Is your job on the line this season? “It’s a fair question. I feel like it’s on the line every year and I’m judged at the end of every season. I don’t necessarily feel like there’s more pressure. “I just think it’s a very important thing for me personally to help out for the organization,” Dubas replied. “For me, the pressure doesn’t change from day to day. Every day I get up, try to do whatever I can to help our organization and obviously the ultimate goal is to have success in the playoffs. “I’ve put a lot of pressure on myself to deliver for the people who have hired me and the people I work with. And that will never change.” Years from now, when we look back on the Kyle Dubas era in this city — a run that sparkles with wild regular-season highs and, so far, crushing postseason lows — we’re likely to crush on the color blue. We might vaguely remember Garret Sparks or Michael Hutchinson. Hockey nerds might mention Michal Neuvirth’s last stop before Nowhere, wasting his 2021 pick on third-stringer David Rittich, or Harri Säteri’s ill-fated waiver claim. We’ll certainly remember Frederik Andersen walking out the door for nothing as a struggling backup after five seasons of work. Then coming back to win the Jennings Trophy in Carolina. And the general manager’s ill-advised gamble with injury-prone toolhead Petr Mrazek: three years, three groin injuries, three 8s on his save percentage. Dubas is a smart executive, aggressive in correcting mistakes, stingy with tenure on the sidelines. Dubas has also been forever playing catchup when it comes to an actual scheme in net. That’s due in part to the Maple Leafs’ organizational failure to properly draft and develop a homegrown goaltender who has remained in the NHL since James Reimer, a fourth-round pick in 2006, is now entering his 13th big league campaign. This is partly due to the inherent nature of the goalkeeper. Ironically, it’s the sport’s most important position and the thinnest with elite talent and the hardest to fill with predictability. This is also partly due to Dubas not prioritizing his goalkeepers. They said, “Build your roster from scratch.” Dubas found – and paid – his attackers first. He had another way. Which brings us to the most critical offseason of the GM’s tenure, that job on the line and a vision that will be shaken by outside opinion. Dubas didn’t want to give tenure to Stanley Cup champion Darcy Kuemper (targeting six years close to $6 million each) or late bloomer Jack Campbell (coveting five years at $5 million apiece). The former seems headed for Washington, the latter for Edmonton. Despite Campbell’s strong numbers, strong playoff performance and connection with the fans, Dubas never offered Campbell a competitive offer. “He’s a tough competitor,” teammate Mitch Marner said on Breakfast Television Monday. “He is an excellent player, an excellent goalkeeper. We’ll see what happens with him. I think he knows he has the whole town behind him. He has our team behind him. And hopefully something can happen (in extension). “No matter what, a lot of guys will be happy for him because he’s that person who always brings joy and smile around you.” Hours later, Dubas officially sent Campbell out the door and sent Leafs Nation into a frenzy. Traded Ottawa for Matt Murray. Dorion, desperate to unload a bad contract he signed in 2020, included a third-round pick in 2023, a seventh-round pick in 2024 and retained 25 percent of Murray’s salary. Murray will be on the Maple Leafs’ books for $4.6875 million against the cap over the next two years (the same term and about $900,000 more than Mrazek’s cost). After doing due diligence on the oft-injured Murray’s medical condition on Sunday, the Maple Leafs agreed to pay Murray $11.25 million in real dollars over two seasons — the final two seasons of MVP Auston Matthews’ current contract (and William Nylander). Barring a bigger salary trade, Dubas now has $6.36 million in cap space to (a) cover raises for RFAs Rasmus Sandin and Pierre Engvall, (b) upgrade an offensive group that lost Ilya Mikheyev, Ondrej Kase , Colin Blackwell and Jason Spezza , (c) re-sign Ilya Lyubushkin or find another solid right-shot defenseman, and (d) explore the backup goalie market. Undeniably, the Matt Murray trade is a bold move. A swing so hard, it knocks Dubas out of his shoes when it’s 2-0. If the GM comes on board, if the 28-year-old Murray avoids major injury and performs at his 2018-19 level, Dubas deserves to hit us with a big, fat “I told you so.” All that familiarity and ferocious faith in the Soo Greyhounds alum with his sparkling playoff resume (29-21, .921, two hoops) will have paid off in spectacular fashion. Toronto’s Dubas, coach Sheldon Keefe and goaltending guru John Elkin may well be right, that they understood the character and predicted a triumphant bounce. But if Murray is still what he was in Ottawa, where he left the AHL, struggled to string together meaningful starts and lost his job to younger, cheaper talent? Well, asking if Dubas’ job is on the line becomes an even fairer question. Understand the off-season betting on Canadian teams Signing season is here. Day by day, hour by hour, NHL general managers make choices that will shape the future of their teams. Here’s what you need to know. • Calgary: It’s getting harder and harder to envision Johnny Gaudreau in a Flames uniform this season. If it goes away, Plan B will involve swinging for the fences. • Winnipeg: Historically, the Jets have spent more time looking for value than getting into a bidding war. This year, there may be money to spend, but there are big holes to fill. • Ottawa: Instead of building for tomorrow, in an endless loop, the Senators are telling their fans and their young core that they are about today. Sportsnet continues to feature previews for each Canadian team before free agency opens on July 13. Check back later for updates.
