Before Becoming Leafs GM, Dubas Nearly Took Different GM Job

Kyle Dubas is perhaps most famous for his five-year tenure as Toronto Maple Leafs general manager from 2018 through 2023 — but that story nearly never got started. Indeed, a year prior to being hired as Leafs GM, Dubas revealed he was among the top choices to land the top job with the Colorado Avalanche. 

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Working as Toronto’s assistant GM at the time, he was recruited by Colorado, but ultimately convinced by then-GM Lou Lamoriello to stay put. He didn’t pursue the Avs’ job and became Toronto’s GM not long after.

Speaking with Cam and Strick on his podcast, Dubas spoke about how Lamoriello played an important role in making him understand why he needed to stay in Toronto. The savvy old-school GM told Dubas that his vast familiarity with the Leafs’ rosters and systems would be integral in his success as a future GM. Dubas believed that the mentorship, the market, and the opportunity in Toronto would be where he would best develop and build his skill set.

In 2018, Lamoriello stepped down as GM, and Dubas took over. He says he learned valuable lessons from his mentor, whom he still has a strong relationship with.

What Might Have Been In Toronto

Jump forward to summer 2023, and Toronto opted not to renew Dubas’s contract. He soon landed a new job as president of hockey operations and GM of the Pittsburgh Penguins, continuing his NHL executive career further. His career as a GM has seen its share of ups and downs and not everyone would give him a glowing review of how he built the team in Toronto.

What might have happened had he taken the job in Colorado? A different GM in Toronto might have built the Leafs’ roster completely differently. And, how would the Avs be different? Would they have won the Stanely Cup in 2022 if Dubas had been steering the ship?

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