Speculation: Maple Leafs Management Discussion/Speculation Thread

[Stats01]

I think once the team fails to make the playoffs, and we will fail, Nonis and Carlyle are gone.

This is the year to fail hard, the obvious reason is McDavid, but there are actually quite a few young stud centres available.

This team isn't bad enough to get McDavid. Having Kessel and JVR will obviously win us some games and Bernier will definitely steal us some games next season. Only way I see us even near the bottom is if we get hit hard by the injury bug. I hate to say it but we are either going to squeak in the playoffs or barely miss out. We're a mediocre team with a few great individual players. Middle of the pack team.

 

[Mess]

I'm just going to say it's a huge assumption. And i think if Nonis was the brain child, assumption again, behind the Clarkson deal, and people were unhappy about it, he would already be gone. It might have been pushed by the suits at MLSE to Nonis, and they might have figured out the best think would be is for them not to be involved in hockey operations and that is why they went after Shanny. Assumption again. And I don't think this contract has much to do with whether Nonis is in the long term plans or not.

MLSE already had Tim Leiweke between them and board and managing their sports franchises interest.

Leiweke hired Shanahan to oversee Nonis and Shanny hired Dubas to be Nonis' right arm.

Nonis has been neutralized and marginalized by being left caught between watchful eyes on both sides of him. A GM usually hires & fires his own assistants by being at the front of the chain of command.. I seriously doubt since Shanny hired Dubas that Nonis even has he power now to fire his own assigned assistant, or any of the assistant coaches Shanny has brought in.. Nonis likely only has the power to fire Carlyle, and even not without Shanny's approval.

Nonis remains GM in title only for now.

 

[WTFMAN99]

This team isn't bad enough to get McDavid. Having Kessel and JVR will obviously win us some games and Bernier will definitely steal us some games next season. Only way I see us even near the bottom is if we get hit hard by the injury bug. I hate to say it but we are either going to squeak in the playoffs or barely miss out. We're a mediocre team with a few great individual players. Middle of the pack team.

We're a Phaneuf/Kessel/JVR/Bernier injury away from being in the talks for Eichel or McDavid.

Outright the worst team? Unlikely, but there is a lottery....and we just got a pretty low pick. Teams below us improved. I can't say we look significantly better or worse then last year.

 

[seanlinden]

He's cut Nonis and Carlyle assistants because Shanahan probably didn't want to go through a GM search and a coaching search in his first few months on the job. What a great way to get acclimated to the organization..Walk in and immediately fire the figureheads of this organization..Shanahan did the right thing by making incremental changes and putting his fingerprints on this team early on but in such a way that it doesn't force him to panic and find both a GM and a head coach while he's still trying to get used to his new job. Nonis and Carlyle are walking on egg shells right now. This team has another collapse or misses the playoffs and both of them will be looking for work next summer.

"Not wanting to go through a GM search and coaching search in his first few months on the job" is not a good reason to cut the legs out from your managerial and coaching staff.

If his goal was to get acclimated to the organization (a perfectly reasonable thing to do), then Nonis/Carlyle should've had the freedom to manage their own staff as they saw fit.

Shanahan is strategically and methodically DeBurkenizing the Leafs.

Because he is cutting the legs out from under the previous GM hires as coach and GM that is an indication that both on are on the way out, since he isn't following normal hiring practices.

Shanny will eventually likely promote from within with his current choices as assistants taking over when Nonis and Carlyle are eventually removed.

Brendan is smart enough to understand he inherited a bottom 10 team with many issues, and he needs fall guys if the team struggles further, and is letting those accountable for the results take the hits while he tries to transform the team in his image.

I'd agree with the bolded, it's just a terrible strategy of doing so. If Shanny wanted to de-burke the Leafs, then he should've fired the figureheads of Burke's era -- Nonis/Carlyle, and then let a new GM and coach to decide who they want on their team. GM hires a coach compatible with his approach. GM hires assistants who compliment his weaknesses. Coach hires assistants to help communicate his vision on a more micro-level.

Setting yourself up to have fall guys is not something a winner / world class organization does. They remove those guys before they do fail.

 

[Mess]

"Not wanting to go through a GM search and coaching search in his first few months on the job" is not a good reason to cut the legs out from your managerial and coaching staff.

If his goal was to get acclimated to the organization (a perfectly reasonable thing to do), then Nonis/Carlyle should've had the freedom to manage their own staff as they saw fit.

