Next season will be the fifth of the Kyle Dubas era in Toronto, and it could very well be the last. According to Jonas Seigel of The Athletic, the GM, who is in the final year of his contract, is on the fence about a contract extension.
The fact that the Maple Leafs have not entered into contract negotiations should strike fear into the heart of the general manager and may say a lot about the plans of organization president Brendan Shanahan. If Dubas is let go in the next few months, the organization already has the perfect candidate in its ranks to succeed him. It is the newly retired Jason Spezza.
Spezza officially announced his retirement last May after playing 1,248 games in the NHL. The Toronto Maple Leafs wasted no time appointing him as a special assistant to General Manager Kyle Dubas on the same day. His leadership off and on the ice makes him a leader, not to mention his expertise in the hockey world. A year of learning the trade could make him a solid hockey manager.