Leafs president reveals what led to Kyle Dubas' departure

Kyle Dubas. Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Leafs president Brendan Shanahan reveals what led to GM Kyle Dubas' departure

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 5/19/23

After parting ways with general manager Kyle Dubas on Friday, Toronto Maple Leafs team president Brendan Shanahan revealed the moment he knew going in a new direction was the right move.

Following the Maple Leafs' exit from the postseason, a seemingly worn-down Dubas expressed uncertainty about his future in Toronto while meeting with reporters Monday, which caused a "dramatical shift" in Shanahan's thinking.

"As Kyle expressed, he might not want to be our GM, and I have to take that very seriously," Shanahan said. "As I had said to him the day before, I understood those feelings and the pressure."

#LeafsForever President Brendan Shanahan explains why they moved on from Kyle Dubas as GM. pic.twitter.com/hcAUYIsG7Q
— SiriusXM NHL Network Radio (@SiriusXMNHL) May 19, 2023

Shanahan revealed that during the season, the team and Dubas had discussed the possibility of a contract extension. Even after Dubas was noncommittal about moving forward with the Leafs, Shanahan said he and the team still hoped the two sides could work something out. However, after failing to gain more "clarity" following a meeting with Dubas on Wednesday, the team began looking at other possibilities at GM.

Dubas said the toll taken on himself and his family during the 2022-23 season gave him pause about committing to the Leafs, but he vowed that he wouldn't take another GM job elsewhere. Now that Dubas is officially out of Toronto, we'll have to wait and see if he stays true to his word.

As for Dubas' replacement in Toronto, Shanahan said he's getting right to work interviewing candidates, of which there should be plenty for such a high-profile job.

Carolina Hurricanes assistant GM Eric Tulsky is one of the hotter available names and will likely be on Shanahan's radar. The Leafs could decide to keep things in-house and go with one of several internal candidates, such as assistant GMs Brandon Pridham and Ryan Hardy, or special assistant to the GM and ex-Leaf Jason Spezza.

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