Report: Coyotes interested in Kyle Dubas for general manager

It was always just a matter of time before we heard of other NHL teams looking into Kyle Dubas as a full-time general manager, and no doubt until he’s eventually named to the throne in Toronto we’ll continue to do so. 

Now we have our first real culprit, the Arizona Coyotes, as Elliotte Friedman reported this morning that they’ve looked to gain access to young up-and-comer to replace Don Maloney who was canned just yesterday.

As Friedman goes on to note, Dubas appears to want to stay put with the Leafs. We’ve speculated a ton since Dubas’ hiring in Toronto that he’d be the next general manager for years to come, and while bringing on Lamoriello has obviously put that on hold, there’s still belief among most that in the next three-to-five years that position will become his for the long term. 

Still, this is (or would’ve been) a very, very smart move by the Coyotes, and it gives way to a more frightening thought that should a team with more resources in perhaps a bigger market try the same, Toronto could have a more serious situation on its hands. 

For my money, if I’m the president of another NHL club, I’m trying my hardest to get Dubas and Sheldon Keefe out of Toronto as soon as possible. The work they’ve done in such short periods of time has been incredible, and the list of teams kicking tires is going to grow over the next year or two. How the Leafs – a team with essentially unlimited funds – combat that kind of interest will be fun (and likely stressful) to witness.