Fallout of Toronto Maple Leafs Choosing Dubas Over Hunter
The Toronto Maple Leafs selected Kyle Dubas to be their new GM.
The Toronto Maple Leafs announced that their 17th General Manager will be Kyle Dubas. Dubas was formerly the Assistant GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs and General Manager of their AHL-affiliate Toronto Marlies. Dubas was one of two choices for the position, the other being Mark Hunter.
The Toronto Maple Leafs were lucky to have two such high quality candidates. Mark Hunter is well touted around the league and has a resume that is longer than a Costco receipt. He is known as an outstanding scout and future NHL general manager, and the Maple Leafs may not have such a strong talent pool without him.
My view on the matter is that Dubas fits the ideology of the current Toronto Maple Leafs better than Hunter. He’s younger, he has proven him self with the Marlies and as you can see in many of Youtube videos that feature him speaking at various conferences, he has a progressive view of talent evaluation. If you want a good summary of what is to come under Dubas, Mike Stephens gave a great overview of what Dubas will bring to the new regime.
As always, Twitter has come through with some gems on the matter, so let us take a dive in to the Fallout of Toronto Maple Leafs Twitter; Choosing Dubas Over Hunter.
The best tweets are saved for last. Enjoy!
Where it all Began
Nick Kypreos reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs were believed to be closing in on their new General Manager. Kypreos also reported that many executives believed that Mark Hunter was a more likely candidate. Unfortunately this was because Mark is a ‘Trusted Hockey Man™’ and had the experience. Unlike Hunter, Dubas was young and therefore seen by these ‘executives as inexperienced in being able to manage a NHL team, never mind the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Sources tell @RealKyper that the Maple Leafs are leaning towards Mark Hunter for their open GM position.https://t.co/bwrdfe9rGj
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 6, 2018
Dubas hasn’t exactly had the best introduction into the league. He has been compared to 26-year-old General Manager John Chayka as young, inexperienced and analytics based. The difference is their past. Dubas has grown up around Hockey since he started as a stick boy when is was 11 years old for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. He worked his way up to General Manager of the Greyhounds before getting picked up by the Toronto Maple Leafs to be an Assistant General Manager and General Manager of the Toronto Marlies.
Due to the lack of experience that Dubas didn’t have, the ‘old school’ media and fans favored Hunter for this promotion. This is possibly why Kypreos and his ‘executives’ were under the impression that Hunter had the higher ground after the interviews.
Cause or Concern
The fans and media who believed Hunter would be a better GM didn’t think that Dubas would be the ideal person to take over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Most seemed concerned with his age. Not just because of the inexperienced but also that Hunter may not like the decision. This could lead to a few different outcomes. Hunter could stay with the Toronto Maple Leafs and remain their Assistant General Manager and Head Scout. Hunter could end up interviewing for other General Manager vacancies in the NHL. He also has the contingency plan of returning to the London Knights, a team which he owns with his Brother Dale and associate Basil McRae.
Next question, how long does Mark Hunter remain in his current role before some other team snaps him up...
— Larry Mellott (@stormradioguy) May 11, 2018
Obviously losing a great talent like Mark Hunter would be a loss for the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, This is what the plan has been all along. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reported that Lou Lamoriello said that Kyle Dubas succeeding him was the plan almost three years ago.
Lou Lamoriello basically says Kyle Dubas is in position to eventually succeed him as #leafs GM. "If that doesn't happen it's his fault."
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) July 23, 2015
In theory we shouldn’t have been surprised when the Dubas announcement happened. This was three years in the making. They knew it, we knew it and Mark Hunter should have known too. It is this little tidbit that makes me believe that Hunter will stay with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but only time will tell at this point.
Beginning of the end for the shannaplan. Hunter was above and beyond the better choice. Leafs will regret this.
— Trav Whitely (@whitebeans11) May 11, 2018
This had better not be at the cost of Mark Hunter
— Farmer Vincent (@CrittersFarmer) May 11, 2018
It seems some are not a fan of this (almost) universally loved decision.
The Good
This is where we can finally embrace Kyle Dubas. Dubas has had a large following among the analytics community on twitter because he was the one who originally head the Toronto Maple Leafs Analytics department.
The Maple Leafs believed in him enough three years ago to give him his own department to play with. One of the big things that Dubas focused on with the Soo Greyhounds was inefficiencies. Whether that was with the game-play or contracts or what have you.
While Dubas had set up his new system and ideologies with the Greyhounds, they have had an amazing record . The year he was hired they finished fifth in their division but since then they have finished 1st four times, 2nd and 3rd once each. Not too bad if you ask me.
I'm honestly in the same mood today as I was when we won the draft lottery. I'm so excited for what's to come.
— Harry Pain (@FerdaLeafs) May 11, 2018
Like Rob stated, Friday morning when I got the notification was like what I felt just over two years ago now when the Maple Leafs won the Draft Lottery. This is the next big step in Brendan Shanahan‘s ‘Shanaplan’ and from what has happened already, I’m really pumped to see what comes next.
Let's get crazy!!! https://t.co/gOpqHtt40O
— Steve “Dangle” Glynn (@Steve_Dangle) May 11, 2018
Just saw the Leafs have named Kyle Dubas as new GM. The youth movement continues.
— Hazel Mae (@thehazelmae) May 11, 2018
The Bad…
The Bad are usually from close-minded people who can’t see the bigger picture. Yes, Dubas is young. Yes, Hunter is more experienced. Do you really think the Toronto Maple Leafs would make a move that isn’t going to work in their favor? Some people do apparently.
Surprised that Brendan Shanahan went ahead an appointed Kyle Dubas as GM without first having a resolution to Mark Hunter's situation with the Leafs. Is Hunter staying or going - today nobody seemed to definitively know.
— Steve Simmons (@simmonssteve) May 11, 2018
OK so not everyone loved the move. The tone of the Simmons tweet seems pretty dismissive. It’s a bit unusual to hire such a young executive, but I think Shanahan has done so well in his time here that people are willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Next: Odds of the Leafs Retaining Their UFAs
The main problem with most of the criticism was that it was mostly the fact that some people feel very protective about the old way of doing things and continue to be in denial about the use of statistical analysis.
Time will tell, but I think the Leafs made a great move.