Kyle Dubas

Although it is the final year of his contract as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Kyle Dubas does not feel any pressure to take any big swings.

The Toronto Maple Leafs general manager will discuss his own future at a later date. Dubas met the media at the team's practice facility Thursday with 30 games ...

“Can’t see that happening,” Dubas said. college winger Matthew Knies — from an already shallow prospect pool for short-term help at the deadline. “Huge sign of growth,” he said. Dubas said his immediate worry after losing Jake Muzzin, who hurt his neck Oct. “And doing what’s right for them.” I never take for granted a day working in the league in any role.

Maybe Leafs GM Kyle Dubas is saving his trade bullets for next year, thinking the path will be easier.

](https://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/2018/10/25/canadian-hockey-league-embraces-european-goalies-after-embargo-lifted.html) (There is no cap in the playoffs.) Rosters can expand beyond 23 healthy players (as long as they fit under the cap). [NHL.](https://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey.html) However, I understand why some players [didn’t feel comfortable wearing gay-themed practice sweaters.](https://www.thestar.com/news/world/us/2023/01/18/flyers-provorov-cites-religion-for-boycott-on-pride-night.html) Players identify with the team they play for and the uniforms they wear. [beat Tampa](https://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/teams/tampa-bay-lightning/summary) in the first round? If it does, can it [beat Boston](https://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/teams/boston-bruins/summary) in the second round? [the CHL even banned European goalies from the import draft,](https://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/2013/06/11/chl_officially_moves_to_ban_import_goalies_cox.html) to try to give Canadian and American goalies more playing time. [Auston Matthews](https://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/2023/02/09/leafs-might-get-auston-matthews-back-sooner-than-expected.html) obviously, too. [Evgeni Malkin](https://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/2022/07/12/evgeni-malkin-penguins-agree-to-new-4-year-deal.html) is a good comparison, dropping by one-third (four years at $6.1 million average annual value, after eight years at $9.1 million). My prediction: Matthews at $16.34 million, Marner at $16.16 million, Nylander around $11 million (or a smidge more than whatever [David Pastrnak](https://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/players/307642) gets). In this particular case, the idea of the rainbow jersey in warmups is to make the LGBTQ+ community feel welcome at rinks. Maybe not [Jason Spezza](https://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/2021/06/16/leafs-re-sign-centre-jason-spezza-to-a-one-year-750000-contract.html) or [Mark Giordano cheap,](https://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/opinion/2022/05/22/mark-giordano-returns-to-the-leafs-defence-at-a-hometown-discount-after-dropping-a-few-hints.html) but around $3 million a year. [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) and I’ll answer it in the next Maple Leafs Mailbag.

The second big trade of deadline season happened last night and no, it still wasn't for the Maple Leafs. The New York Rangers got their big move out of the way, ...

They're in Columbus tonight at 7, game is on TSN. [#Flames]GM Brad Treliving is meeting with the media in Detroit to go over Rasmus Andersson's accident: "He was going through a crosswalk. This morning at 11AM in Peterborough Team Harveys will take on Team Scotiabank. At 7PM it's Team Adidas vs Team Sonnett in St. He was transported by ambulance to Detroit Receiving Hospital." I've seen a few almost fights between players and fans here in Niagara.

As the Toronto Maple Leafs prepare to return from break, what trades might they make? Will Joseph Woll start against the Blue Jackets?

Overall, the efforts of Shanahan and the Maple Leafs’ ownership group to build a strong and sustainable organization are paying off. He’s helped make the Maple Leafs a destination where (a) players want to sign for “show me” seasons or (b) and where there’s a chance to win a Stanley Cup. Shanahan has helped heal some of the historical wounds with former players (Dave Keon, for example) and has worked to build a Maple Leafs alumnus. As a rookie with the Maple Leafs, he’s collected 13 points in 33 games. I am confident that, unless an explosive trade is on the horizon, the Maple Leafs will continue to tweak and adjust their roster in an effort to build the best possible team for playoff success. That pipeline improves the team’s depth (cheaply) but also helps maintain a consistent and cohesive team identity and philosophy. Furthermore, players who come to the Maple Leafs even for a short time have lauded the organization’s infrastructure. It’s possible the Maple Leafs could benefit from adding a player or two who fits the big and nasty description, but it’s also worth considering the trade-off that comes with such additions. Ultimately, the formula for playoff success is complex; and because different kinds of teams win the Stanley Cup season after season, there seems to be no one right answer. Yes, the Maple Leafs are not winning in the postseason. That’s why Auston Matthews is such a great player: he and Leon Draisaitl are two players who quickly come to mind as players who exemplify the entire package rolled into one player. Finally, I’ll look at some of the accusations of readers who comment about how the organization’s desire to make money has cannibalized its ability to ice a solid team.