Toronto Maple Leafs GM’s Contract Situation Not an Issue

The news that Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas doesn’t have a contract after this upcoming season was not surprising in the least, but the reaction to the news sure was.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are in a very strange position where they have failed so spectacularly, so often, that even their own fans aren’t excited about a franchise record setting roster that features two of the top four players in the world.

So why are people acting surprised that their GM wasn’t given a contract extension?

I was shocked it was even news, since I just assumed everyone already agreed that if the Leafs didn’t have a great season he was going to be fired anyways.

Toronto Maple Leafs Stay the Course, But It’s Not a Popular Decision

Despite the fact that he is objectively very good at his job, Kyle Dubas has not had any playoff success.

And even though regular season success is the biggest indicator of future playoff success that there is, people just can’t wrap their heads around how random a single playoff series is.  Therefore, extending him would be extremely unpopular, so the team can’t do it.

They could barely justify keeping him on after the Tampa series, let alone with a new contract.  They were right not to fire him, but that doesn’t change the fact that it was surprising they didn’t.

So it’s just weird that there is now a discussion about the “lame duck” problem.  I for one just assumed he’d be fired if they didn’t advance last season, and I’m pretty sure the thought also crossed Dubas’ mind as well.

Since he didn’t do anything nuts to try to save his job yet, I think we can trust him going forward. Also, if he was the kind of guy who’d take huge risks to save his job, he never would have gotten the job in the first place.

Here is an example that I think does a good job of illustrating how stupid all of this is: If John  Tavares doesn’t get injured against Montreal in the 2020 playoffs, the Leafs advance for sure.  If the Leafs had of advanced, and immediately lost, Kyle Dubas would currently have a contract that extends beyond this season.  He would also be considered one of the best, possibly even the very best, GMs in the game.

This is the only time in Leafs history, at least to my knowledge, that they have defied the media’s express wishes so consistently and for so long.  Under any other Team or President than Brendan Shanahan, Kyle Dubas would have been fired already.

The Toronto Maple Leafs players have one chance to win for their architect, otherwise it’s goodbye fun, highly skilled progressive team, and back to the sameold 200 Hockey Guy approach that already failed for 50 straight years.