Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas not focused on future with Toronto beyond this season

TORONTO – Kyle Dubas is focused on finishing the job — this season.

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 left in on the schedule, making it clear he’s both intent on pushing forward in 2022-23 and unwilling to discuss his uncertain status with the organization.

The 37-year-old, who has been in the big chair since replacing Lou Lamoriello in May 2018, is without a contract beyond July 1 after the Leafs were once again ousted in the first round of the playoffs last spring.

Asked if he wants to continue working in the pressure-packed market, Dubas didn’t answer directly.

“Toronto has been great,” said the Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., native. “I love coming in every day and working with the people. I never take for granted a day working in the league in any role.

“I don’t focus on the end of it. I just focus on every single day, giving my best for everybody inside the facility.”

Dubas also declined to answer if he’s had talks with the Leafs on an extension.

“I want to be about the team and about the people that are here,” he said. “And doing what’s right for them.”

Dubas has assembled and retained Toronto’s highly skilled — and handsomely paid — core led by Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and Morgan Rielly.

But despite regular-season success, including a franchise-record 54 wins and 115 points in 2021-22, he’s been unable to get the ingredients right when it matters most.

Toronto has dropped six straight series since 2017, lost nine straight games with a chance to eliminate an opponent, and hasn’t advanced in the playoffs at any point during the NHL’s salary cap era.

Initially hired in a supporting role at age 28 in July 2014 after three seasons as GM of the OHL’s Sault-Ste Marie Greyhounds, Dubas has resisted outside calls to break up Toronto’s big-name talent in the wake of successive playoff disappointments.

Signed by the rookie GM after just a few months on the job, Tavares said a willingness from Dubas to alter his approach as the game changes has stood out.

So has an ability to communicate.

“Very in touch with the group,” Tavares said. “Really involved.”

Toronto, which sits second in the Atlantic Division behind league-leading Boston with the NHL’s fourth-best record as the team returns from the all-star break, appears all but assured of facing Tampa Bay in playoff rematch despite there being two months left on the schedule.

Dubas, however, said any suggestion Toronto should put its energy solely into figuring out ways to get past a specific opponent from now until the end of the season would be wrong.

“The minute that we start to lose our focus is the minute that we’re going to really start to give it back,” he said.

Dubas was also quizzed on his approach ahead of the March 3 trade deadline.

The Leafs have the most man games lost to injury this season, thanks in large part to a beat-up defence corps.

Dubas said his immediate worry after losing Jake Muzzin, who hurt his neck Oct. 17 and has an appointment in the coming weeks to determine his status, had him targeting blue-line help, but added the group’s ability to weather that loss and others means he could look to bolster things up front.

“We do feel somewhat comfortable with the group,” Dubas said.

He’s also been pleased with how Toronto has managed difficult nights and not allowed tough moments to fester.

“Huge sign of growth,” he said. “Early on and in the past, whether it’s back-to-backs or injuries, those would be crutches that would enter into the psyche of the team.

“I don’t feel that way at all.”

The GM also sounded lukewarm on the idea of trading away pieces — including U.S. college winger Matthew Knies — from an already shallow prospect pool for short-term help at the deadline.

“Can’t see that happening,” Dubas said. “With regards to other options, I don’t think you say no off the hop to anything.

“But those are very important pieces to us now and in the future.”

Despite his uncertain future, Dubas will approach the deadline as he always has.

“Anyone who knows me well enough — truly — would know everything I look at is what’s best in the short- and long-run for the organization,” he said.

“It’s not about me and my status. It’s about what’s best for the team.”

MATTHEWS INCHING CLOSER

Matthews practised in a red non-contact jersey and is nearing a return from a knee strain suffered Jan. 25.

Last season’s Hart Trophy winner felt something in warmups that night.

“Got worse throughout the game,” Matthews said. “Got it checked out.”

The 25-year-old centre has been out just over two weeks after the team set a minimum 21-day recovery period.

FEELING FRESH

With Matt Murray (ankle) on injured reserve, goaltender Ilya Samsonov is set to get another run of games.

“Fresh brain,” the Russian said when asked how he felt after some all-star down time that followed eight straight appearances.

Samsonov is 17-6-2 in 202-23 with a .913 save percentage and a 2.42 goals-against average heading into Friday’s game in Columbus.

MATTHEWS ON PLAYOFFS

There was plenty of chatter about the playoff format during all-star week.

Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon would like to see the conferences seeded No. 1 through No. 8 instead of the current division-based setup that includes two wild-card berths.

Matthews, meanwhile, said the cream usually rises to the top.

“With our division, it’s obviously a tough group to get out of,” he said. “But I think the best team usually moves on.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 9, 2023.

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