Matthews, Dubas, Shanahan Respond to Maple Leafs Criticism

The easy thing to do when it comes to the Toronto Maple Leafs these days is talk about all the things the team isn’t. Mentioning where they went wrong, how they’re not built properly, or how players under-performed seems to be the flavor of the day and it’s coming at the franchise from all different directions.

Pundits and scribes from multiple networks and outlets have called for action. From Kyle Dubas being fired to trading Mitch Marner or William Nylander to a total overhaul of a roster that doesn’t seem built for playoff success, nothing feels off limits.

But, with any criticism comes the chances for those being criticized to respond.

Over the past 24 hours, extremely important members of the Maple Leafs franchise have commented regarding all the talk.

Shanahan Has Faith In His GM and Coach

The President of the team, Brendan Shanahan said, “I think that we certainly, in some ways, have taken a step back.” But he added, “I have complete faith in Kyle as a general manager and Sheldon as a coach.”

Those comments suggest fans shouldn’t expect to see GM changes, coaching changes or major personnel adjustments. Shanhan is going to ride this horse and hope it finally finishes strong.

Kyle Dubas Doesn’t Understand the Hate

On Wednesday, Dubas spent a lot of time defending his players and his process. When asked if it’s possible he’s misread the potential of the Leafs core group, he simply responded, “Nope.”

He explained:

“It’s not a dream, in terms of how we can play because we showed it multiple times throughout this year. Just the fact that we could not do it as often as required to reach our potential would be the most disappointing factor from my end.”

He responded to criticism that he’s built the team in one way and that he’s sticking to that vision regardless of repeated failures. “You all think I have one way of going about things and that it’s never changing,” said the Leafs GM. “The vision for me is always changing.”

Dubas provided a few examples when it came to players. He added that it wasn’t necessarily Tyson Barrie’s fault that he didn’t play as well as the team would have hoped. He noted, “The lesson I take from that is better aiding players in their adjustment to the organization.”

Interesting from Dubas, who believes Tyson Barrie's flop in Toronto had a lot to do with a lack of support from the team to adjust after trade. “The lesson I take from that is better aiding players in their adjustment to the organization.”

— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) August 12, 2020

Related: Insiders Suggest Mitch Marner Trade Seems Inevitable

When it comes to Mitch Marner, Dubas is baffled by the things he’s reading and hearing. “I don’t get the criticism of Mitch Marner one bit. I really struggle with it. He’s a guy that plays his ass off every night.” He continued, “Everything that he does wrong, people jump all over him about it. I don’t know how or why it’s that way. It’s among the most idiotic things I see done here.”

In short, don’t expect Marner to get traded.

Auston Matthews Says Toronto Is Right There

Perhaps the most telling response from anyone on the team about how the group internally feels about itself came from Auston Matthews.

Matthews noted:

“The perception of how things are going or how the team’s been perceived outside the locker room may be a lot different than what we believe in. Obviously the results of the playoffs and what not haven’t shown. But with the players we have on this team and the core group that we have – being together for four years now – we really believe we are right there. And I gotta be honest, we don’t really care what other people think, or how far away other people think we are, or the article they’re going to write about all the things that we need. I think we believe in our management and in our staff and in the players on this team and in this organization that we’re going to power through this adversity and we’re going to break through eventually.”

Needless to say, there will be change. It’s inevitable. That said, the change fans and pundits are hoping for won’t likely be as drastic and some might want.

Dubas contended that the team is not up against the salary cap as badly as some say the organization is. He doesn’t think he poorly assessed his team and he’s not blaming the players in a number of instances for what went wrong.

Next: How Long Before Max Domi Wants Out of Montreal?