Who knew that there could be a sequel to the Phil Kessel video?

Does this video mean that Kyle Dubas is going to win back to back cups with the Penguins?

With talk of Dubas potentially heading to Pittsburgh, this might actually be a legitimate successor to the Phil Kessel video. Wonder if the Pens will get two cups out of this too Edit: step 1 complete

Hockey aside, I’m really happy for Steve seeing his channel/career grow so much over the past seasons. Guys an inspiration.

Correction: Shanahan did not find the cruellest way to fire someone. That honour belongs to the Canucks treatment of Bruce Boudreau.

It feels like the end of a TV show where, in the last episode, we end up in the exact same spot we were in the first episode. It's 2013 again.

This is the greatest running soap opera in hockey. Thank you Steve for covering it. As a Sabres fan, I'm here to enjoy it. Proceed Shanahan. Can't wait for the next season of episodes to drop.

Ouuu a new series! Looking forward to episode 3: "Auston Matthews: An Era Wasted"

Didn’t agree with a lot of his choices but I don’t doubt that he believed he was building a winner. We also saw how much he cared when Tavares took a knew to the face, when Mikheyev’s arm got cut, how intense he was when they beat Tampa. He truly cared and I don’t think that should be overlooked. Good luck in the future, Dubas. Edit-there’s a lot of people shitting their diapers in the replies.

Better not hear "players are upset" about him being fired because ALL blame falls on them. THEY let Kyle down. THEY underperformed. THEY blew it again & again.

This is a weird thought, but I'm kinda wondering if Dubas wasn't attempting a power play here. Everyone knows the Leafs are stuck between a rock and hard place rn. Trying to find a new GM is only going to complicate an already very complicated and time sensitive situation. With Dubas being so public about maybe not wanting to come back, I wonder if he was trying to catch the Leafs in a desperate moment by asking for the raise. Plus, Shanahan mentioning the email Dubas sent so deliberately makes me wonder what was written.

I vote Steve Dangle for GM. Who knows more about this team and the struggle and is so invested in this team,,, #SteveForGM

Looking forward to Auston Matthews: An Era Wasted

Can’t wait to hear what Dubas has to say. This turned into an episode of SUCCESSION really fast.

I'm not a fan of the Maple Leafs not by a long stretch but I liked Kyle Dubas the way he was passionate about his team I can respect that about him I hope he lands on his feet.

One correction on the Caps making a deep run, the Capitals never made it past the second round in the Ovi era until their stanley cup win

Thank you! My biggest question was also, “why not Shanney as well?”

Like you guys said on the podcast, I'm sort of hoping for the Dubas Revenge Tour now

I thought the Kessel trade was abysmal, and hindsight isn't necessarily that kind to it, but it did usher in an era of unprecedented regular season success. I only hope the sequel leads to the same outcome, because I'm very scared the 05-16 Leafs are gonna be back, and they were *tough* to watch.

I think Kyle Dubas gained a lot of experience coming out of Toronto. Whatever team has him as GM next, I think they will find success. As for the Leafs, it's a bigger mystery than the last decade

Shanny should probably think about why he was so ready to keep Dubas but a short ambivalence after getting crushed in the media and a gap in contract negotiations switches it so fast. Were you really all that comfortable with keeping him?

Negotiating, Dubas weakness gets him again :( Fun to see a power struggle play out infront of our eyes rather than behind closed doors. Thx Leafs!

Never a dull moment in Leafland!

Shanahan took that press conference personally because the team failing is his failure because he brought Dubas in. If the Leafs are going to be run by Shanahan’s ego they are doomed

I think it is a blessing in disguise for dubas, as he is not tasked with the Herculean mission of figuring out the Marner, Matthews, Nylander conundrum. Kyle will land on his feet elswhere, despite what he said at the press conference I believe he will find another GM job before the start of next season, perhaps in a seat that is less hot than the Maple leafs'

These sports betting ads and inserts are getting really annoying and are taking over every kind of NHL broadcast and information source.

This is a potentially horrifically bad time to fire Dubas. This is a crossroads moment for the franchise and now they are getting a new vision with very little time to adjust and make plans for some extremely important pieces.

The job was Dubas's then he made a counter offer on Thursday. I have no idea what he was asking for but Obviously Shanahan wasn't having it. I was really hoping Dubas would stay but I also understand why Shanahan chose to go in a different direction.

