Per a report from a trusted NHL Insider, it was Mark Giordano who pushed for less money, not Kyle Dubas

Giordano inked a 2-year contract extension with the Leafs on Sunday with a $800K AAV, but while many viewed this deal as a Kyle Dubas masterclass, as it turns out, it was Giordano who pushed for a lower cap hit. This much was confirmed by Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman on the most recent edition of the 32 Thoughts podcast.

According to Friedman, the Leafs and Giordano came to an agreement on Saturday on a deal that would have seen him earn closer to $1M per season. Friedman stated on the podcast that Giordano actually came back to the Leafs and offered to take even less to allow the team some additional financial flexibility.

With estimated career earnings of nearly $62M, Giordano has already made a significant amount of money. At this stage in his career, the money does not matter nearly as much as winning a Stanley Cup. That much is evident in leaving money on the table in order to help the Leafs.

With Gio saving the Leafs as much as $400K over the course of his deal, it's not an insignificant amount. And if even 3 other roster players were to follow Gio's example and do the same, that's an extra $800K for the Leafs to spend in free agency. Imagine that being the difference between signing Jack Campbell or watching him walk in free agency and then having to deal away significant assets to replace him. Huge move by Gio here.