JUST NOW: Dubas Acknowledges Error in Signing John Tavares of the Maple Leafs

As general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Kyle Dubas discussed his major errors, particularly one related to a particular component of his signing of John Tavares.

In a forthcoming book titled “The Franchise: The Business Of Building Winning Teams,” written by The Athletic’s Craig Custance, Kyle Dubas discusses his mistakes and his legacy as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. While he accomplished some good things during his tenure, his legacy will be that he never took the team far in the playoffs and that he locked up four core players to deals that hampered the organization for years.

Among his big admissions is that he botched up when he signed his core four players to their respective contracts. In particular, he said that his UFA offer to John Tavares was damaging because of when it took place and that he hadn’t taken care of other business first.

Did Dubas Regret Signing Tavares?

In the book, Dubas identifies his handling of contract negotiations with William Nylander, Mitch Marner, and Auston Matthews as his greatest mistake. He noted, “The biggest mistake I think I’ve made in my whole time here has been not taking care of the three incumbent contracts.” He added that he should have signed those players much earlier, and he linked the Tavares signing as one that only exacerbated the problem.