Yeah, I have a totally different take on the Shanahan press conference. Sports are a brutal business and Shanahan has been in it a long time. He has felt the pressure as a player who was constantly questioned whether or not he had what it took and the leadership ability to win a Cup. Then he finally did after 10 or 11 years. He has experienced the pressure and is now the head of the Leafs where there is constant pressure on everyone in that organization to win. He saw Kyle's press conference and he loses confidence that he wants to even be the GM for the Leafs going forward. You can't put that kind of doubt in someone like Shanahan's mind. I don't think that Shanahan press conference was mean spirited or him taking a knife to Kyle at all. He gave, to the best of his ability, the timeline of what happened leading up to his decision not to extend Kyle's contract. He even went back to make sure that he mentioned that Kyle, in previous conversations had expressed the toll this season had taken on his family. I don't think people would be happy no matter what Shanahan had said but I think the best thing for him to do was to be honest and say exactly what happened and what he was thinking. Kyle is relatively young and I am certain he will learn from this. Almost everyone had the same reaction to Kyle's press conference and many people thought he shouldn't have said anything period, but he did. I also don't get the question you asked as to why Shanahan gets to fire him since he hired him and is responsible for the results. The results have been pretty good, minus the postseason and Kyle wasn't fired because of the work he did. He lost his job because he caused his boss to doubt his commitment to the organization. I think you guys even said on your podcast that you aren't sure how Kyle keeps his job after that press conference. Seems odd that you are now wondering why Shanahan did it and why he is the one doing it. Anyway, love your videos. I hope the Leafs are able to build upon the steps they took this year going forward into next year. I really want to see the Leafs win a Cup and see the celebratory videos and podcasts you make when that happens.

Imagine making such a bad decision, that Jason Spezza leaves.

I'm a clueless European, but how did Shanahan have any choice than to fire Dubas the way he did?

I’m not surprised at Shanahan. I remember when he played for the Wings in 2002 and he told a chirping Carolina fan she should shave her pits. That moment has stuck with me over the years.

You could not ask for any more effort from your GM to make a core work. I'm starting to think it's not the GMs fault

Steve please make a “A era wasted” playlist lol There’s 2 videos now so why not 😅 Phil Kessel: An era wasted Kyle Dubas: An era wasted

I think what happened was that Dubas tried to use the media to create a sense of panic by eluding to the fact that maybe he wasn’t going to be interested in staying in hopes of using all that panic for bargaining power. Problem was that Dubas didn’t realize that from Shannys perspective it just looked like Dubas was doing just what Shanny said when he spoke to the media, which is that, Dubas wants more money while at the same time stating that he wasn’t sure he wanted to stay. So from Shannys perspective, firing Dubas would have been a no brainer. Stating it all in the media, imo, was done because Dubas had tried to use the media to gain a bargaining advantage. So now it was Shannys turn to use the media - I feel - as a sort of tit for tat.

This thumbnail was my exact face when I heard the news too lol

"Kyle Dubas got fired. Brendan Shanahan fired that guy. And he fired him SO HARD!" That made me giggle.

This is Alex Anthopolous with the Blue Jays all over again. Young GM fired from an underperforming team. Will find his feet on another team and win it all.

You nailed it with the dirty laundry stuff, but damn I love some behind scenes insight.

The only way the Dubas Era could possibly end is by him losing another contract negotiation, but this time it was his own.

Kinda disappointed that Jason Spezza quit.

The sequel to An Era Wasted

Let's see who the Leafs have historically cast out as 'toxic'. Larry Murphy: Proceeded to be a key contributor on B2B Cups Phil Kessel: Proceeded to be a fan favorite in Pittsburgh and key contributor on their Cup runs. Watching this team is like watching Groundhog Day

Honestly, I’m glad Shanny was so transparent. As Leaf fans, we invest a lot of time, effort and money into the team. With all the ups and downs and big decisions being made this offseason, we deserve a coherent explanation. If Shanny felt Dubas wasn’t 100% into doing the job, I applaud him for making that tough decision. I can’t say it was the right one at this moment. Only time will tell. That said, I do feel like it was time for a change. Here’s to hoping it’s for the better!

Well I'm glad I got to go to game 5 I guess, sad to see but time to see if the team blows up. Maybe it's good maybe it's not

What’s crazy is that CJ might have accidentally fired Dubas. Obviously I say this mostly in cheek and tongue, but one must wonder what the leafs look like if CJ doesn’t ask that question

Similar stunt that Babcock pulled on Holland (then GM of the Red Wings) that basically did the same thing. Babblycock said, "Pay me more," for an extension and Holland said, "Bounce."

Saddest part is that Spezza isn't an option. He likely saw how Shanahan treated Dubas and figured "WTF am I doing here?"

I’m happy they decided to move on . Kyle does not have the experience to do the job , that’s why he was obviously stressed . Gotta change the culture

The Title, Yes. It'd Redux season ladies and gents. Best of luck Dubas and Spezza.

Strong takes Steve. Well done.

