The Toronto Maple Leafs have been working to put together a 2022-23 regular-season roster. That hasn’t met the fancy of many Maple Leafs’ fans, who have been commenting on his poor decision-making all over the place.
Read many of the comments sections of most Maple Leafs’ blogs and regular contributors who have never had much of anything negative about Maple Leafs’ general manager Kyle Dubas are now claiming he should have never been hired in the first place. He’s made a mess of things they say.
All this is happening before the season has even been played.
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Last Season, Similar Pattern – But the Maple Leafs Set a Franchise Record
Last season, Maple Leafs’ fans had a similar reaction to some of the signings the management team made – only to be (at least some critics admit) proven wrong. Although many Maple Leafs’ fans were concerned about the team’s ability to win, the 2021-22 roster set a franchise record for points in a season and wins in a season.
Yes – agreed – the team didn’t win the Stanley Cup. They could have and should have played better. But, is this cause for jumping ship or jumping on a bandwagon headed out of town? Obviously, Maple Leafs’ fans think so.
Who should we trust when it comes to assessing the team’s abilities to win this season – especially before the season begins? Obviously, all sports fans can have opinions. However, whose opinions should we really trust? Who knows for sure what will happen?
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A Test for Permission to Critique Kyle Dubas (Maple Leafs’ General Manager)
For those who want to know if they have the ability and/or have earned the right to critique the Maple Leafs’ general manager before the season has started, take the following test.
If you can pass this test by answering Yes to each of the eight questions on the checklist, you have the world’s permission to make any critique you wish. If you can’t critique away, but know that you haven’t earned the right to be listened to.
A Checklist for Those Who Believe They Should Be Listened to When They Criticize Maple Leafs Management
Directions: Answer these questions to assess whether you should be listened to. You must have a perfect score – be able to say “Yes” to all the criteria to earn the right to be listened to.
Criterion 1: If you have professional experience managing an NHL team, you may criticize Maple Leafs’ management.
_____ Yes, I have such experience.
_____ No, I do not have such experience.
Criterion 2: If the budget of the organization you run is more than $500 million, you may criticize Maple Leafs’ management.
_____ Yes, the budget of my organization exceeds $500 million.
_____ No, the budget of my organization is less than $500 million.
Criterion 3: If you’ve hired over 500 people in your management position and can honestly say that you’ve never hired someone you thought was capable but they turned out to be less capable than you expected, then you can criticize Maple Leafs’ management.
_____ Yes, I’ve hired over 500 people and no one has ever disappointed me.
_____ No, I have been disappointed by people in my worklife.
Criterion 4: If you’ve never made a mistake in your life, then you can criticize Maple Leafs’ management.
_____ Yes, I have a perfect record. I have never made a mistake in my life.
_____ No, I’ve made one or more mistakes in my life.
Criterion 5: If you have never given someone who’s failed a second chance and believe no one should have a second chance, then you can criticize Maple Leafs’ management.
_____ Yes, I don’t believe in giving second chances (even to myself).
_____ No, sometimes I think people can get better at what they do.
Criterion 6: If whenever you’ve taken a job you were – from Day 1 – perfect and didn’t need to learn a thing, then you can criticize Maple Leafs’ management.
_____ Yes, I’ve been perfect in my work from Day 1.
_____ No, I have to admit I have learned on the job.
Criterion 7: If people will work happily for you for 50 percent of the money they should be earning at fair market value, then you can criticize Maple Leafs’ management.
_____ Yes, I am always successful at getting people to work for less than they deserve.
_____ No, sometimes I’ve found people are unhappy working for less than they deserve.
Criterion 8: If you can see into the future to know what’s going to happen before it happens, then you can criticize Maple Leafs’ management.
_____ Yes, I know everything that happens before it does.
_____ No, there are some things in the future I cannot know before they happen.
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brian quance
July 14, 2022 at 7:07 pm
so it’s presumably safe to say that, not being a professor, any critique i might have of a professor doesn’t even deserve a hearing. wait, are comments open to non-professors? i’d better go.
Old Prof
July 14, 2022 at 7:51 pm
Good point – but I think you understand the point – thanks for reading!
Al Mac
July 14, 2022 at 8:27 pm
Leaf fans have earned the right to criticize this team by the fact they are fans.
Old Prof
July 14, 2022 at 8:50 pm
If you wish – thanks for reading.
Michael Gall
July 14, 2022 at 8:30 pm
Kyle Dubas has done a fantastic job building the Leafs, no one saw covid19 coming, it changed the world, but Dubas keeps improving the Leafs, even though the curve balls keep coming, I hope he signs a 10 year extension
Old Prof
July 14, 2022 at 8:53 pm
Thanks Michael – thanks for commenting – within my eight points, there is implied notions that Dubas made mistakes – I don’t quibble with that – but it seemed to me this offseason that fans believe they can see into the future. The body of evidence is that the team has got better – I trust the process more than most, I’m thinking.
Ssdd
July 15, 2022 at 10:14 am
How is it that the body of evidence has shown that the team has gotten better? Are you referring to this off season to date or since Dubas took the reins? Hard to justify they are better after his work this spring & summer. Campbell may not be the next coming of Patrick Roy but at worst he was a competent starter despite his struggles with injuries & consistency. His potential replacements, 2 reclamation projects & much like the Lotto Max, a huge leap of faith. He lost a solid 3rd liner, potentially a 2nd line LW & a strong pk player, nothing in return reminiscent of last year. His FA signings otherwise, underwhelming at best, cast offs & spot players. However, I failed your criteria test that would allow my opinion to count. Numerous commentators in various media outlets who, to be fair, would fail your test as well but have either played the game at this level or covered it extensively have a different take. Only one review I’ve read, questionably, suggests the Leafs have not taken a step backwards but remained in neutral. The rest, a fail. Has Dubas improved the Leafs fortunes as a regular season team, perhaps the record shows he has. I would offer this. The Covid year can’t be counted given the division they played in. This season they achieved record setting numbers, but late season losses to bottom feeders, Buffalo(2), Montreal(2) & AZ (2)come to mind, plus blown games against Fla (2 I believe) pitted them against the 2 time defending cup champs. While some would say they put up a good fight, same result as every other year, early tee times. So what can Dubas crow about, good regular seasons? Maybe I’m being silly, but I thought the goal was to win the cup so Dubas’s overall achievement is a zero!
Old Prof
July 15, 2022 at 6:32 pm
We will see – the goal is go further in the postseason- they might not have the same number of points (the Senators are getting better for example) – but my point is that people act as if they can see the future, when they can’t. I – for one – will wait and see. I’m not saying the team is better – I’m just saying How can we be so darn sure in advance it won’t be?
Ryan Colwell
July 14, 2022 at 11:30 pm
Thank you for this Professor always my source for the more reasonable look at things
Old Prof
July 15, 2022 at 12:11 am
Thanks –
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