I'd agree with the bolded, it's just a terrible strategy of doing so. If Shanny wanted to de-burke the Leafs, then he should've fired the figureheads of Burke's era -- Nonis/Carlyle, and then let a new GM and coach to decide who they want on their team. GM hires a coach compatible with his approach. GM hires assistants who compliment his weaknesses. Coach hires assistants to help communicate his vision on a more micro-level.

Setting yourself up to have fall guys is not something a winner / world class organization does. They remove those guys before they do fail.

What if the plan is to promote Dubas to GM in the future and allow him to hire his own assistants and Spott to be promoted to head coach and allow him the similar opportunity?.

Everything goes back to normal once Nonis and Carlyle are replaced. That is what makes it appear the current leftovers from the last regime are on borrowed time, because Shanny is hiring in what looks like backasswards hiring practices

 

[Stats01]

"Not wanting to go through a GM search and coaching search in his first few months on the job" is not a good reason to cut the legs out from your managerial and coaching staff.

If his goal was to get acclimated to the organization (a perfectly reasonable thing to do), then Nonis/Carlyle should've had the freedom to manage their own staff as they saw fit.



I'd agree with the bolded, it's just a terrible strategy of doing so. If Shanny wanted to de-burke the Leafs, then he should've fired the figureheads of Burke's era -- Nonis/Carlyle, and then let a new GM and coach to decide who they want on their team. GM hires a coach compatible with his approach. GM hires assistants who compliment his weaknesses. Coach hires assistants to help communicate his vision on a more micro-level.

Setting yourself up to have fall guys is not something a winner / world class organization does. They remove those guys before they do fail.

That's your opinion, I'm just saying just like any new boss, he isn't going to step on anyone's toes right off the bat. He made changes that he felt were good enough early on. Nonis is neutralized, Shanahan took enough power away from Nonis outside of firing him that he could possibly do for a guy who just started a brand new job. Remember this is Shanahan's first job with an organization outside of the league office. Having the title he has it's a lot to take in. He wasn't going to just walking and start cutting people's throats and firing guys left right and center. But if this team is off to a horrendous start then for sure Carlyle is definitely gone and then once he's gone what's the point of even having Nonis around? He would be next. It would be a domino effect.

Let's get one thing straight, Dubas was hired as our future GM. Give it a year and with Dubas' experience with the Greyhounds and building a great foundation there, he'll eventually get the reigns of this team and bring about a new way of doing business in Toronto.

 

[seanlinden]

What if the plan is to promote Dubas to GM in the future and allow him to hire his own assistants and Spott to be promoted to head coach and allow him the similar opportunity?.

Everything goes back to normal once Nonis and Carlyle are replaced.

That's an idiotic plan. You can't chart out the future hoping that some kid is going to be capable of managing the team in a few years. Not only should we have learned from the JFJ experience, but we're a team with a gross culture of losing, that needs to be eradicated.

There is a team to be managed today, and it needs a manager who is given the tools he needs to be successful.

On Spott, if you believe he's capable of beign an NHL head coach, then make him one. Otherwise, don't.

That's your opinion, I'm just saying just like any new boss, he isn't going to step on anyone's toes right off the bat. He made changes that he felt were good enough early on. Nonis is neutralized, Shanahan took enough power away from Nonis outside of firing him that he could possibly do for a guy who just started a brand new job. Remember this is Shanahan's first job with an organization outside of the league office. Having the title he has it's a lot to take in. He wasn't going to just walking and start cutting people's throats and firing guys left right and center. But if this team is off to a horrendous start then for sure Carlyle is definitely gone and then once he's gone what's the point of even having Nonis around? He would be next. It would be a domino effect.

He didn't just step on toes, he took a sledgehammer to their knees by firing their entire staffs. A GM should never be "neutralized", he should be given the tools that he believes he needs to succeed, or shown the door. No middle ground, either believe in and commit to the guys you put in place, or get somebody who you do believe in.

 

[New Liskeard]

As soon as Dubas rebuilds the front office staff, we will have no use for Nonis anymore.

Rebuilds the front office with what? Dubas has absolutely 0 experience in the NHL, and I can almost guarantee you Shanahan will not give the key to Dubas, with no experience and leaving the fate of one of the most profitable sports clubs in the world to him. I hope you don't suggest Fletch as a mentor; that is the blind leading the blind.

