Former Leafs GM Kyle Dubas talks Jake Muzzin’s importance, famous double-phone picture

Though it’s been a few years, the former general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs remembers some of the key and humourous moments of his tenure with the franchise.

Pittsburgh Penguins GM Kyle Dubas joined Jeff Marek on Monday’s edition of The Sheet. Along with discussing various topics related to his current team, Dubas also took a trip down memory lane to reflect on his time with Toronto.

Marek brought up one of the Leafs’ more peculiar postseason exits – the 2020 Qualifying Round defeat at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets. He mentioned that the loss of defenceman Jake Muzzin hurt Toronto’s chances in the series. Dubas noted that Muzzin also suffered an injury that kept him out of the last two games in Round 1 of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens.

“We definitely missed him and tried to do our best to fill in. … When you lose those types [of players], it hurts. But teams deal with it every year in the playoffs, and you have to adapt. We weren’t well-suited enough to do that, and that falls on me.”

With Muzzin out, Toronto ended up falling to the Blue Jackets in the best-of-five series. Dubas admits that, while ailments happen in the playoffs, putting together a championship-ready team was on him.

“I don’t think there’s really any excuse. We didn’t get it done to the level that our potential dictated. In the end, that falls on me in my role there and not being able to do the things that would push the team over the top.”

The year before, the Leafs traded for the veteran blueliner, giving up prospect Carl Grundstrom, Sean Druzi’s rights and a first-round pick. Dubas says there were many reasons the team went after Muzzin.

“He was someone brought in specifically for defencive purposes and to kill penalties and be the guy that could play against the other team’s best players. When he was healthy, and at his best, he added a tremendous element to our group in Toronto. … Muzz had won [the Stanley Cup]. Muzz is also a tremendous glue guy….He was able to, I think, pass on his lessons very openly to a lot of the younger players that came in. Then, the way that he played was something that we had desperately needed.”

While Dubas is no longer in Toronto, having been fired following the 2022-23 season. Muzzin is still with the Maple Leafs, serving in a player development role.

Another moment of Dubas’ career with the Original Six franchise that came up was a rather famous moment during the 2019 NHL Draft. In the later rounds, he was on the draft floor trying to work the phones, at one point holding a pair of devices to his ears.