The fault of Dubas, McMann and Tkachuk

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In this edition of Toronto Maple Leafs news and rumours, I’ll explore a variety of topics surrounding the team. First, I’ll discuss the issue of former Chief Executive Officer (GM) Kyle Dubas’ autonomy in trading and the criticism he faced over those decisions.

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Second, I’ll take a look at Bobby McMann and his potential as a regular season roster member for the Maple Leafs. Finally, I’ll examine Matthew Tkachuk’s strong playoff performance and its impact on the Florida Panthers.

First point: what autonomy did Kyle Dubas really have?

Given what we’ve learned over the past two weeks, pointing fingers at bad jobs within the organization seems illogical. More specifically, he must ask what was the autonomy of Dubas in the decision-making of the players. Was he solely responsible for the trade that sent Nazem Kadri to the Colorado Avalanche or brought Nick Foligno from the Columbus Blue Jackets to the team?

The truth is that we simply cannot know. What we do know is that Dubas’ pursuit of more autonomy was a key point in his negotiations with Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan before he was removed as general manager. This suggests that he felt he didn’t have it.

Brendan Shanahan and Kyle Dubas (The Hockey Writers)

Yet even this morning, Toronto Suns Steve Simmons slammed Dubas for making the Foligno trade. Specifically, he noted that:

Dubas did a good job bringing in Jake Muzzin, Luke Schenn and TJ Brodie, trading for Ryan OReilly, developing Timothy Liljegren and Michael Bunting, signing Mark Giordano on the cheap. But he also did a less than ordinary job, trading a first-round pick for Nick Foligno (from SIMMONS SAYS: Deifying of Kyle Dubas just cant continue, Toronto Sun, 05/28/2023).

Related: Maple Leafs Risk Losing Matthews If They Let Dubas Go

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The problem with Simmons’ thinking is not that the Foligno trade was a failure, but that Dubas made it. If he hadn’t had full autonomy to trade or if the trade was orchestrated by Shanahan, it wouldn’t have been his bad decision really.

In the same way, whoever was in charge of Kadri’s trade might also want to redo this deal. It didn’t work out great for the Maple Leafs. Tyson Barrie underperformed and Alex Kerfoot gave his best, but he wasn’t as impactful as Kadri with the Avalanche. The thing is, if Dubas didn’t have full control over the trade, it’s not fair to attribute the outcome solely to him.

Ironically, Nazem Kadri ended up with the Calgary Flames. (Amy Irvin/The Hockey Writers)

Ultimately, without knowing who did what, it’s hard to assign blame or credit to specific leaders in the organization, because that would get you anywhere anyway. Pointing fingers doesn’t seem productive, even if a clear understanding of who was responsible eventually emerges. Why even go there?

Point 2: Rooting for Bobby McMann

Although, as Maple Leafs fans, we can’t yet know which unrestricted free agents (UFAs) the team will bring back, there will certainly be room for some of the young prospects. One player who looks set to thrive on the Maple Leafs roster would be McMann. I have to believe he will have a chance to make the Maple Leafs opening night roster for the 2023-24 regular season.

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McMann is strong, with and without the puck. He’s a bit like Zach Hyman in his ability to win puck battles and take control of them. He showed his potential in his first season with the Maple Leafs. Although he has yet to score his first NHL goal (he had one called up for a kick), he has been strong in many other areas.

During the 2022-23 season, McMann played 10 NHL games with the Maple Leafs. He recorded an assist. In his time with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League (AHL), he scored 21 goals and added eight assists (for 29 points) in 30 games.

Bobby McMann, Toronto Maple Leafs (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)

Although his season was cut short due to injury, he showed he had the physical qualities and the potential to play in the NHL. Look for McMann to have this opportunity to establish himself in the NHL during the 2023-24 season. He could have a long career as a mid-six striker.

What’s next for the Maple Leafs?

While not one of my personal favorites as a hockey player, Tkachuk deserves some credit for his outstanding leadership and playoff success with the Panthers. During his NHL career, Tkachuk (who was selected sixth in the same 2016 NHL Draft where Auston Matthews was selected first overall) has scored 192 goals and added 299 assists.

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By comparison, Matthews has scored 299 goals and added 243 assists. However, during this season’s playoffs, Tkachuk showed an ability to lead his team. He had nine goals and 12 assists (for 21 points) in 16 games with the Panthers.

It’s the kind of dominance the Maple Leafs have been hoping for from Matthews in the playoffs since he arrived in Toronto. Given that in his exit interviews his shooting wrist was reinforced, one wonders if he was playing injured.

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