Speculation: GM Lou Lamoriello to take lesser role with team?

[SprDaVE]

I must have missed those reports. Where were they from?

https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl...ulating-lamoriellos-future-seattles-speeding/

 

[Daisy Jane]

Wonder if they scout what fans are talking about on this forum for some of their articles. Seems very timely.

I think Dubas is going to end up the GM eventually. Not sure how the front office is going to look after but this was the reason he joined the Leafs organization 4 years ago. He'll have a great foundation in place with Matthews, Nylander and Marner.

i think a lot of writers do that. (some radio hits too)

 

[LeafsNation75]

I think after the Headlines segment from Johnston, Friedman and Kypreos, some writers/analysts/insiders are starting to hear the same things.

I would not be surprised if something is announced before the Leafs were ready to do so, maybe to stop the speculation and distraction around the team.

Honestly I can't see Shanahan doing something like that because there has always been speculation around the team (What trades are they going to make) and when it those happen is when we first hear about them.

 

[Gary Nylund]

i think a lot of writers do that. (some radio hits too)

Is there any place specific that you've heard this or are you just guessing? I suspect you're right in any case, I'd never thought of it before but these days with people wanting clicks it seems like an entirely logical thing to do - give the public what they want etc.

 

[LeafsNation75]

Is there any place specific that you've heard this or are you just guessing? I suspect you're right in any case, I'd never thought of it before but these days with people wanting clicks it seems like an entirely logical thing to do - give the public what they want etc.

I remember in 2013 for his website blog Howard Berger used a thread posted on the Leafs section of HF where he mentioned them specifically, since someone posted how he hated Hughson, Simpson and Healy calling Leafs games for HNIC.

 

[BayStreetBully]

I don’t think the Leafs are ready yet to part with Lou as GM. Someone needs to give the kids team-friendly contracts, and Lou is the best at that. That could be his defining legacy with these Leafs.

 

[Cor]

Mirtle is gonna get shunned by the Leafs if he keeps trying to play up this “everyone hates each” stuff.

Did the same thing last summer.

None-the-less, Dubas is probably GM this spring/summer, or if they wait a year it’ll be Hunter because Dubas will probably be gone-zo this summer.

 

[LeafsNation75]

Mirtle is gonna get shunned by the Leafs if he keeps trying to play up this “everyone hates each” stuff.

Did the same thing last summer.

None-the-less, Dubas is probably GM this spring/summer, or if they wait a year it’ll be Hunter because Dubas will probably be gone-zo this summer.

Even if Dubas leaves will it be for a GM position with another team? Once Seattle gets their team officially the media has speculated their choice as a GM would be Ken Holland if Detroit does not bring him back. Now that would leave an opening for the GM in Detroit, however I'm not sure Shanahan would give permission to interview with a team in their same division.

 

[SprDaVE]

Mirtle is gonna get shunned by the Leafs if he keeps trying to play up this “everyone hates each” stuff.

Did the same thing last summer.

None-the-less, Dubas is probably GM this spring/summer, or if they wait a year it’ll be Hunter because Dubas will probably be gone-zo this summer.

He's not there to make friends, he's there to report.

 

[Gary Nylund]

I don’t think the Leafs are ready yet to part with Lou as GM. Someone needs to give the kids team-friendly contracts, and Lou is the best at that. That could be his defining legacy with these Leafs.

I like the sound of this!

 

[Menzinger]

Mirtle is gonna get shunned by the Leafs if he keeps trying to play up this “everyone hates each” stuff.

Did the same thing last summer.

None-the-less, Dubas is probably GM this spring/summer, or if they wait a year it’ll be Hunter because Dubas will probably be gone-zo this summer.

I don’t think he’s suggesting they hate one another, just they have different team building philosophies that clash from time to time. Which isn’t anything new, a Shanahan has been open about wanting to bring together people with dissenting opinions.

The issue is how does this dynamic impact the transition....

 

[Menzinger]

If you're a subscriber Mirtle literally just released this:

Mirtle: Will Kyle Dubas be the next GM of the Maple Leafs?

Pretty interesting read.

Yep.

Interestingly the biggest obstacle for Shanahan will be Lou, who is not a man used to not being in control - rightly points out he didn’t last long as an advisor in Jersey for that reason.

Shanahan has got a difficult decision ahead to say the least.

 

[Cor]

Yep.

Interestingly the biggest obstacle for Shanahan will be Lou, who is not a man used to not being in control - rightly points out he didn’t last long as an advisor in Jersey for that reason.

Shanahan has got a difficult decision ahead to say the least.

I don't think it is difficult.

