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Kyle Dubas received copious criticism during his five-year tenure as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, with fans denouncing him for not assembling a roster that could advance past the second round in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Once dubbed the Boy Wonder, the agent-turned-executive left The Six without successfully executing his vision and ultimately became the Pittsburgh Penguins' president of hockey operations in June of 2023.
Although he is currently heading up a pivotal rebuild in the Steel City, Dubas is still taking some time to reflect on his run with Toronto. Although exasperated Maple Leafs fans may come forward with a list of grievances, the 39-year-old singled out one specific move that he wishes he could do over.
“I have lots of regrets, and I know you're not supposed to look back on them, but the biggest one by far is actually {trading} Mason Marchment,” Dubas told the “The Cam & Strick Podcast.” By far…. We found a way into a lack of scoring. There was a big push internally to acquire some skill.”
Toronto sent the undrafted forward to the Florida Panthers in exchange for center Denis Malgin days before the 2020 NHL trade deadline. The Switzerland native recorded just four points in 31 games for the Leafs before the organization shipped him out to the Colorado Avalanche. Marchment eventually became a valuable member of the Dallas Stars, helping them contend for Western Conference supremacy for the last three seasons. The 30-year-old was recently dealt to the Seattle Kraken, where he will be entrusted to help the still-young franchise jump back into the playoffs.
Ex-Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas rolled the dice and came up short
Marchment's evolution obviously hits Dubas hard, for he exercised a tremendous amount of patience before pulling the plug. The 6-foot-5 Canadian worked his way through the organization for a few years before earning an NHL roster spot. He tallied one assist in four games with the Maple Leafs during the 2019-20 campaign. Injuries halted his progress and was one of the reasons why the front office decided to complete the trade with Florida.
Mason Marchment now possesses the physicality and versatility that Toronto could use. Oh well. Both the Penguins and Leafs will have an opportunity to scoop him up when he enters free agency next offseason. The veteran winger could provide valuable energy and experience to two franchises that are searching for a new identity.
Though, perhaps Kyle Dubas and his former employer deem it wiser to look toward the future instead of the past.
