Is Dubas a bad GM?

[DatSnipeMatthews]

The good:
1) getting rid of Zaitsev's contract
2) has helped establish a great drafting and development system
3) went out and got Muzzin.

Bad:
1) got bent over on Marner's contract, and less so on Matthews in terms of contract length.
2) traded 2 firsts in consequent years.
3) let McBackup go, and then might miss the playoffs because our current backup can't stop a beach ball. Because of this, Dubas traded Moore, and 2 3rd's for another backup (and Clifford).
4) didn't fire Babcock in the summer.


Ok:
Signing Nylander to a market comparable contract.

Unclear
1) Signing Tavares
2) might miss the playoffs

Click to read more...

 

[1specter]

Not sure why you're so sour today, you created two polls just to bash your own team lol

 

[Frank Drebin]

I think GM's are largely a product of what they're given to work with. Dubas inherited a very talented core of Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Rielly, Kadri, Andersen and a very willing UFA in John Tavares.

He did inherit some dead weight in Zaitsev and Marleau.

To have a team that is struggling to make the playoffs has to be looked at as a giant disappointment and lost opportunity.

As a fan of a team that resembles the pre-Matthews Leafs, I would be devastated if Montreal was able to draft a superstar center to compliment two star wingers and a star defenseman and proceeded to miss the playoffs in the quote/unquote contending years.

As difficult as it is to admit it, I think the sigining of Tavares was a mistake.

To answer the question, I don't think he's done a very good job so far.

 

[LarKing]

He seems to be bad at trading but he hasn’t traded away key pieces if that makes sense.

Contract renewal is pretty bad but Tavares signing was solid. I think Toronto’s system hurts him here. It’s very good for offense which helps rookies and young players produce. Not that it’s a bad thing, but a young player not producing as well before a contract year can give you a steal of a contract in the future.

Drafting seems good but most of that was the past GM.

He seems to have a solid vision and likes analytics which I like but it hasn’t worked very well yet so we’ll see.

 

[Trap Jesus]

I think it's really difficult to become a "good" GM. It usually takes a while to build up a good rep and have success that's unique to the work they've put into building the team and not just being reliant on the pieces they were given to work with.

That being said, I really don't like what he's done so far. He inherited a team with some great pieces in Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Rielly and Andersen (with Rielly and Andersen being signed to great deals), but failed to properly address team needs and just doubled down on top-tier forwards in Tavares, and got walked all over in negotiations.

 

[1specter]

Drafting seems good but most of that was the past GM.

Not quite. The most productive draft since Dubas joined the Leafs was the 2015 one, which he co-ran with Mark Hunter. They got Marner, Dermott, Timashov, and Bracco who looks like he is on the cusp (though it likely won't be with us).

2016 and 2017 were exclusively ran by Hunter and his scouts, and despite having 11 picks in 2016 the only impact player to come out of that year so far has been Matthews. 2017 was also a poor draft, where only Liljegren looks to be anything good...Ian Scott has potential but jury is out as he just missed an entire development year due to a hip injury and surgery. Most of the players drafted in those two years are no longer even in the system, as many of them were overagers who we had to make quick decisions on and they didn't do enough to impress.

Dubas took over in 2018, and managed to select Sandin at 29 who looks excellent so far, while the other prospects from 2018 and 2019 have been progressing pretty well for the most part at their respective levels.

Jury is still out of course as we won't have a concrete idea for about another 2-3 years, but his drafting philosophy vs Hunter/Lou seems to be more fruitful thus far. He also was the GM of the Marlies and identified many free agent undrafted players that developed well for us, like Justin Holl and Trevor Moore.

 

[The Macho King]

Probably too early to really tell? The contract situation isn't good, but he hasn't been around long enough to see how his drafts are. The Barrie trade is aging poorly though.

He has talent, but he inherited pretty much all of it. To his credit, he kept it together. To his detriment, he paid what appears to be over market for most of it.

 

[Drytoast]

Nope. Since Lou left we have regressed year after year.

 

[SotasicA]

Is Dubas a good GM?
Is Dubas a bad GM?

1. Yes
   
   3 vote(s)
   25.0%
2. No
   9 vote(s)
   75.0%

...confusing wording of thread/poll

 

[yegoldboysclub]

Bad contracts, bad trades, capped out team that is currently 10th in conference, no real prospects coming, traded future drafts picks, including first this year in what appears to be best draft in years. Assembled a team with zero grit and arguably the worst defence corp in NHL.