Make Dubas GM, put Lou in whatever role he is going too, and if a team, say Seattle or other, decides to hire Lou as GM, let them. We'll see Nylander signed at some point, I think Matthews gets done fairly quickly into July as well, Marner may be into next season/summer, as well.

I do find it interesting that James Mirtle thinks Kyle Dubas becoming GM would see no more of players like Matt Martin or Roman Polak on this team. I personally, think that is false. Junior hockey is hard to compare, but in Dubas last season in the Soo, he had a guy by the name of Alex Gudbranson on the team, a big stay at home d-man. Dubas later brought him into the organization. Richard Clune was brought into the organization by Dubas for the Marlies and later signed by the Leafs, before once again being signed to an AHL deal by Dubas. Vincent LoVerde, Mason Marchment, Michael Paliotta are guys Dubas signed to AHL deals.

People expecting Dubas to be 100% small and skilled aren't fully aware of how Dubas runs his teams. In fact, I think Dubas and Babcock share more of the same vision than Babcock and Lou do.

 

[Menzinger]

I don't think it is difficult.

Make Dubas GM, put Lou in whatever role he is going too, and if a team, say Seattle or other, decides to hire Lou as GM, let them. We'll see Nylander signed at some point, I think Matthews gets done fairly quickly into July as well, Marner may be into next season/summer, as well.

I do find it interesting that James Mirtle thinks Kyle Dubas becoming GM would see no more of players like Matt Martin or Roman Polak on this team. I personally, think that is false. Junior hockey is hard to compare, but in Dubas last season in the Soo, he had a guy by the name of Alex Gudbranson on the team, a big stay at home d-man. Dubas later brought him into the organization. Richard Clune was brought into the organization by Dubas for the Marlies and later signed by the Leafs, before once again being signed to an AHL deal by Dubas. Vincent LoVerde, Mason Marchment, Michael Paliotta are guys Dubas signed to AHL deals.

People expecting Dubas to be 100% small and skilled aren't fully aware of how Dubas runs his teams. In fact, I think Dubas and Babcock share more of the same vision than Babcock and Lou do.

I agree with your suggestion to Travis iron over to Dubas and let
Chipsnfall as they may (I’m sure thins wouldn’t be as disrupted as some have suggested here).

But sure I’d agree that Dubas would have Gus like Martin in the lineup. The goonish play is still more common in those lower level leagues so there arguably is more of a need for those sorts of guys. Dubas defintely has a trend for liking bigger skilled guys - but that’s not Martin, that’s guys like Korshkov as far as the NHL level will be concerned.

 

[Cor]

I agree with your suggestion to Travis iron over to Dubas and let
Chipsnfall as they may (I’m sure thins wouldn’t be as disrupted as some have suggested here).

But sure I’d agree that Dubas would have Gus like Martin in the lineup. The goonish play is still more common in those lower level leagues so there arguably is more of a need for those sorts of guys. Dubas defintely has a trend for liking bigger skilled guys - but that’s not Martin, that’s guys like Korshkov as far as the NHL level will be concerned.

And frankly, I'm not sure Babcock even wanted/needed Martin in the first place. Babcock never really had a fighter in Detroit. Originally I thought Darren McCarty but after checking, he never played under Babcock. Babcock kept Martin on the 4th line and used him sparingly, now Babcock has gone full steam ahead with using a 4th line that he can use 10-12 minutes a night.

Obviously I can't prove anything, and it's obviously a personal educated opinion, but I think Matt Martin was more Lou Lamoriello than Mike Babcock.

I look at a guy like Mason Marchment that likely gets an NHL deal this summer. He's impressed with the Marlies and seems more like a guy Babcock would want on the 4th line than a fighter like Martin (even though Martin doesn't really fight anymore..)

 

[Menzinger]

And frankly, I'm not sure Babcock even wanted/needed Martin in the first place. Babcock never really had a fighter in Detroit. Originally I thought Darren McCarty but after checking, he never played under Babcock. Babcock kept Martin on the 4th line and used him sparingly, now Babcock has gone full steam ahead with using a 4th line that he can use 10-12 minutes a night.

Obviously I can't prove anything, and it's obviously a personal educated opinion, but I think Matt Martin was more Lou Lamoriello than Mike Babcock.

I look at a guy like Mason Marchment that likely gets an NHL deal this summer. He's impressed with the Marlies and seems more like a guy Babcock would want on the 4th line than a fighter like Martin (even though Martin doesn't really fight anymore..)

Agreed fully on Martin. That one reeked of being a Lou move.

Even when Babcock was playing him he wasn’t trusted to play more than 5-6 min a night. Doesn’t seem like a player he was clamouring to get signed.