 

[Stats01]

Rebuilds the front office with what? Dubas has absolutely 0 experience in the NHL, and I can almost guarantee you Shanahan will not give the key to Dubas, with no experience and leaving the fate of one of the most profitable sports clubs in the world to him. I hope you don't suggest Fletch as a mentor; that is the blind leading the blind.

Dubas will have 0 experience until you actually give him the job...think about it. You're just going to not give him the job because of his age and his experience in the NHL? How about getting a new approach and trying something different instead of the same old country club mentality this league has. The Red Sox who are one of the "most profitable sports clubs in the world" and they hired a young Epstein and all he did was win championships. Dubas is smart, he built a small market club with a great foundation and a modern approach. What's more important is the way he looks at the game and approaches it from a cap stand point and evaluating value in trades and players, his experience is obviously small (after all it's his first major job) so why should that hinder him.

I bet this guy has more balls than Nonis does when it comes to making trades and giving out contracts. Definitely don't see Dubas just handing out 7 year contracts to 3rd line players...yeah...NHL experience sure pays off with dumbass decisions like that.

 

[Cor]

Nonis and Carlyle will be gone next summer.

 

[Menzinger]

It's pretty clear that Shanahan is a huge fan of Dubas, their initial meeting lasted 7 hours. I strongly suspect that Shanahan's long view is to have Dubas eventually take over as GM, but that he needs more NHL level experience until he is ready (i think it was reported that Shanahan was looking at signing Dubas in a year or two, but had to act quicker than expected as other teams were expressing interests in his services) . Nonis is the ideal person to be a placeholder. Nonis is inherently conservative, so is unlikely to do anything drastic to destroy the long term prospects of the team (save for Clarkson's cap space fiasco) and it's pretty clear that he's being Micromanaged by Shanahan. Once Dubas is ready, Nonis will likely be let go, same with Carlyle and Shanahan will finally have all of his people in place.

I'd say yes.

With all due respect to Shanahan, he's created a cluster#### here.

A team has to be managed from the top down. A president hires a GM, a GM hires his assistants and coach, a coach hires his assistants.

Here, you've got a new president who has come in, and cut the legs out from all of the current figureheads. Fires all of Carlyle's coaches, Nonis' assistants. I'd say it's only a matter of time before he fires Nonis as well, makes Dubas GM, and we've got Peddie-JFJ all over again.

The comparison doesn't quite work. Shanahan was brought in to specifically run hockey operations - and so his management decisions are perfectly in line with that. Peddie was running business operations - Lieweke is in his place at the moment.

I also don't see much in common between Dubas and JFJ, aside from the fact that they are young. Both had different CVs and general outlook/philosophy's about how hockey is played.

 

[Stats01]

It's pretty clear that Shanahan is a huge fan of Dubas, their initial meeting lasted 7 hours. I strongly suspect that Shanahan's long view is to have Dubas eventually take over as GM, but that he needs more NHL level experience until he is ready (i think it was reported that Shanahan was looking at signing Dubas in a year or two, but had to act quicker than expected as other teams were expressing interests in his services) . Nonis is the ideal person to be a placeholder. Nonis is inherently conservative, so is unlikely to do anything drastic to destroy the long term prospects of the team (save for Clarkson's cap space fiasco) and it's pretty clear that he's being Micromanaged by Shanahan. Once Dubas is ready, Nonis will likely be let go, same with Carlyle and Shanahan will finally have all of his people in place.




The comparison doesn't quite work. Shanahan was brought in to specifically run hockey operations - and so his management decisions are perfectly in line with that. Peddie was running business operations - Lieweke is in his place at the moment.

I also don't see much in common between Dubas and JFJ, aside from the fact that they are young. Both had different CVs and general outlook/philosophy's about how hockey is played.

The comparison to JFJ is stupid just for the fact that Dubas is bringing in a new way of looking at and evaluating players. Only a few teams actually use analytics. Everyone else in the NHL's country club, including JFJ, Nonis etc..they all do business similarly. Dubas is one of the new kids on the block with a new approach. Comparing him to any current NHL executive is dumb.

 

[seanlinden]

It's pretty clear that Shanahan is a huge fan of Dubas, their initial meeting lasted 7 hours. I strongly suspect that Shanahan's long view is to have Dubas eventually take over as GM, but that he needs more NHL level experience until he is ready (i think it was reported that Shanahan was looking at signing Dubas in a year or two, but had to act quicker than expected as other teams were expressing interests in his services) . Nonis is the ideal person to be a placeholder. Nonis is inherently conservative, so is unlikely to do anything drastic to destroy the long term prospects of the team (save for Clarkson's cap space fiasco) and it's pretty clear that he's being Micromanaged by Shanahan. Once Dubas is ready, Nonis will likely be let go, same with Carlyle and Shanahan will finally have all of his people in place.




