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Maple Leafs go with Kyle Dubas as next GM

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When the Toronto Maple Leafs hired Kyle Dubas as assistant general manager in 2014, the expectation was that whenever Lou Lamoriello vacated his throne, the young executive would take over. Friday is officially that day.

Nearly two weeks after the Maple Leafs announced that Lamoriello would not be returning as GM next season, the franchise has handed that power to the 31-year-old Dubas.

Dubas spent three years as GM of the Ontario Hockey League’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds before joining the Maple Leafs. Once in Toronto, he oversaw player development and was the GM of their American Hockey League team. In 2017-18, the Marlies were the best regular season team in the AHL for the second time in three seasons. The big club has benefited from their AHL development plan as the Maple Leafs saw eight graduates on their roster this past season.

The Maple Leafs showed just how much they valued Dubas and just how important he was to their future when last summer, the Colorado Avalanche attempted to lure him away to run their hockey operations. Toronto declined to let him leave and now he runs their show.

One of the immediate questions ahead for the Maple Leafs is what becomes of Mark Hunter’s future. Hunter was hired three months after Dubas and has been serving as co-assistant GM. The race to succeed Lamoriello was likely going to be between Dubas and Hunter, so will he continue in his role or will he return to the OHL’s London Knights where he’s co-owner with his brother, Dale.

The Maple Leafs are coming off their most successful regular season since 2003-04 and Dubas has plenty of work ahead this summer to continue the franchise’s progression. There are unrestricted free agents like James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak, and restricted free agents like William Nylander and Connor Carrick to deal with. There’s also the ability, beginning on July 1, to begin talking extension with Auston Matthews.

Dubas has been groomed for this day for a long time, now he’ll get his chance to steer the franchise toward ultimately ending its long Stanley Cup drought.

MORE:
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NBC’s Stanley Cup Playoff Hub

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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.