{"id":547441,"date":"2026-04-08T13:38:17","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T13:38:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/547441\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T13:38:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T13:38:17","slug":"nhl-analyst-backs-kyle-dubas-as-torontos-most-successful-modern-gm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/547441\/","title":{"rendered":"NHL analyst backs Kyle Dubas as Toronto\u2019s \u2018most successful\u2019 modern GM"},"content":{"rendered":"

The debate around Kyle Dubas has resurfaced after a lively exchange on TSN, where NHL<\/a> analysts clashed over his legacy with the Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a>. While criticism of playoff failures remains strong, one voice argued Dubas stands as the franchise\u2019s most successful modern general manager.<\/p>\n

During the broadcast, Jeff O\u2019Neill questioned Dubas\u2019 impact, pointing to limited postseason success. He stressed that regular-season results mean little without deep playoff runs.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

MORE: Elliotte Friedman hints at Maple Leafs\u2019 big offseason decision\u00a0on Auston Matthews<\/a><\/p>\n

However, Jonas Siegel pushed back, stating Dubas ranks clearly above any Leafs GM in the past two decades.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay. But if you\u2019re looking at the last twenty-five years, he\u2019s by far their most successful general manager,\u201d Siegel said. \u201cLike, and I don\u2019t even know who\u2019s number two.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bryan Hayes quickly intervened and said, \u201cIf you\u2019re going to go back twenty-five years, then you\u2019re including the early 2000s.\u201d<\/p>\n

He then added context, referencing earlier eras led by figures like Pat Quinn. \u201cPat Quinn in the early 2000s. Yeah. Pat was the coach and GM,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

Then Siegel reduced the time period, saying, \u201cYeah, okay. I\u2019m just saying. Twenty years, whatever the hell. Whatever.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kyle Dubas\u2019 time as the Maple Leafs GM\"Former<\/p>\n

Former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas at Lucan Community Memorial Centre<\/p>\n

Dubas\u2019 record in Toronto supports part of that argument. From 2018 to 2023, the Leafs posted a 221\u2013109\u201342 record, the best points percentage in franchise history. The team also set highs with 54 wins and 115 points in the 2021\u201322 season. His roster strategy focused on elite talent, with stars like Auston Matthews<\/a>, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and William Nylander.<\/p>\n

Still, playoff struggles defined his tenure. Toronto won just one series under Dubas, ending a long drought in 2023 before another early exit. Critics argue that repeated failures overshadow regular-season dominance.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

MORE: Auston Matthews faces harsh street chants as Maple Leafs miss playoffs<\/a><\/p>\n

Maple Leafs are without a GM after firing Brad Treliving<\/p>\n

The debate gains relevance after Toronto dismissed Brad Treliving in March 2026. The team has missed the playoffs in the 2025-26 season, highlighting instability since Dubas\u2019 departure. His successor failed to maintain the same consistency, both on the ice and in roster construction.<\/p>\n

Dubas now leads the Pittsburgh Penguins front office, but his Toronto legacy remains divisive. Some see unmet expectations, while others point to historic consistency.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The debate around Kyle Dubas has resurfaced after a lively exchange on TSN, where NHL analysts clashed over…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":547442,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5106],"tags":[532,4892,2389,5,611,134,20,5172,533,4,6044,100,62238,66,31,5171,1114],"class_list":{"0":"post-547441","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-toronto-maple-leafs","8":"tag-auston-matthews","9":"tag-brad-treliving","10":"tag-gm","11":"tag-hockey","12":"tag-john-tavares","13":"tag-kyle-dubas","14":"tag-maple-leafs","15":"tag-mapleleafs","16":"tag-mitch-marner","17":"tag-nhl","18":"tag-pat-quinn","19":"tag-pittsburgh-penguins","20":"tag-playoff-failures","21":"tag-toronto","22":"tag-toronto-maple-leafs","23":"tag-torontomapleleafs","24":"tag-william-nylander"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/116369365847899291","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/547441","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=547441"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/547441\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/547442"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=547441"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=547441"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=547441"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}