So What If the Toronto Maple Leafs Lose Mark Hunter?
By James Tanner
The Toronto Maple Leafs need a new general manager.
After parting ways with Lou Lamoriello earlier this week, the Toronto Maple Leafs now need to hire his replacement. Leading candidates are internal options Mark Hunter and Kyle Dubas – the team’s current assistant general managers.
By all accounts, both men are two of the most qualified and soon-to-be-hired prospective general managers in the hockey world.
Also by all accounts, the Leafs will lose whichever one doesn’t get the job.
It’s nice to have a collection of solid executives, but if they’re good then they are going to be seeking promotions. Whether a team has a great coaching staff or management team, it’s an inevitability that guys that they can’t promote will seek jobs elsewhere.
So what I’m saying is that that can’t be a factor in who you hire. The Leafs have – again, by all accounts – two excellent candidates for one job. Losing one of them is all but guaranteed.
So Who Do You Keep?
This weekend on Hockey Night in Canada, Nick Kypreos suggested that executives across the NHL believe Hunter should get the job. What could be more predictable than established league execs wanting to go with the guy in his 50s? The guy who’s background is in scouting?
The fact is, however, that computer modeled stats analysis has already been shown to outperform traditional scouting. This is not to say that scouting isn’t important, but if a guy’s main qualifications come from something that is either being revolutionized or possibly even becoming obsolete, then it’s an easy choice to go with the other guy.
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The fact is that the NHL – and all sports – are going heavy into analytics and that the best way to negotiate this change in the status quo is with someone who understands them best.
Mark Hunter is the old-school choice.
Kyle Dubas is skilled in the very thing which is changing the game as I write this.
It’s no contest who you choose. Of course current execs think Hunter is the man for the job – he’s one of them. The NHL – with few exceptions – is extremely protectionist. Most old-school hockey guys have no time for the Kyle Dubas-types and would like nothing more than to see them lose out on jobs to guys who follow the dogma of the past.
Kyle Dubas is the best candidate. He should get the job. If that costs the Leafs the services of Mark Hunter, then so be it.