The Tavares deal was the nail in Dubas' coffin. Shame that its taken years for a lot of people to see it

I loved what Kyle did for this team, his respect for his players, and standing by his guys. Hate to see him leave and hope for the best but this is a message to this team from the very top. If you are not 100% committed to being the team to break the curse then please GTFO!!

I wonder what Steve’s reaction would be if the Leafs hired Marc Bergevin to be their next GM

I can't believe how wild this whole day has been. All the Marlies Coaching Staff have been told they're not being retained. Dubas Gone. Spezza Gone. Keefe is probably Gone. I imagine more than half this roster is gone. Management is going to be overturned with a new guy at the top. Holy shit this is going to be wild. Buckle up, kids. This might be the most interesting offseason in Leafs history

Thanks for everything Kyle. Best team in two decades.

Kyle Dubas you ARE the GM of the Pittsburgh Penguins!!

The fact that Dubas emailed him instead of calling like he said he would. That confirmed his feeling. Saying one thing and doing another is something that could really cost some in more ways than one.

Great video as always Steve

Idk why but the fact that Shanahan keeps specifying “Kyle’s office at Ford Performance Center” is cracking me up

Would anyone be surprised if dubas' family had death threats? Like really Shanahan should be gone imo. Shanahan rolls his eyes at dubas' family having a hard time, seriously dude? You let the only honest man in hockey go... class act

My bet is the counter offer made Dubas agent was too high and Kyle was not worthy of it and Shannahan was basically insulted (which is fair) that not even Kyle would meet with him face to face to make that offer. However Steve, I disagree. This organization never talks about stuff from behind the scenes and tbh this is a good sign. They’ve never been open like this before and now Brendan put his foot down to say that we need to change and I wouldn’t be suprised if a bunch of the staff is either gone or leaves due to this move that was necessary. I have a feeling that the next management crew will be more tough when it comes to the core 4 and the new deals they will offer to them. And if it becomes a headache, then most likely bags will be packed and ships will be sailed if we can’t get things in order.

Update, this is now Steve’s 13th straight video with at least 100k views

I can't help but feel the classic flavor of dread that the Leafs serve up with this dismissal of Dubas. I feel like this decision will ripple for years. For a franchise who has been rudderless for decades, at least Kyle brought a direction and stability. The team, year over year, improved under Kyle. Sure, they didn't break through in the post season, but at least give the guy SIGNIFICANT time to adapt, change, and learn. Instead, we're essentially hitting reset, destroying stability, and going back into chaos.

I don't get why the agent and Dubas never presented their new financial package when the agent started talking to Shanahan back in March or during the playoffs. Why do it after that epic fail press conference. They handled it the wrong way. Any people who want to become agents, this is a very good use case to learn from.

i love this team and i will still find find myself cheering for them for the rest of my days, but one thing i can say about dubas’ time with the leafs as the GM of this team, it doesn’t not help if the best this team can do especially under Dubas was get subjected to a gentleman sweep in the second round, even after all the additions they made. It’d be easy to blame the players and say that they didn’t preform and I’d agree, 34,16, and 91 did not show up and it hurt the team offensively. Maybe it’s a culture thing or some other thing that i just can’t explain why this team has had a lack of success in the time i’ve cheered for this team but something needs to change and maybe this is that.

excellent video Steve !

Steve for GM STEVE FOR GM!!!! love your videos man. I'm a very sad leaf fan right now and very nervous for the future!

Buckle up, 1M views incoming

Spezza Just resigned as special assistant to the GM!

Spezza wanted to get out of there before he was offered the GM job 😂

General Manager deleted, Fresh bodies needed, Playoffs conceded, Leafs defeated.

Agreed, it was an emotional and impulsive decision. I’m sure it won’t work out for the Leafs, but I am no expert. I hope it goes well though!

"Jason Spezza among them" oooooooooooof

After Shanahan's presser, the list of potential GM's just got smaller and the price tag higher.

I agree with you completely on Shanahan needing to be let go, but I also think Dubas overplayed his hand by making a statement on Monday throwing doubt about his interest to continue to be the GM and by using his family as an excuse to consider his future with the team. Dubas speaking to the media was not advised by Shanny, but he did it anyway (this was noted in the full version of Brendan's press meeting). So, having Dubas' agent come to the Leafs saying he'll stay for more money just 3 days later was the final nail in his coffin. Did money really settle all the doubts in his mind and in his family? Dubas bluffed and made the situation untenable. What pro sport team would support a gm who wasn't sure they wanted the position? Not a winning one. You played yourself, Kyle, or your agent did. I don't think the Leafs had any real choice after this debacle.