How could he have done a worse job?? From the outside looking in, it would be difficult.

 

[JoVel]

Is Dubas a good GM?
Is Dubas a bad GM?

1. Yes
   
   3 vote(s)
   25.0%
2. No
   9 vote(s)
   75.0%

...confusing wording of thread/poll

Yes.

 

[JoVel]

How could he have done a worse job?? From the outside looking in, it would be difficult.

Trading Matthews for a 6th?

 

[yegoldboysclub]

Trading Matthews for a 6th?

Would free up 11.34 in cap space.

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

In his 2nd year as GM, he put together a team where Cody Ceci was top-4 among defensemen in even strength in ice time in 42 of the first 54 games.

I'm going to say no.

 

[Stamkos4life]

How many other gms get to inherit a 105 point, playoff team with loads of cap space and great players?

How many of those gms saw their team immediately regress, all while putting us in cap hell, trading away picks like candy, cant find a decent back up goalie after almost 2 years, etc., etc.

No, he is not a good gm.

 

[JoVel]

Would free up 11.34 in cap space.

Sure, but it's better to overpay for a guy like Matthews than to give him up.

GM's who overpay for depth players are the real dummies.

 

[sansabri]

Not as bad as Chiarelli so far.

 

[AvroArrow]

Not firing Babcock in the summer was Shanahans decision. Dubas wanted to fire him, it's a known fact Shanny stopped him from doing so and kept him around because of their ties.

I'm still not a fan of the Barrie trade. It made no sense from day 1. Trade a 2C for an offensive RHD when it's painfully obvious we needed a defensive Dman.

Marner contract isn't as bad as people are making it out to be. He overpaid him by 1M, it's nothing crazy.

Letting McBackup go was extremely stupid.

It's still too early. I'm not thrilled but i'm not overly upset either.

Don't forget the Marleau contract he inherited.

 

[Dr Pepper]

"Tell us we're cool, guys. Please?"

 

[LeafGrief]

Unclear
1) Signing Tavares

lmao

 

[Morbo]

You're seriously asking HFBoards this question?

of course the answer will be no.

I'm thinking that's why you started this though.

 

[BCNate]

Nope. Since Lou left we have regressed year after year.

This exactly. They have regressed while their stars are getting closer to their prime years.

The offseason this year will be the big tell tale for Dubas. He has to rebuild the whole D core. He can really make or break this team this offseason. If the D comes back the same or worse, I don't see the leafs as much more than a talented bubble team. If he can make this all work and get some defensive D and two way bottom 6ers who can play in their own end, he could get the Leafs back to contender statsus as early as next year.

 

[Pokecheque]

Yes.

 

[GrizzGreen]

All "he's a nerd who somehow found his way out of the locker he was shoved into and into a front office job" talk aside, he's fine, he's just super green and has no real connections to other GMs and being fairly soft on trades/contract negotiations might be an issue for a few years... poor timing.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Not firing Babcock in the summer was Shanahans decision. Dubas wanted to fire him, it's a known fact Shanny stopped him from doing so and kept him around because of their ties.

I'm still not a fan of the Barrie trade. It made no sense from day 1. Trade a 2C for an offensive RHD when it's painfully obvious we needed a defensive Dman.

Marner contract isn't as bad as people are making it out to be. He overpaid him by 1M, it's nothing crazy.

Letting McBackup go was extremely stupid.

It's still too early. I'm not thrilled but i'm not overly upset either.

Don't forget the Marleau contract he inherited.

This is a good and fair reply. I appreciate it, since it came from a Leafs fan. However, The last part needs some context.

The Marleau contract was a joint decision of Shanahan, Babcock(most likely him), Lou, and Dubas since the Leafs operated collectively. And he inherited it with 28M of capspace that Lou created with getting Dion off the books, and getting some guys to disappear off the books.

Point is Dubas had 28M in capspace, and time to address just 1 year at 6.25M per. The fact he waited until he was cornered into trading a first rd pick that is looking like a 11-16 pick this year, does speak to mismanagement. Really how hard was it to absorb one year at 6.25 with 28M of capspace with the time he had since being named GM of the Leafs. To hang this onto anyone but Dubas would be a mistake.

This is another example of being a reactive GM rather than a proactive one which cost Dubas here.