranking roles.

Another name that Rossi expands on is Kyle Dubas, who’s been reported multiple times over the past few days as having been granted permission to speak with Pittsburgh after being fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs last week. Rossi notes that he still may play into Pittsburgh’s final decision despite becoming available late in the process and could potentially be brought in as a president of hockey operations alongside Tulsky, who could still be named general manager.

The Penguins could also hire a third name, per Rossi, although it hasn’t quite been clearly defined. The third hire could serve as a communicator between hockey operations and ownership, and Rossi says the team is considering broadcaster (and former Penguins coach) Eddie Olczyk for the role.

Rossi also relayed a quote from Penguins alternate governor Dave Beeston that there’s still no set timetable for making new hires.

Latest On Kyle Dubas

at CDT | by 15 Comments

It’s rare you get an unprompted high level of transparency from an NHL team executive. However, Toronto Maple Leafs team president Brendan Shanahan, speaking to reporters today, offered a detailed description of the team’s process that led to moving on from general manager Kyle Dubas this morning, as well as offering some thoughts about the future of the team.

To begin last season, it was widely reported that the Maple Leafs were not offering Dubas an extension until further along into 2022-23. Per Shanahan, that’s exactly what happened, saying he approached Dubas after the trade deadline two months ago to tell him he’d talk to Toronto ownership about pursuing an extension. Dubas then informed Shanahan he was comfortable moving forward.

Shanahan, throughout the stretch of the regular season and postseason, then pursued a contract framework with Dubas’ agent. Dubas was then presented with an initial contract framework after the Maple Leafs were eliminated by the Florida Panthers in five games in the Second Round.

While negotiations were positive, Shanahan admitted to reporters his “thought process changed” after watching Dubas’ media availability on Monday, where he mentioned the tolls of the season were tough on him and his family, and there was a possibility he would opt not to return to the role on his own terms.

However, Dubas did make up his mind, telling Shanahan he did want to remain in the role as late as last night when Dubas and his agent presented Shanahan with a contract offer where a “gap had risen” from previous talks. At that point, Shanahan decided the best path forward lay elsewhere and informed Dubas this morning the team wouldn’t be renewing his contract.

One thing Shanahan immediately clarified after his initial statements are that these negotiations didn’t fall apart over money. For Shanahan, it was a shift in thinking about who he wanted in the role that occurred this week.

Shanahan says the team’s focus immediately turns to hiring a new GM, saying he’d prefer to go with someone who has NHL experience in the role.

Shanahan did not comment on the future of head coach Sheldon Keefe, nor was he questioned about it by reporters in attendance.

Kyle Dubas Will Not Return As Toronto GM

at CDT | by 50 Comments

Kyle Dubas will not return as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs next season, team president Brendan Shanahan announced today.

Dubas, who has been with the Maple Leafs since 2014, served as an assistant general manager before being promoted to the role of general manager in May 2018, replacing Lou Lamoriello. Under his leadership, the team has yet to miss the postseason but has won just one game past the First Round, coming in this year’s 4-1 Second Round loss to the Florida Panthers.

Per the announcement from the Leafs, this was not necessarily a mutual decision. The team’s statement clarified that it was Toronto’s decision to part ways with Dubas ahead of his contract expiring on June 30.

Shanahan expressed gratitude to Dubas for his near-decade of work with the Leafs organization:

I would like to thank Kyle for his unwavering dedication over these last nine seasons with the organization, including his last five as General Manager. Kyle fostered a great culture within our dressing room and staff, and consistently pushed to make our team better season over season. We wish Kyle and his family the best moving forward.

Dubas’ immediate future in the NHL remains very uncertain. He stated on Monday that he would either continue with the Maple Leafs or take time away from the league to spend with family.

Regardless, there is bound to be considerable interest from other teams when or if he decides to pursue another general manager position in the future. Dubas’ reputation as a progressive thinker, his analytical approach (which he had wavered from slightly in recent seasons), and a good recent history of high-value draft picks make him an attractive candidate for any franchise looking for a fresh perspective.

Dubas headed up one of the most formative periods in Maple Leafs history, signing multiple significant contracts with the team’s top players. None, however, have faced more scrutiny than his free agent acquisition of captain John Tavares in 2018 to a seven-year, $77MM contract, one a large sect of fans have determined an overpayment for his services.

The news means someone new will be behind the helm to deal with potential contract extensions for Auston Matthews and William Nylander, who are both unrestricted free agents in 2024 and are eligible for extensions beginning July 1 of this year. The Leafs have a pair of internal candidates, assistant general manager Brandon Pridham and special assistant to the general manager Jason Spezza, who immediately jump out as potential replacements.