The comparison doesn't quite work. Shanahan was brought in to specifically run hockey operations - and so his management decisions are perfectly in line with that. Peddie was running business operations - Lieweke is in his place at the moment.

I also don't see much in common between Dubas and JFJ, aside from the fact that they are young. Both had different CVs and general outlook/philosophy's about how hockey is played.

The comparison is totally apt. Shanahan is here to run the team as a whole, that's what the President does, and here he is making micro-management personnel decisions, undercutting the judgement of the people he has in place to make those decisions.

If Shanny believes he is more capable of making these decisions than Nonis or Carlyle, then it's his responsibility to fire him, name himself GM, and hire a coach who's decision making he trusts. He should then go out and get Dubas to do the day-to-day leg work.

Leiwicke runs MLSE overall, Shannahan is the Leaf portion of it.

The comparison to JFJ is stupid just for the fact that Dubas is bringing in a new way of looking at and evaluating players. Only a few teams actually use analytics. Everyone else in the NHL's country club, including JFJ, Nonis etc..they all do business similarly. Dubas is one of the new kids on the block with a new approach. Comparing him to any current NHL executive is dumb.

Of course, analytics are all the craze these days. Doesn't change the fact that JFJ was viewed as the wonder-kid of the day before we brought him in. Look how that turned out...

 

[Mess]

That's an idiotic plan. You can't chart out the future hoping that some kid is going to be capable of managing the team in a few years. Not only should we have learned from the JFJ experience, but we're a team with a gross culture of losing, that needs to be eradicated.

There is a team to be managed today, and it needs a manager who is given the tools he needs to be successful.

On Spott, if you believe he's capable of beign an NHL head coach, then make him one. Otherwise, don't..

Both Dubas and Spott have zero NHL experience at their position as the primary figures of GM and Coach at the NHL level.

So Shanny brings them in under the low pressure assistants roles, gives them time to learn the player personnel and gain experience from Nonis and Carlyle about the tasks of their jobs.

When he feels either/or are ready he replaces Nonis and Carlyle and promotes them from within, and until then the heat and pressure and focus remains on the current head coach and GM. If the Leafs miss the playoffs no one is going to calling for Dubas or Spott heads. Shanny has brilliantly placed his future execs choices and insulated them from accountability for team results & into positions while they're learning on the job, placed in areas where they can succeed and not fail.

Not sure why you don't like this strategy.

 

[seanlinden]

Both Dubas and Spott have zero NHL experience at their position as the primary figures of GM and Coach at the NHL level.

So Shanny brings them in under the low pressure assistants roles, gives them time to learn the player personnel and gain experience from Nonis and Carlyle about the tasks of their jobs.

When he feels either/or are ready he replaces Nonis and Carlyle he promotes them, and until then the heat and pressure and focus remains on the current head coach and GM. If the Leafs miss the playoffs no one is going to calling for Dubas or Spott heads. Shanny has brilliantly placed his future execs choices and insulated them from accountability for team results & into positions while they're learning on the job, placed in areas where they can succeed and not fail.

Not sure why you don't like this strategy.

Yup, which (at least in my opinon) means they're not qualified to do so. Therefore, we shouldn't be operating where we're assuming that they will become GM/coach.

My problem is this whole insulation from accountability. We're talking more about creating a fall guy for when we lose, as opposed to putting the best team out there to succeed. There is absolutely nothing more important than winning on the ice and restoring a credibility and a culture of doing so.

In order to do that, it's Shanny's job to hire or appoint somebody to oversee the hockey operation, and hold them accountable for the team's success. Whomever that person is, needs the freedom to manage the team with the personnel that they feel compliment themselves.

If it's going to be Nonis, then it's up to him to determine whether Dubas or Loiselle are a better assistant. If it's going to be Shanny, then make it official and get rid of Nonis. If Shanny doesn't want to do it, but doesn't think Nonis is making the right decisions, then replace Nonis with somebody who will.

 

[SprDaVE]

I would give him another year (trade deadline, draft, free agency, etc) to see what he can do, win or lose. Just to see what he can do with a new right hand man and Shanny here for more then a few months. A new boss can push things in a new and/or better direction and Nonis can do well if the guidance is there.

