Kyle Dubas could be the one who chose not to negotiate an extension with the Leafs this summer
For the past month, we've heard a lot about Kyle Dubas and his expiring contract status. Dubas, somewhat surprisingly, is completely fine coming into this season with no extension in place. Is it because he's confident that the Leafs will make some noise in the postseason this year? Is it because, as he said himself, he wants MLSE to judge him on his full 5-year body of work before sitting down at the negotiating table? Well, it could be either one of those things. It could also be that he wants to explore his options, just as any UFA might.
Both Chris Johnston and Frank Seravalli have suggested that, even if the Leafs do manage to go on a run, Dubas could still choose to walk away from the organization in favour of a more lucrative opportunity elsewhere. Apparently there are multiple organizations who are keeping an eye on the Dubas situation. Multiple NHL Insiders have reported that if Dubas did indeed become a UFA, he'd have job offers within minutes.
Leafs fans have largely been split on whether or not it was the right decision for MLSE and President Brendan Shanahan to let both Lou Lamoriello and Mark Hunter walk in favour of promoting Dubas. Regardless of what anyone's personal opinion on the matter is, you simply cannot argue that Dubas hasn't built an exceptional team. Further to that, his work on the draft floor absolutely dwarfs his predecessors if we're subtracting the absolute no-brainer picks like Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.
We're beginning to see the fruits of Dubas' labour now, with Rasmus Sandin, Nick Robertson, Pontus Holmberg and Matthew Knies all pretty well ready for NHL action now and Rodion Amirov, Topi Niemela, Fraser Minten, Roni Hirvonen, Ty Voit, Vyacheslav Peksa and Artur Akhtyamov all on the way. In addition, the way he's been able to find bargain bin players with little to no financial flexibility due to the flat cap.. it's been nothing short of a masterclass.
The other interesting detail here that is worth noting is that Dubas may hold the keys to re-signing Auston Matthews. Dubas has an excellent relationship with both the reigning back-to-back Rocket Richard and 2021-22 Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award winner and his agent, Judd Moldaver - who happens to be a Toronto native. If Dubas decides to walk away, if the Leafs aren't able to replace him with the right personality, it could also cost them Matthews, who has the right to elect to test the free agent market in 2024, should he so choose.
This is a very important season for all involved. For MLSE, there's a big decision looming that could have a ripple effect one way or another. For Kyle Dubas, he will have plenty of options available to him whether the Leafs win or lose. That much is clear.
| POLL | ||
5 OCTOBRE | 269 ANSWERS Kyle Dubas could be the one who chose not to negotiate an extension with the Leafs this summer Will Kyle Dubas choose to walk away next summer, win or lose? | ||
| Yes | 44 | 16.4 % |
| No | 159 | 59.1 % |
| That would be catastrophic for the Leafs | 66 | 24.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