 

[thewave]

I would love for Babcock to be GM and Coach. Just for curiosities sake I really want to know how it would go!

 

[LeafsNation75]

And frankly, I'm not sure Babcock even wanted/needed Martin in the first place. Babcock never really had a fighter in Detroit. Originally I thought Darren McCarty but after checking, he never played under Babcock. Babcock kept Martin on the 4th line and used him sparingly, now Babcock has gone full steam ahead with using a 4th line that he can use 10-12 minutes a night.

Obviously I can't prove anything, and it's obviously a personal educated opinion, but I think Matt Martin was more Lou Lamoriello than Mike Babcock.

I look at a guy like Mason Marchment that likely gets an NHL deal this summer. He's impressed with the Marlies and seems more like a guy Babcock would want on the 4th line than a fighter like Martin (even though Martin doesn't really fight anymore..)

I always saw the Matt Martin signing to protect Matthews, Marner and Nylander so other players would not go after them with questionable hits.

 

[8816 others]

If we do lose Dubas, at least we will get a draft pick from the team that acquires him. It will be nice to recoup one of the picks we had to give up for similar moves - oh wait...

 

[SprDaVE]

If we do lose Dubas, at least we will get a draft pick from the team that acquires him. It will be nice to recoup one of the picks we had to give up for similar moves - oh wait...

No we don't. The NHL got rid of the compensation system for management/coaches. It only last like a couple seasons.

We got screwed a little there.

EDIT: I just read the Oh Wait... my bad LOL I realise now the sarcasm.

 

[JadedLeaf]

Yep.

Interestingly the biggest obstacle for Shanahan will be Lou, who is not a man used to not being in control - rightly points out he didn’t last long as an advisor in Jersey for that reason.

Shanahan has got a difficult decision ahead to say the least.

No but it's slightly different here. He was hired knowing full well he wasn't going to be doing the job for a decade. In NJ he was forcefully put to the sidelines and made to take a step back. Going by what Lou himself said last season, he's not going to be here forever.

 

[93LEAFS]

So wait? Mirtle now basically reported what I was saying on Monday and getting so much flak over. Its not as extreme in wording but it talks about the clash in management, that people here were doubting. It also clears up that Dubas's extension wasn't signed after the Avs approach, which I think hurts the claim that he's the lock. Also puts in clear writing that Hunter wants to be the GM.

And this quote.

Dubas becoming GM would also likely rankle Hunter, who (a) apparently wants the job and (b) likely wouldn't be crazy about reporting to Dubas, especially if the Leafs' scouting methodology is significantly overhauled. It's plausible Hunter would leave for another position elsewhere. He would have suitors.

But, I guess I was crazy for suggesting this earlier in the week.

 

[Gary Nylund]

So wait? Mirtle now basically reported what I was saying on Monday and getting so much flak over. Its not as extreme in wording but it talks about the clash in management, that people here were doubting. It also clears up that Dubas's extension wasn't signed after the Avs approach, which I think hurts the claim that he's the lock. Also puts in clear writing that Hunter wants to be the GM.

And this quote.

But, I guess I was crazy for suggesting this earlier in the week.

Yeah I have no idea what's going on there but the idea that Hunter might not want to work if it means Dubas is his boss always seemed entirely reasonable to me. I mean maybe he'd stay, I really have no idea but it seems nuts for people to think it's a given.

 

[IBeL34f]

So wait? Mirtle now basically reported what I was saying on Monday and getting so much flak over. Its not as extreme in wording but it talks about the clash in management, that people here were doubting. It also clears up that Dubas's extension wasn't signed after the Avs approach, which I think hurts the claim that he's the lock. Also puts in clear writing that Hunter wants to be the GM.

And this quote.



But, I guess I was crazy for suggesting this earlier in the week.

I wasn't involved in the conversation, but I did follow along - From an outsider's perspective, what exactly did you expect? Lots of people around here say things in absolutes, and unless you've got something tangible to back it up with, those absolutes are often going to be scrutinized and dissected until something (like a Mirtle article) substantiates it more than just Some Person Online saying so.

I wouldn't take it personally that people here trust Mirtle over you - Perhaps you'll be taken more seriously in the future, though.

 

[deletethis]

This gig in Toronto is different for Lou than almost his entire tenure in New Jersey. Even when he was being encouraged to acquire then sign Kovalchuk, he never had to deal with a powerful coach who was a direct hire by Lou's boss. Still, Lou knew exactly what he was getting himself into. When it comes down to it, I very much doubt there is a huge difference in Lou and Babcock's hockey philosophies otherwise Lou would have never taken this job.