While it seems like the team’s curse of playoff failures may never end, the reality is Dubas’ successor is inheriting a team with many years left in a contention window if they play their cards right. A solid prospect base and some potential financial flexibility, especially if the next GM does trade one of the team’s ’Core Four’ of Matthews, Nylander, Tavares, and Mitch Marner, still have Toronto in solid positioning.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first to report the news.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Maple Leafs Notes: Marner, Matthews, Carbery

at CDT | by 36 Comments

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic wrote today that he believes that if Kyle Dubas is retained as Toronto Maple Leafs general manager he will shop star forward Mitch Marner. LeBrun cites Dubas proactively bringing up the Matthew Tkachuk trade in his press conference as a sign that the young Maple Leafs GM is ready to make radical changes to shake up Toronto’s core and he sees Florida’s bold move as a template from which to work from.

LeBrun also goes on to add that he believes Marner is the easiest trade to make from a contractual standpoint. Marner has two years left on his current contract and will not have any no trade protection, while William Nylander and Auston Matthews will receive no trade clauses on July 1st and John Tavares already has a full no move clause. The Maple Leafs could shop Marner to all 31 other teams and drive up a bidding war for the 26-year-old. LeBrun ends his article by stating that should the Leafs trade Marner that they would need a top pairing defenseman in return at a minimum.

In other Maple Leafs notes:

  • Pierre LeBrun is of the opinion that any Auston Matthews trade is likely not going to happen as he believes the Maple Leafs will instead focus on extending Matthews when he becomes eligible to sign his next contract on July 1st. LeBrun adds that replacing Matthews would be nearly impossible for Toronto to do and given Matthews track record one would have to agree with him. The five-time 40+ goal scorer struggled at times this season, but still managed to put up 85 points in 74 games. One thing that could be a sticking point is the cap hit that Matthews will be looking for on his next long-term deal.
  • Pierre LeBrun also discussed Toronto assistant coach Spencer Carbery saying that he believes Carbery’s old team the Washington Capitals have already asked the Toronto Maple Leafs for permission to interview him about their vacant head coaching position. Neither Washington nor Toronto would confirm LeBrun’s hunch that the Capitals are looking to have a reunion with the one-time head coach of their AHL affiliate. Washington have also looked at Tampa Bay Lightning assistant coach Jeff Halpern as a candidate.

East Notes: Sharangovich, Senators, Dubas

at CDT | by 14 Comments

Devils winger Yegor Sharangovich took a step backward offensively this season, notching just 13 goals and 30 points after putting up 24 and 46 respectively in 2021-22.  Things weren’t any better for him in the playoffs when he became a frequent healthy scratch.  The 24-year-old is a restricted free agent this summer with arbitration eligibility and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman relayed in a recent appearance on Sportsnet 590 (audio link) that there was some speculation around the trade deadline that New Jersey was considering moving him then over concerns about his arbitration award.  While his playoff performance won’t bolster his case, his numbers from 2021-22 will likely push that award well beyond his $2.05MM qualifying offer and with the team needing to re-sign both Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier and deal with several other UFAs, what Sharangovich could get awarded might be more than they can afford.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • With final bids being due Monday for the Senators, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the Melnyk family has informed the remaining potential suitors that they would like to retain up to 10% of the franchise in the sale agreement. It’s believed that there are six groups remaining in play although Garrioch notes it’s unlikely that all of them will wind up making a binding offer.  At the moment, he suggests three bids are likely and three other groups are more uncertain.
  • For anyone expecting immediate front office changes in Toronto following their second-round loss to Florida, that might not be the case. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas is scheduled to speak to the media on Monday.  Generally, if a team knows that they’re firing an executive, that person wouldn’t be taking questions.  It doesn’t mean changes won’t be coming but, for now at least, Dubas remains at the helm.

Latest On Kyle Dubas, Sheldon Keefe

at CDT | by 59 Comments

The Toronto Maple Leafs’ season ended last night, with the team eliminated five games into the second round thanks to an overtime goal from Florida Panthers forward Nick Cousins. Their elimination from Stanley Cup contention begins what is likely to be a franchise-defining offseason.

General manager Kyle Dubas is on an expiring contract, while “core four” franchise faces such as Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander are eligible to receive contract extensions this summer. Those players will also see the trade restrictions tighten on their existing contracts, with Matthews and Marner receiving full no-move clauses on July 1st, while Nylander receives a 10-team no-trade list at the same time.

While past playoff disappointments did not catalyze any major organizational changes, it seems this offseason could be different. The Athletic’s James Mirtle shed some light on the challenges Toronto faces heading into their offseason, reporting that keeping Toronto’s front office together “will be far more complicated than simply coming up with a modest extension offer” for Dubas. (subscription link)

According to Mirtle, Dubas “will want to be paid handsomely,” especially if there are offers from competing franchises. Mirtle also writes that Dubas “will want greater job security and autonomy within whatever structure Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment settles on” for the future of the organization. It’s fair to wonder whether the Maple Leafs’ top decision-makers are ready to make that sort of commitment to Dubas after this disappointing playoff loss.

