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Analyst publicly calls out Kyle Dubas for not helping his team out enough

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Mike Armenti
February 10, 2023  (12:20)
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For the Toronto Maple Leafs, they're coming up to arguably the single-most important trade deadline in the last 2 decades and with so many question marks surrounding their potential plans for this year's deadline one hockey analyst believes that it's not the team that has anything left to prove - but Leafs GM Kyle Dubas.

During an appearance on Leafs Lunch on Thursday, TSN's Craig Button locked his sights on Dubas, stating that this Leafs team, over the last few seasons, has done everything that has been asked of them and suggested that it has been Dubas' shortcomings as GM and not going out and pulling the trigger on significant deadline deals that is to blame for their postseason failures.

Button commented that with how the team has performed in the face of adversity this season, especially with all of the injury issues they've had so far, the team has nothing left to prove. Button affirmed that now it's on Dubas to go out and get the best piece available to help augment the current core.

"I'm gonna go back to the end of the season press conference last year.. 'we believe in our players, we believe that we're close, we believe that we're in a position now to compete, we think we've learned lots'.. they've shown that they deserve that belief - they've shown that. Now go out and help them. So I think this is on Kyle Dubas. I don't think it's on the players showing me anything - I think it's about Kyle Dubas saying 'ok, what can we do here?'... The players have done everything you could have ever asked them to do in my view. This is now on Kyle Dubas."

-Button on Dubas owing his team a bold move at the deadline

The biggest move that the Leafs could make right now (arguably) is for Timo Meier, the most effective player who is expected to be available at the deadline. There's been some chatter that the Leafs have already checked in on Meier, but that the cost may be prohibitive. But if the goal is to win a Stanley Cup, isn't getting the best player available a step closer to that goal? Yes, the cost will hurt. Yes, there will be players or picks involved that may make people uncomfortable. But if the goal is to win a Stanley Cup, we should be doing what the Tampa Bay Lightning did. We should be going all-in. If the time is now, let's not waste any more time.

I don't often find myself agreeing with Craig Button, but in this case, he certainly has a point.

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Analyst publicly calls out Kyle Dubas for not helping his team out enough

Do you think the Leafs should push their chips in the middle and go all-in at this year's deadline?

Yes12949.2 %
No4617.6 %
Only if it doesn't involve Matthew Knies8733.2 %
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