2018: Coming Close
Twenty-eighteen is probably the year that had the most lasting impact on this Leafs team, something that plagues this team to this very day.
It was in 2018 that Shanahan decided to move on from old school GM Lou Lameriello or consider the assistant GM at the time, Mark Hunter, who had a big influence in drafting Marner when he managed the London Knights, Marner's junior team.
Instead, Shanahan opted for the analytical general manager Kyle Dubas, who managed the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL and then the Marlies of the AHL, Toronto's minor-league team.
Following a nine-hour meeting, between Shanahan and Dubas, the young up-and-coming executive was made the 17th general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs after being their assistant GM since 2014. Shanahan said that he was impressed by Dubas's approach to managing a team.
Dubas hit the ground running too, as just two months after being named Leafs GM, he inked Tavares, the hometown kid, who was the most sought-after free agent at the time, to a seven-year deal worth $77 million, a number rumored to be lower compared to other suitors, but the inexperienced GM got the hometown discount.
Dubas didn't just sign Tavares in 2018. He also signed Nylander to a deal with an AAV of $6.9 million at the very last hour possible as negotiations continued on for months into the 2018-19 season. And just that one single lengthy and tiresome negotiation marked the beginning of a negotiation frenzy between himself, Marner, and Matthews for years to come.
That year, the team would lose to Boston in seven games again. At this juncture, they're still a young team with tons of potential and are having short but inspiring playoff runs.