All though with that said, he absolutely screwed up quite a few things. Letting go of assets for nothing. Extremely bad asset management, even without the hindsight. So for those reasons, I really wouldn't mind if he's fired during the season if things go sideways.

I struggle to think of a GM that is available that would fit though. With a very green and rookie assistant GM and a rookie President, I don't think getting another exec that has little experience as a GM would be wise, if not suicide. It would have to be quite the up and comer to be able to avoid making mistakes and basically being taking advantage of.

 

[Semantics]

Dubas will have 0 experience until you actually give him the job...think about it. You're just going to not give him the job because of his age and his experience in the NHL? How about getting a new approach and trying something different instead of the same old country club mentality this league has.

The problem isn't that he lacks GM experience, the problem is that he has no experience in an NHL front office.

As a GM, he'll need to have a working relationship with counterparts from 29 other teams. He needs time to get to know those people. As a GM, he'll need to hire his own staff. He needs time to network and develop some connections. Having some time to study players in the league and build up his knowledge of them before being put in a position of having to make trades and roster decisions could also help.

The duties of an NHL GM are daunting anywhere, let alone in THIS market. Having to perform in that role while ramping up from knowing hardly anything about how the front offices in the league work would be a bit insane. It'd be like taking a player straight out of junior and naming him captain of the Leafs.

Dubas sounds like a quick learner and sharp enough dude that I could see him taking over the GM job in a year or two. But at least give the guy time to familiarize himself with the environment and, hell, even just MEET some of the people he's going to have to work with.

 

[ShaneFalco]

If Shanny is calling the shots, Nonis is basically in the same situation as he was when Burke was here.
GM in name only

 

[SprDaVE]

The problem isn't that he lacks GM experience, the problem is that he has no experience in an NHL front office.

As a GM, he'll need to have a working relationship with counterparts from 29 other teams. He needs time to get to know those people. As a GM, he'll need to hire his own staff. He needs time to network and develop some connections. Having some time to study players in the league and build up his knowledge of them before being put in a position of having to make trades and roster decisions could also help.

The duties of an NHL GM are daunting anywhere, let alone in THIS market. Having to perform in that role while ramping up from knowing hardly anything about how the front offices in the league work would be a bit insane. It'd be like taking a player straight out of junior and naming him captain of the Leafs.

Dubas sounds like a quick learner and sharp enough dude that I could see him taking over the GM job in a year or two. But at least give the guy time to familiarize himself with the environment and, hell, even just MEET some of the people he's going to have to work with.

Putting Dubas as the GM within a year, or even 2, of being hired as an assistant GM would be the equivalent of 'rushing a prospect'. He hasn't even been a GM in the OHL for more then 3 years.

If he's seen as our future GM, which is likely, then this will require patience. Treat him as a prospect of the executive world. I have no idea how long that will be, but I'm pretty sure it's more then 6 to 10 months.

 

[Kubus]

MLSE already had Tim Leiweke between them and board and managing their sports franchises interest.

Leiweke hired Shanahan to oversee Nonis and Shanny hired Dubas to be Nonis' right arm.

Nonis has been neutralized and marginalized by being left caught between watchful eyes on both sides of him. A GM usually hires & fires his own assistants by being at the front of the chain of command.. I seriously doubt since Shanny hired Dubas that Nonis even has he power now to fire his own assigned assistant, or any of the assistant coaches Shanny has brought in.. Nonis likely only has the power to fire Carlyle, and even not without Shanny's approval.

Nonis remains GM in title only for now.

I'm not sure the point your trying to make and how it relates to the topic. Yes, Nonis now reports to Shanahan. But the Leafs were in talks with Shanny before things went of the rails last year. I don't see this as a shot against Nonis, just the MLSE suits wanting a president here. A good face for the Leafs.

As for Dubas, I would expect Nonis had some say in who is new assistant would be. I really doubt Shanny forced Dubas on him. Yes the hire might be with lots of influence from Shanny, but I think Nonis had some say.

But as it stands it appears that Nonis was given support, and became more important to the organization then he was 3 months ago. Right now there is nobody that can step into the position in the Leafs organization, there was a few months ago. Right now we have a first year President and a first year Assistant GM, it looks like Nonis' job is safe for the foreseeable future. Yes, just like any other GM his tenure here will be based on the success and development of the team, but for now there is nothing to suggest he is not his way out. Actually there is lots of evidence to the contrary.

