Maple Leafs part ways with GM as his future remains uncertain

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced on Friday that they have decided to part ways with general manager Kyle Dubas following the team's latest postseason disappointment. 

Dubas' contract was set to expire after this season, but Friday's announcement confirms there will be no new deal. 

That could open the door for Dubas to take on another high-profile job very shortly. 

If he wants it.

At Toronto's end-of-the-season press conference, Dubas stated that if he was not the general manager of the Maple Leafs next season then he would not be the general manager anywhere. Those were bold words, but a lot of executives and coaches make bold declarations like that and immediately go back on them when other opportunities present themselves.

And Dubas might have other opportunities.

The most prominent of those could come with the Pittsburgh Penguins who are undergoing a general manager search of their own following the firing of Ron Hextall. The Pittsburgh job is a fascinating one because the Penguins still have three high-profile players in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang while they have been one of the league's elite franchises for the past two decades.

That will be attractive.

It is also an aging roster that just missed the playoffs for the first time in 16 years with no strong farm system to build around. It will be a tricky job for the next GM as they try to balance winning with the veteran core and also recognize the long-term issues. 

The Maple Leafs wanting to go in a different direction is also not a surprise. While they have made the playoffs in each of the past seven seasons, the 2022-23 season was the first time they actually advanced beyond the first round with this core of players. Even that resulted in disappointment as they were dispatched by the Florida Panthers in five games after falling into a 3-0 series deficit. 

The Maple Leafs have three of the highest-paid players in the NHL in Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and John Tavares and consistently spend to the salary cap. The expectations are for that group to be a Stanley Cup contender. They have yet to get even remotely close to that level in the playoffs. That meant change was inevitable. 

Toronto's GM opening is also another prominent job for potential GM candidates around the league. Carolina assistant GM Eric Tulsky is one of the top candidates for the Pittsburgh job, but could also now find his name in the mix for the Maple Leafs as well.