This is a no brainer. Dubas told Shanahan that he and his agent would get in touch with him, the agent did and obviously asked for too much. Dubas didn't, he waited and sent an email to Shanahan when he was sitting down for dinner. When you have won one round in five years, blew over half the cap hit on four guys, and after telling the boss you will speak to him, YOU DON"T SEND A F'KIN EMAIL!!!!! He needed to get his ass into Shanny's office, discuss the amount, make a commitment and do it in person, we're talking millions here. An email may be good for a lot of things, but not this...sometimes old fashioned, proper, repsectful communication is needed.

Great video Steve

Ok, so this happened. So now what? Is Shanahan going to navigate the next 5-6 weeks himself? As has been stated in this podcast and others today, the clock is really ticking, and now Shanahan doesn't have a Dubas or a Lou Lam to handle the tough stuff for him. This saga is just beginning.

At what point is the Shanaplan a deemed failure….or has that already passed?

Does this mean the end of the core 4? God I hope so!

My childhood era 2017-23 has come to a closed

You exude all the pain of a Leafs fan. Leaf haters love this. But, we love you Steve. Please remain a Buds fan so we can continue to watch these entertaining videos. Go Habs Go.

Brendan Shanahan better be next

No wonder Dubas was ok getting strong armed by the core in negotiations. Seems a strategy he respects. Works sometimes, sometimes it doesn't.

Hey Steve, like you emphasized, Dubas was given the blessing an trust of Shanahan. Shanahan raised and treated Dubas like a son but instead of being a passionate loyal friend, Dubas stabbed him in the back with the pres conference fiasco and threatened Shanahan about whether he wants the job or not. That is betrayal. That is trying to leverage the knowledge MLSE wanted him back to get more money. If any hockey player did this, you’d question his loyalty and commitment to winning. Shanahan absolutely made the right decision to fire Dubas. No room for wishy washy in the organization especially at the top!

Since locker clean up I’ve just had this feeling that the team is going to go boom and it’s going to be a rough few years. Like more rough than usual

Dubas backstabbed Shanahan first with that press conference on Monday being emotional and bringing up his family FIRST before he even was asked about his family but it ended up being about money anyway. That is gross.

Dubas thought he was negotiating from a stronger position after getting past the first round. Shanahan obviously felt differently. I feel like time will show us that Shanahan messed up on this one.

Anyone catch were Shanahan approached Dubas at 5:02 and 6:10 ? It was so smooth that I missed it, but had a feeling it was something important.

the "my office, his office, over at the performance center" is corporate speak that the Shanahan / Dubas relationship had died // the "brief conversation" comment on the agent's Wednesday contract offer is corporate speak for "the demands were so outrageous that they were immediately rejected out of hand"

Phil kessel era wasted too remember that title

Steve, I was a Dubas fan despite some mistakes and wanted him back. I did not want Keefe back as he got outcoached every playoffs, I did want a Marner or Mathews trade. But.... When I heard Dubas talk about his family and not being fully committed to the team I started to change my tune about the guy. Not only did he gaslight us about Keefe "adjusting well in the playoffs creating 2 on 1's" (puke) but the lack of commitment made me reconsider him being right for the team at this point. he also tried to "Manipulate" the whole Mathews contract situation about him being integral to that... which was a little scary. This is a big surprise but I am not as upset about it as I was a week ago. We need some culture change in this Organization before we end up with an era of Marner Mathews Nylander completely wasted. As least this means Keefe has to be gone for sure now right? I hope Mathews resigns but that is scary now too. Could you imagine getting a dynasty players and then losing him for nothing and not even one deep playoff run? :/

To be fair, the caps never made it out of the second round until that run in 2018 ten years on from ovi's first playoff appearance. Honestly, what i realized as a fan of those caps teams is that the only way to win a cup is to gather an elite core (which the leafs have done - playoff loses don't change that) and then just keep bashing your head against the wall tinkering with depth pieces until you finally win. Some teams win right away, other teams take a whole decade to make that breakthrough. Some age out of contention altogether before they can win - hope that doesn't happen to y'all. Just gotta wait and pray you finally get bounces unfortunately.

Shanny asked him not to speak to the media (yet). He did, he put himself before Shannahan and therefore the club. Goodbye

Said before and I’ll say it again. You give any other coach (but Sutter) this roster and the team would do better. Yes the core’s mentality is an issue but I’ve never seen a coach waste top 6 talent like this.

We should've kept Dubis

I don't want to hear how upset Matthew, Marner, etc are over this. The players could have proven management right for sticking with them even after the playoff failures, and they only reinforced that there needed to be changes, with the way they bowed out once again.

That press conference should have gone “Kyle Dubas has been released as GM of the Maple Leafs!”FULL STOP!!!!!

Shanny felt he was getting played and it sounds like he was and he wasn’t having it.