 

[indigobuffalo]

Nonis is not on his way out because there are no imminent replacements and he is under contract.

In the NHL, the GM, coach, etc. all have a short shelf life which is performance-based.

So in that sense, of course, results need to justify his continued tenure.

I'm not sure that abject failure to perform this season means he gets axed, but it could.

I don't think Dubas is being groomed for immediate GM promotion. Although he may have some talent with advanced stat analysis, there is a lot more to being a GM than that alone.

JFJ may have been a puppet for the Board of Governors, but he was a very gifted talent analyst (very good draft record), however his ability to negotiate with players and rival GMs made all his good drafting worth very, very little by contrast.

Dubas would be in the same boat. Lacking too much in experience, especially if the incumbent is run-out-of-town, so there'd be no veteran guidance.

Nonis has been doing a good job so far. Added Bernier last year, and several good additions this off-season, like Booth, Robidas, Polak without major subtractions (Kulemin and Raymond were too expensive for what they tabled.)

Not sure why we'd even want to change GMs so soon anyways.

 

[ACC1224]

I assumed Dubas was hired to fill a "Stats" type position but wouldn't come on board unless he was made AGM which Shanahan and Nonis had no objections to.

 

[Suntouchable13]

We're a Phaneuf/Kessel/JVR/Bernier injury away from being in the talks for Eichel or McDavid.

Outright the worst team? Unlikely, but there is a lottery....and we just got a pretty low pick. Teams below us improved. I can't say we look significantly better or worse then last year.

That's what bugs me. What the hell are they doing?

 

[SprDaVE]

I assumed Dubas was hired to fill a "Stats" type position but wouldn't come on board unless he was made AGM which Shanahan and Nonis had no objections to.

He's more then a stats guy though. I don't understand why people keep saying that he was simply hired as that.

The guy knows hockey too and scouted for a long time. Yes he has an affinity for numbers in order to help guide him to make better decisions, but he watches a ton of hockey and admitted that the business of hockey won't change in that aspect. He'll bring his experience with advanced statistics that helped him be who he is but I really don't think that's the only thing he'll bring to the table. I really don't think Shanahan would have hired the guy if that's all he brought to the table.

I just don't agree with the notion that he's only here because he knows advanced stats. He'll said himself that he isn't.

 

[seanlinden]

Putting Dubas as the GM within a year, or even 2, of being hired as an assistant GM would be the equivalent of 'rushing a prospect'. He hasn't even been a GM in the OHL for more then 3 years.

If he's seen as our future GM, which is likely, then this will require patience. Treat him as a prospect of the executive world. I have no idea how long that will be, but I'm pretty sure it's more then 6 to 10 months.

Absolutely... but it's just as premature for an NHL team today to be making decisions based on the hope that he will one day be our competent / capable GM.

If we treat him as a prospect, then his development should be driven by his merits and what he brings today. If Nonis sees the need for a young advanced stat guru on his team, then he should absolutely have the freedom to hire him. If Nonis doesn't see the value in an advanced stat guru, and Shanahan does, then Shanny should fire Nonis, and bring in somebody who does believe in the value that Dubas serves as an assistant GM.

The same problem that you have on hfboards with players seems to be connecting to management. You don't give people roles based on what they may become. You give people roles because they are the best person for the job and give you the best chance of winning.

I'm not sure the point your trying to make and how it relates to the topic. Yes, Nonis now reports to Shanahan. But the Leafs were in talks with Shanny before things went of the rails last year. I don't see this as a shot against Nonis, just the MLSE suits wanting a president here. A good face for the Leafs.

As for Dubas, I would expect Nonis had some say in who is new assistant would be. I really doubt Shanny forced Dubas on him. Yes the hire might be with lots of influence from Shanny, but I think Nonis had some say.

But as it stands it appears that Nonis was given support, and became more important to the organization then he was 3 months ago. Right now there is nobody that can step into the position in the Leafs organization, there was a few months ago. Right now we have a first year President and a first year Assistant GM, it looks like Nonis' job is safe for the foreseeable future. Yes, just like any other GM his tenure here will be based on the success and development of the team, but for now there is nothing to suggest he is not his way out. Actually there is lots of evidence to the contrary.

Optically, it doesn't seem that way. It was Shanny who introduced Dubas, not Nonis. It shouldn't have been Nonis providing input as to what Shanahan was going to decide, it should've been Shanny providing input as to what Nonis was going to decide. He's the GM, he's responsible for the team's performance on the ice. It's his call.