In an interesting interview between TSN First Up and Jonas Siegel, a writer for The Athletic, the scribe revealed something quite interesting about former Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas. According to Siegel, Dubas was on the verge of trading a major piece of the roster before he was quickly fired by the Maple Leafs. Dubas ultimately went on to take a job with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but fans are wondering what this team might have looked like had he stuck around.
When asked to imagine what the Maple Leafs might have looked like if Dubas stayed on as GM, Siegel responded:
“I think they would look totally different. We got the indication from Kyle Dubas at that crazy press conference before he was let go, where he indicated maybe looking at a trade of a core player, so I think that’s on the table. So, obviously, you can pretty quickly narrow it down to who that might be and what it might look like. So that’s one of those players potentially gone which is significant. Obviously you would get considerable pieces back for that player, whoever it is, whether it was Marner or Nylander.”
He went on to say that he thinks Dubas would have made a pitch for Tyler Bertuzzi, but he doesn’t imagine he would have gone after any of the other big free agent signings the team made this summer. He said, “Everybody else, I just don’t see it. I don’t think there’s any way they sign John Klingberg. There’s zero chance they sign Ryan Reaves to a three-year contract.” He added that maybe Dubas brings in Max Domi, “but I don’t really see it…”
Would Dubas Have Overhauled the Maple Leafs Roster?
Siegel said that the guys the team brought in doesn’t include utility players. “None of those guys kill penalties, none of those guys are the kinds of players you want to put on the ice when you’re defending a lead in a playoff game, let alone a regular season game.” He said that if you look at what Dubas did at the trade deadline last year, it’s clear he would have considered all those factors when going after players.
Siegel seemed to be questioning whether the team made the right decision to let Dubas go. “The team has major issues to sort out,” he said. He’s wondering how the team is going to fix all of these different things.
Next: Why Sheldon Keefe Is Changing Up the Maple Leafs Top Six
