Maple Leafs Quick Hits: Dubas’ Good Contracts & Marleau’s Impact

In this edition of Toronto Maple Leafs Quick Hits, I’ll take a look at how general manager Kyle Dubas is stacking up in my own mind after the recent signings of Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau with the Calgary Flames and (last offseason) Zach Hyman with the Edmonton Oilers.

Second, I’ll take a look back at Patrick Marleau’s time with the Blue and White to suggest that he should be remembered for having a huge and I believe lasting effect on the success of this team because he had such a profound impact on both Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner when they were young players.

Related: Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Dubas, Tavares, Nylander & Sandin

Quick Hit One: Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas Looking Better with Recent Signings in Calgary

In the light of the Calgary Flames’ signing of former Maple Leafs’ center Nazem Kadri for seven years at $7 million per year, I’ve been reflecting on the contracts that Kyle Dubas signed since he’s been the Maple Leafs’ general manager. Suddenly, they look pretty good to me.

The one thing that Dubas has done is to ink key members of the Maple Leafs to high-value contracts. Maple Leafs fans – some regretfully – know the numbers well and I won’t relist them here. Just say that Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and Morgan Rielly are not struggling financially.

However, the one thing Dubas has not done is to sign what he feels are non-essential players to long-term deals. He’s especially limited the age of players he’s signed to these contracts. In other words, Dubas’ contracts expire closer to his player’s primes. While Flames general manager Brad Treliving has signed contracts this offseason to wrap up both Kadri and his new left-winger Jonathan Huberdeau until they are 38 years old, by comparison Tavares’ age at the contract expiration is 34 years of age.

It also reminds me that, for as much as Lou Lamoriello is beloved by so many Maple Leafs’ fans, he made some very bad signings. Lamoriello signed Patrick Marleau to a three-year deal at $6 per season when Marleau was 35. The Maple Leafs moved Marleau but had to give up a first-round draft choice to do so. Second, Lamoriello signed Russian defenseman Nikita Zaitsev to a seven-year deal at $4.5 million per season. Erasing that mistake cost the team Connor Brown in a “trade” with the Ottawa Senators for Cody Ceci.

My point is not that Dubas is perfect. He makes mistakes, but he sure doesn’t seem to be alone in this among even experiences general managers around the NHL.

Related: Maple Leafs’ World Juniors Review: Hirvonen, Niemela & Knies

Quick Hit Two: Remembering Patrick Marleau’s Contribution to the Maple Leafs

Patrick Marleau will have a continuing legacy with the Maple Leafs. As noted in the point above, the money and the term might not have been the wisest for Marleau and the Maple Leafs. However, he brought more than on-ice skill. Specifically, he took both Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner under his wing and mentored them.

In fact, because the two current Maple Leafs mega-stars were so young at the time, Marleau and his family sort of adpoted them. Matthews and Marner spent Christmas and other holidays with the Marleau family. They became good friends and willing pupils. It’s hard not to imagine what hockey topic the three (and perhaps others) weighed in on during “family” conversations.

I’m guessing, from what I’ve seen of how Marleau operates, that he would have been instigator of many of the discussion topics. What wouldn’t have been on the agenda?

Perhaps, as I noted in Quick Hit One, at the end of Marleau’s tenure with the team, his contract would have been a problem. There’s logic to think it was. However, Marleau brought much more to the team than his goals and assists.

Now that Matthews and Marner have started their rise up the ladder into Maple Leafs lore and history themselves, there’s an excellent chance that Marleau’s experience and insights will live on as part of the Marner’s and Matthews’ own careers. Part of the credit for their success must be pointed in the direction of the great mentor they experienced in Marleau.

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