Confirmed with Link: Dubas the new GM - TSN

[Gary Nylund]

That's a bit harsh. Management wants to know what the coach wants, and will try to facilitate it if it's the best idea moving forward. He was likely asked what the biggest problem was. Obviously our D at the time (and somewhat still to this day) had enough holes that it was borderline swiss cheese. Hanifin was a highly touted pick, and Babcock probably realized that you can't just dump all of the responsibility on Rielly. So his opinion was to get Hanifin. Hunter saw Marner develop, and thought Mitch was the best option. Which you really didn't need Hunter to figure out, since Mitch's mom put up some great highlight videos on youtube. Seriously. Once I saw those clips, I was 100% sold on Marner if the Leafs were in a position to draft him. Fortunately, they did, since Phoenix fell for the "big bodied forward" meme.

Saying Babcock was interfering with their job is just stupid. An organization that works, is an organization that takes input from all levels. If they disagree, that's fine. Asking openly for opinions while engaging in rational discourse is one of the strongest fundamentals of an organization that prospers beyond all others. I don't see management or Babcock crying publicly about differences in opinions.

When you have the 4th overall pick you take the BPA. It's fine to ask Babs what our positional needs are and if two players are exactly equal you take the position you need, that's fine. We don't know what went on with our brass, if all Babcock said was that we need D that's fine, if he was pushing heavily for us to overrule Hunter and take Hanifin, that's not fine.

As far as being too harsh - technically you're right and I agree but that wasn't meant to be taken literally. If you take what I said in context (look at the post I was responding to) then my point was that this idea that we should maybe trade for Hanifin to "appease" Babcock is absurd and I stand by that. I would hope that Babcock is fine, he doesn't need to appeased and Mess is trying to stir up controversy for no good reason.

 

[LeafFever]

Mitch is going to score so much next season. Passing on Hannifan was no mistake.
Must be nice to be a Coyotees fan, take Strome and pass on Mitch and Hannifan, and no one cares. Leafs still get more crap for taking Mitch.

 

[LeafFever]

Does any of the pro Hunter crowd still think this was such a mistake?

 

[LeafsNation75]

Mitch is going to score so much next season. Passing on Hannifan was no mistake.
Must be nice to be a Coyotees fan, take Strome and pass on Mitch and Hannifan, and no one cares. Leafs still get more crap for taking Mitch.

I wish more people would harp on the Coyotes for choosing Strome over Marner, because how many times have we heard the Leafs selected this player and a player selected after him went onto become a lot better.

 

[Nithoniniel]

Does any of the pro Hunter crowd still think this was such a mistake?

Why would they have changed their minds? Nothing has happened.

 

[LeafFever]

I wish more people would harp on the Coyotes for choosing Strome over Marner, because how many times have we heard the Leafs selected this player and a player selected after him went onto become a lot better.

That's why it's nice to be such an irrelevant franchise. The Coyotees are such a mess. Imagine if the Leafs made that error? Mitch looks fantastic and they are still crapped on for choosing him. Imagine if they had Strome with his #'s and GP in the NHl thus far?
The Coyotees just exist(Barely) and people can assume Auston Matthews can't wait to go there.

 

[LeafFever]

Why would they have changed their minds? Nothing has happened.

I disagree. Name one young exec who has a better resume associated with hockey?
Imaginbe the headlines if Dubas went to Colorado and the Leafs kept 76 year-old Lou instead.
Dubas is exactly the guy you go with in 2018 the way the league is going.

 

[LeafsNation75]

That's why it's nice to be such an irrelevant franchise. The Coyotees are such a mess. Imagine if the Leafs made that error? Mitch looks fantastic and they are still crapped on for choosing him. Imagine if they had Strome with his #'s and GP in the NHl thus far?
The Coyotees just exist(Barely) and people can assume Auston Matthews can't wait to go there.

Here is an example of someone crapping on the Leafs for a drafting mistake. During a broadcast on a Saturday night Glenn Healy brought up how the Leafs were dumb for passing on Brendan Gallagher in the 5th round of the 2010 draft. Yes you read that right he said the 5th round. His reason was Gallagher went with the 147th overall pick. The Leafs had picks 144 and 146. If Toronto passed on Gallagher so did 29 other teams considering that point in the draft.

 

[Nithoniniel]

I disagree. Name one young exec who has a better resume associated with hockey?
Imaginbe the headlines if Dubas went to Colorado and the Leafs kept 76 year-old Lou instead.
Dubas is exactly the guy you go with in 2018 the way the league is going.