Tied to Dubas for the vast majority of his coaching career, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe’s future is similarly up in the air. Mirtle reports that if the Maple Leafs do end up with a new general manager, “it’s hard to see [Keefe] retained, after four consecutive playoff losses.” But even if Dubas remains in place, Mirtle reports that “there will be a lot of pressure to make a change” behind the bench, especially given some of the high-profile names currently available to be hired as a team’s new head coach.

The reasoning behind Keefe’s departure seems to stem largely from his failure to win more than one playoff series at the helm of some extremely talented Maple Leafs teams. This is likely due to the fact that excluding the postseason, Keefe’s body of work behind the bench in Toronto has been stellar.

He originally rose to the role of head coach after the firing of Mike Babcock, when Toronto was in a relatively tenuous place. He immediately stabilized the Maple Leafs’ season and guided them to a 27-15-5 record in his first campaign behind the bench.

But that regular-season success would go largely forgotten as Toronto fell in the qualifying-round series to the Columbus Blue Jackets, a loss that would serve as a sign of things to come.

Keefe went 35-14-7 the following season but saw his team blow a 3-1 series lead to their arch-rivals, the Montreal Canadiens, in the first round of the playoffs. Over the past two years following that series, Keefe has amassed a 104-42-18 record, and his sterling track record of regular-season success is certainly not easily dismissed given how difficult consistent contention in the NHL can be. But Maple Leafs fans surely expected more from this star-studded era, and Keefe’s teams have failed to provide much of anything after the conclusion of the regular season.

It’s a similar story for Dubas, who has made quite a few excellent moves and rightfully earned a reputation as one of the league’s better general managers over the course of his tenure in Toronto. He has made several moves that have paid off wonderfully, such as the team’s buy-low acquisitions of Jack Campbell, Michael Bunting, Ilya Samsonov, and to a lesser extent Conor Timmins. But some larger bets have backfired. Both Matt Murray and Petr Mrazek proved to be salary cap anchors rather than saviors in the crease, while some trades have not aged as well as the team might have hoped, such as deals that sent away players such as Nazem Kadri, Mason Marchment, or Alexander Barabanov.

So, like anyone else who has ever been in charge of team-building for an NHL franchise, Dubas has made his fair share of mistakes. But are his mistakes, which have been largely outnumbered by shrewd moves, enough to punch his ticket out of Toronto? Or will any Dubas departure instead be more related to the inescapable reality that his plethora of savvy moves has not yet resulted in any sort of sustained playoff success?

This is the dilemma that the Maple Leafs face right now. They will have to navigate internal and/or external demands to make a change after such a disappointing string of early playoff exits with an understanding that there aren’t a whole lot of general managers who have won as consistently as Dubas, or head coaches with as many wins as Keefe.

As Mirtle indicates in his reporting, “ownership pressure” in Toronto “is sure to dial up to a new level, perhaps to the point they’re demanding substantive change rather than merely suggesting it,” as they may have in the past. So understanding that, could the first major change that gets made by Toronto be of the off-ice variety?

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Ryan O’Reilly Expected Back Before Playoffs

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Toronto Maple Leafs spent big at the NHL trade deadline to try and improve their team before the playoffs but ended up losing Ryan O’Reilly after just a few games when he was accidentally hit with an Auston Matthews shot. Today, general manager Kyle Dubas told reporters, including Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets that O’Reilly should be able to return ahead of the playoffs.

After breaking a finger, the veteran forward was moved to long-term injured reserve on March 6, meaning he can return at the end of the month. The team has eight games in April to get him back up to speed, should he be ready to go for April 1.

It seemed like a perfect fit for the Maple Leafs and O’Reilly through his first few games with the team. After scoring just 19 points in 40 games with St. Louis, he had five in his three with Toronto, including an impressive hat trick performance against the Buffalo Sabres. However, things had gone quiet before the injury, as O’Reilly was scoreless in his other five games with the Maple Leafs.

While he won’t be asked to carry the load offensively, his addition was meant to give the team another high-impact forward for the playoffs. Winning faceoffs and playing strong defense is one thing, but it’s not exactly what the team was hoping for when they used several high draft picks to acquire him from the St. Louis Blues.

Luckily for Toronto, the other player they received in that deal—Noel Acciari—has also been making an impact, including a pair of goals against the Edmonton Oilers a few days ago. The bang-and-crash forward has already recorded 40 hits in his 11 games as a Maple Leaf, taking him over 200 on the season.

