Kyle Dubas Regrets John Tavares Signing; Calls It His Biggest Mistake With Maple Leafs

Kyle Dubas opens up about his regrets of not prioritizing the contracts of Matthews, Marner, and Nylander, over John Tavares.

By Natasha Bose

Published on Jul 23, 2024 | 05:01 PM IST | 92.8K

Kyle Dubas Gets Candid on Why Signing John Tavares First Was A Mistake

In this Article

Overpaying core 3 players hindered Maple Leaf’s cup contention
Mitch Marner's future is uncertain as his contract year begins

In recent years, whether you're a fan of the Leafs or not, you can't deny Toronto's dominance in the regular season. Unfortunately, as everyone knows, the Leafs struggle to win in the playoffs.

In Craig Custance’s upcoming book, “The Franchise: The Business of Building Winning Teams,” former Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager Kyle Dubas opens up about his biggest regret: not securing contract extensions for Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander before signing free agent John Tavares.

Overpaying core 3 players hindered Maple Leaf’s cup contention

Since 2004, the Maple Leafs have only won one series, which was in 2023 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. There are many reasons behind this failure, one of which is the general managers’ inability to balance the roster.

Offensively, the team is strong. Defensively, it's more challenging, and they have always struggled to find a true number-one goalkeeper. It didn’t help that a lot of money was spent on four forwards. The timing of the signing of Captain John Tavares played a significant role in this.

In his latest book, Craig Custance reveals that Kyle Dubas considers signing Tavares before Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander his biggest mistake.

Dubas, now President of Hockey Operations for the Pittsburgh Penguins, admits that once Tavares was signed to a lucrative deal, it inadvertently “lifted the lid on the entire ceiling” for the Leafs’ core players. This led to overpayments that limited the team’s financial flexibility, making it difficult to acquire a top-tier defenseman to boost their playoff chances.

“The biggest mistake I think I’ve made in my whole time here has been not taking care of the three incumbent contracts (of Matthews, Marner and Nylander before signing Tavares),” Dubas says in the book. “The thing I learned was that once we signed John to the (deal) we did, it lifted the lid on the entire ceiling.”

In 2024-2025, Tavares's seven-year, $11-million-per-year contract becomes a burden. Fortunately, the deal expires in July 2025. Not only is $11 million a lot for a player who’s slowing down, but it also sets the benchmark for the other three star forwards in the lineup, who are better than Tavares.

Dubas made significant efforts to negotiate. As a result, Matthews signed two contracts (one for $11.64 million and another for $13.25 million per year) since Tavares arrived. Nylander signed for $11.5 million, and Marner signed for $10.9 million a year after the captain. Nearly $47 million annually for four forwards isn’t ideal.

Mitch Marner's future is uncertain as his contract year begins

Mitch Marner is staying with the Toronto Maple Leafs, at least for now. Despite trade rumors after their playoff exit, Marner, entering the final year of his contract, appears set to start the season with Toronto. He has a no-move clause, giving him control over any potential trade.

NHL insider Chris Johnston suggested that Marner walking in free agency is more likely than a trade or extension, though staying is still an option.

On July 9, Johnston said, via the SDPN podcast:

“It’s probably slightly more likely he walks than signs an extension but not significantly so. If we were setting the betting lines now the favorite would be (he) walks as a free agent."

Mitch Marner's future with the Maple Leafs, who drafted him fourth overall in 2015, hinges on upcoming contract negotiations and team decisions leading into the new season.