“You just saw how ruthless Brendan Shanahan can be.”
That was a view from inside the Maple Leafs home on Friday night, hours after the team president walked out on his five-year-old GM, Kyle Dubas, and held an oddly detailed, day-to-day, almost hourly recount of a failed contract extension negotiation in a short Press conference.
Less than a week after the Leafs were eliminated by the Florida Panthers in the NHL playoffs, the front office was effectively torn apart, first with the Dubas decision and then with the news that all three Marlies coaches and GM special assistant Jason were fired Spezza had resigned.
It’s also clear that there will be more layoffs and resignations in the near future.
Maybe a lot of them.
As reported after the Leafs’ elimination, Shanahan and Dubas had been at odds for some time. More details about this were announced on Friday. Several sources close to the team said that Shanahan had blocked transactions Dubas wanted to make at key points in recent seasons, causing frustration among sections of the leadership group. Shanahan had also at times dictated certain moves that Dubas disagreed with.
In these battles, the president usually won, depending on his place in the hierarchy. And in some cases, the omitted steps would have enhanced the Leafs’ ability to advance further in the playoffs.
Some of those disagreements likely contributed to the mess on Monday, when Dubas held an emotionally charged, unusual end-of-season press conference in which he refused to commit to returning as GM.
This press conference bothered Shanahan greatly as it deviated from the script of previous talks. He had vouched for Dubas for months to the board of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, eventually winning approval to negotiate a long-awaited contract extension, which some members of the three-man ownership group had refused the previous year.
However, tensions in the Leafs’ front office and the relationship between the two men were still a factor, and Dubas’ desire for greater autonomy over Shanahan is believed to be one of the inexplicable reasons for how things ultimately played out.
Now those who remain in the organization are taking sides. Some on the Dubas side, like Spezza, are preparing to leave. Others hope to ascend in the new world order.
In short, it’s a bit messy.
However, others associated with the team are just plain disappointed that the nine-year partnership between Shanahan and Dubas fell so quickly and so publicly.
Everyone knew that all was not well. But hardly anyone had expected that it would implode so shortly before the finish line.
“Really tough for everyone,” said a team source. “I don’t feel good about the whole thing today. It should have ended very differently.”
It should have ended, they say, with Dubas remaining the Leafs’ GM.
That this was not the case will be a topic of debate in NHL circles for many years to come.
Only those present in the boardroom know for sure, but one of the things that is believed to have been discussed at Dubas’ first meeting about his contract status with Shanahan and ownership last Sunday was coach Sheldon Keefe’s future.
It’s likely Dubas was told at the time that Keefe would (or should) be a victim in an offseason where everyone involved agreed significant changes were needed.
There is also a view in the organization that the players have been feeling too comfortable, which will likely affect any organizational decisions made this summer. Part of what was in contention with the board was whether Dubas was willing to make those tough decisions, like sacking a coach he’s been very close with and swapping players he’s had since her Entry into the league up to seven seasons ago.
Was that part of what went into Duba’s script on Monday? Possibly. When contacted by The Athletic on Friday, he declined to comment, but others in the organization believe whatever happened on Sunday weighed heavily on him, particularly in the emotional 48 hours following another early exit after the season.
The dysfunctional negotiations that played out over the following three days ultimately led to Shanahan’s decision to move on.
“I just felt different. And I felt like the long-term future of the Maple Leafs may need to change,” Shanahan said Friday afternoon.
With Dubas gone, Keefe will almost certainly be fired once a new GM is brought in, even though his contract has one year left.
Capologist Brandon Pridham is also considered highly unlikely to get the GM job as it differs greatly from his experience and current responsibilities.
However, even if Pridham remains in a supplementary role, many of Dubas’ other lieutenants appear to be at risk. Deputy GMs Ryan Hardy, Darryl Metcalf and Hayley Wickenheiser were all close to Dubas and had relatively little front office experience when they joined their company in an unorthodox front office setup where so many AGMs were held in different roles roles were promoted.
A new GM will likely opt for a more traditional structure – and involve several of his own people.
In terms of who that GM might be, the front-runner appears to be former Flames GM Brad Treliving, who has been rumored to be behind the scenes since at least March. But I’m also hearing that candidates could come in the form of current GMs or team presidents from other teams whose contracts contain release clauses and might be interested in the high-profile (and high-paying) role in Toronto.
Someone like Blues GM Doug Armstrong, who has a lot of experience and has won a Stanley Cup, could well be an option if he can contractually leave St. Louis in the short amount of time Shanahan has to be hired.
Whatever the outcome of the GM search, the Leafs are expected to hire someone with NHL experience in the position. And it’s expected that Shanahan will seek advice from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and the league office before hiring, as many teams do in this situation.
As for the coaching staff, it’s believed that Joel Quenneville is intrigued by the idea of coming to Toronto. However, he has yet to meet with the league to be reinstated in the NHL, having resigned as Panthers coach in October 2021 after video coach Brad Aldrich conducted an investigation into the Blackhawks’ sexual assault of former player Kyle Beach . As such, it’s unlikely the Leafs would be willing to make such a controversial signing at this point.
But it’s safe to say it will likely be a high-profile, veteran coach replacing Keefe.
There is a feeling high up in the organization that the team’s core players could benefit from a significant restructuring, including the reduction of a “player-coach” and the replacement of a significant portion of the core.
While Shanahan needs a new GM for moves like this, it’s obvious that anyone moving to the Leafs in that role will likely be informed that more than just cosmetic changes are needed.
Given the complexity of the Leafs’ roster decisions this offseason, getting the GM hire right will be imperative. Without Dubas, the Leafs’ front office lacks experienced hands, and with so many currently in office and contemplating their future, the exodus could create even more uncertainty with the draft and free agency due late next month.
As for Dubas’ future, while he said on Monday that he doesn’t expect to move quickly to a new position, the league’s current perception is that his views could change if he receives a significant offer for a position with complete autonomy receives the coming months. The situation in Ottawa in particular could be interesting, as new, financially strong owners and a young squad are on the rise.
A front office with the rival senators, which included Dubas as president and Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson in supporting roles, would certainly make things interesting in the Atlantic Division.
With the organizational upheaval that will continue to play out this offseason, the Maple Leafs don’t need any help making headlines at this point.
(Photo: Rene Johnston/Toronto Star via Getty Images)