The Toronto Maple Leafs have officially announced that general manager Kyle Dubas will not be returning to the team next season. Having finished up his final season under contract, Dubas will likely take some time away from the NHL and the Leafs will get down to business as they search for someone to take over the role, replacing arguably the most successful manager in recent club history.
President and Alternate Governor Brendan Shanahan plans to address the media at 3:30 PM Friday but he’s already released a statement via the Maple Leafs’ PR Department. In it, he notes, “…the club has decided to part ways with their GM. Dubas’s contract is set to expire on June 30 and he will not return as Toronto’s General Manager next season.” Shanahan also said, “I would like to thank Kyle for his unwavering dedication over these last nine seasons with the organization, including his last give as General Manager. Kyle fostered a great culture within our dressing room and staff, and consistently pushed to make our team better season after season.” He concluded with, “We wish Kyle and his family the best moving forward and thank him for his valuable contributions.”
Dubas will only be out of the game as long as he chooses to be as teams will line up to offer him management roles, should he want to come back next season. The playoff success for the Maple Leafs didn’t come, but it’s hard to argue against the success he found with a team that he constantly reshaped around a core four of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and William Nylander. He set franchise records for points in a season and he wasn’t afraid to wheel and deal, using the salary cap as a weapon with his right-hand man Brandon Pridham helping out.
The questions now will be if Dubas pops up anywhere in the near future and who the Maple Leafs will hire to replace him.