You disagree with what exactly? Nothing you mention here has anything to do with what I said.

All I said was that if people preferred Hunter at the time, nothing has happened that would change their minds.

 

[LeafFever]

You disagree with what exactly? Nothing you mention here has anything to do with what I said.

All I said was that if people preferred Hunter at the time, nothing has happened that would change their minds.

Not sure if teams preferred Hunter though. He's 23 years older than Dubas. Where are the teams asking to speak with him?

 

[Nithoniniel]

Not sure if teams preferred Hunter though. He's 23 years older than Dubas. Where are the teams asking to speak with him?

Again, what does this have to do with what I said? I am not trying to argue that Hunter is better than Dubas. I preferred Dubas from the get go.

I am again just asking why you make it sound like people should have changed their opinions, since nothing has happened.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Why would they have changed their minds? Nothing has happened.

Nolan Vesey says hello

 

[LeafFever]

Again, what does this have to do with what I said? I am not trying to argue that Hunter is better than Dubas. I preferred Dubas from the get go.

I am again just asking why you make it sound like people should have changed their opinions, since nothing has happened.

Well I never actually said that.

 

[Nithoniniel]

Nolan Vesey says hello

Haha yeah. The franchise-altering departure of Nolan Vesey, not sure how I forgot that one

 

[Nithoniniel]

Well I never actually said that.

Not verbatim, but not sure what the following would imply otherwise:

"Does any of the pro Hunter crowd still think this was such a mistake?"

 

[LeafFever]

Not verbatim, but not sure what the following would imply otherwise:

"Does any of the pro Hunter crowd still think this was such a mistake?"

What I am saying is they have lost some ammo and momentum in the "Hunter is better candidate" argument. I am not saying they will all admit they've changed their minds.

 

[LeafsNation75]

Again, what does this have to do with what I said? I am not trying to argue that Hunter is better than Dubas. I preferred Dubas from the get go.

I am again just asking why you make it sound like people should have changed their opinions, since nothing has happened.

I can't remember how many Leafs fans didn't want to see Dubas named the GM. However my guess is he's referring to non Leafs fans that all of the sudden fell in love with Hunter once he left the Leafs and those same people clamming Shanahan should never have agreed for him to quit.

Now we all know Hunter left because he didn't want to work with Dubas and have him as his boss. However those who don't follow the Leafs would not know that.

 

[LeafFever]

Generally in the NHL when you are passed over as a GM from your own organization you move on. There was little chance Hunter left even if Dubas was older. That's just the way things usually go. Dubas would have left as well if he did not get the job. How many times can you block him from speaking with teams?

 

[ULF_55]

Shanahan spent time with both.

I'm guessing he sees a better future in Dubas.

 

[LeafsNation75]

How many times can you block him from speaking with teams?

Did the media at least bring that up? It's why I never understood Kypreos being obsessed with other NHL executives telling him Hunter should be the front runner and reporting it.

 

[LeafFever]

Did the media at least bring that up? It's why I never understood Kypreos being obsessed with other NHL executives telling him Hunter should be the front runner and reporting it.

Kypreos clearly spoke to his "Old School" NHL contacts who of course wanted Hunter and liked him better. The fact is Dubas was the guy NHL teams wanted. no oneb asked to speak with Hunter.
You are correct, this was never brought up. Just last summer Colorado offered everything to Dubas and Kypreos just forgot that occurred I suppose.
In 2018 you go with Dubas. NHL teams seem to agree.

 

[LeafsNation75]

Kypreos clearly spoke to his "Old School" NHL contacts who of course wanted Hunter and liked him better. The fact is Dubas was the guy NHL teams wanted. no oneb asked to speak with Hunter.
You are correct, this was never brought up. Just last summer Colorado offered everything to Dubas and Kypreos just forgot that occurred I suppose.
In 2018 you go with Dubas. NHL teams seem to agree.

I couldn't have said that any better myself.

 

[Slyfox]

Yup and I'm sure there was another team as well that wanted to talk to Dubas. Meanwhile Hunter had none. Also after the AHL Calder cup that number would've increased.

 

[Brown Dog]

I might've missed it, but has Dubas given any indication what will happen with the unofficial facial hair rule?

Would love to know how this is communicated to the players, too!

 

[Warden of the North]

I might've missed it, but has Dubas given any indication what will happen with the unofficial facial hair rule?

Would love to know how this is communicated to the players, too!

He more or less said theyll talk about it at some point. He said he liked some of Lou rules, but indicated some will change.