Fallout of Toronto Maple Leafs Choosing Dubas Over Hunter
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.