East Notes: O’Reilly, Gaudreau, Dach, Wilson

at CDT | by 5 Comments

While it’s a frequent occurrence that a team acquires a player on an expiring contract and then quickly signs him to an extension, that won’t be the case for the Maple Leafs and center Ryan O’Reilly.  Speaking with reporters today (video link), GM Kyle Dubas indicated that there have been no discussions about an extension nor are there plans to do so.  Instead, the plan is to see how he fits in with his new team and then assess whether there’s mutual interest in trying to extend his stay with Toronto.  With more than $72.6MM committed to just a dozen players for next season per CapFriendly, it’s going to be quite difficult for them to keep their new middleman unless they’re able to free up considerable cap space this summer.

More from the Eastern Conference:

  • The Blue Jackets announced (Twitter link) that winger Johnny Gaudreau will miss tonight’s game against Dallas due to a lower-body injury. That means his Ironman streak will come to an end at 349 games; only two players (Phil Kessel and Brent Burns) had longer active streaks.  Gaudreau hasn’t been able to put up the production he had with Calgary last season but still has 52 points in 55 games, good for an 18-point point lead on Patrik Laine who sits second.  Lane Pederson will make his Columbus debut in Gaudreau’s place.
  • The Canadiens announced (Twitter link) that center Kirby Dach will miss his second straight game tonight against Toronto due to a non-COVID illness. The 22-year-old tried to take part in the morning skate but left just minutes in.  Dach has had a breakout year in his first season with Montreal as he has 12 goals and 23 assists in 54 games so far, good for third on the team in scoring.
  • The Capitals have activated winger Tom Wilson from injured reserve, reports NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti (Twitter link). The 28-year-old has been out for more than three weeks after blocking a shot off his ankle late last month.  Between that and his recovery from knee surgery last spring, Wilson has been limited to just eight games so far, where he has two goals, an assist, and 33 hits.

East Notes: Samsonov, Dubas, Fedotov

at CDT | by 1 Comment

When the Maple Leafs signed goaltender Ilya Samsonov to a one-year deal in free agency, both the team, the term, and the money raised some eyebrows.  However, GM Kyle Dubas told Postmedia’s Steve Simmons that the 25-year-old insisted on signing a one-year deal, likely with the hopes of rebuilding his value.  Samsonov was non-tendered by Washington earlier this offseason instead of offering him $2MM with arbitration rights on the heels of a season that saw him post a 3.02 GAA and a .896 SV% in 43 games.  Getting less than that in free agency was a bit of a surprise given the market for backup goaltenders but clearly, he feels Toronto was the right fit to have a bounce-back year.  He will once again be eligible for restricted free agency next summer.

Elsewhere around the East:

  • Still with Toronto, GM Kyle Dubas told reporters including Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic (Twitter link) that he was informed that no offer of a contract extension would be coming his way at this time. Dubas is entering the final year of his deal, his fifth at the helm of the Maple Leafs and at first glance, it seems fair to wonder if how they perform in the playoffs will go a long way to determining if he’ll be around for a sixth season.
  • Flyers goalie Ivan Fedotov has dropped his appeal on charges of evading his Russian military obligations, notes team reporter Bill Meltzer (Twitter link). The decision means that the 25-year-old will not be permitted to join Philadelphia this season.  The team will have the ability to toll the contract, meaning that they can roll over the one-year, $925K agreement to the 2023-24 season.

Negotiations “Going Nowhere” Between Rasmus Sandin, Maple Leafs

at CDT | by 10 Comments

One of the interesting restricted free agents that remains unsigned is Rasmus Sandin of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 2018 first-round pick does not have arbitration rights yet and reports have emerged over the last few months about him wondering where he stands on the team’s depth chart, after they brought back Mark Giordano on a two-year deal.

Now, new comments from Sandin’s camp have emerged, explaining how little movement there has been in contract talks To Sportsnet’s Luke Fox, agent Lewis Gross said “negotiations are going nowhere.” Maple Leafs’ general manager Kyle Dubas responded with some firm thoughts on negotiating through the media, including the fact that it “traditionally [does] not create resolutions to private matters.”

A player that is often linked to Sandin, Timothy Liljegren, signed a two-year, $2.8MM contract with the Maple Leafs in June, avoiding restricted free agency entirely. That contract is likely being used by Toronto as a direct comparable, given the similarity in production between the two young defensemen.

But even that $1.4MM average annual value might be an issue for the Maple Leafs right now, who are pushed right up against the cap once again. While their situation right now could be resolved by carrying a 20-man roster, it seems more likely that a trade is coming at some point – especially if they want to fit Sandin in.

The fact that no contract movement is happening will raise some eyebrows in that trade speculation, given the fact that Giordano, Morgan Rielly, and Jake Muzzin are locked in on the left side of Toronto’s blueline already. If Sandin was signed, then there would be no real reason to move him, as depth at defense is extremely important. But if contract talks have still not progressed, perhaps the team will have to move on at some point.

Like any of the other RFAs, Sandin will need a contract by December 1 if he wants to play in the NHL this season.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top