TSN SportsCentre Reporter Mark Masters reports on the Maple Leafs. Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas held a media availability at the team hotel in Seattle on Monday ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Oilers in Edmonton.
Kyle Dubas isn't shy about what he's been trying to do ahead of Friday’s NHL trade deadline.
"There is no reason for us to really beat around it," the Leafs general manager said. "We have wanted to become more competitive."
Last week, Dubas added forwards Ryan O'Reilly and Noel Acciari from the St. Louis Blues. On Monday, it was defenceman Jake McCabe and forward Sam Lafferty coming over in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks.
"Just being a fun matchup and being fun to watch isn't good enough for us," Dubas said. "We need to win."
Maple Leafs acquire McCabe, Lafferty from Blackhawks.
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After six straight opening-round playoff exits, the pressure to break through seems greater than ever. Dubas is in the final year of his contract.
"I wouldn't say it feels like pressure," the 37-year-old insisted. "You feel a duty in this job to do everything you can to help the group of people that are a part of it. We are fortunate to have great staff and great players that deserve everything from my end to help them get over the top and reach their potential, which is to win."
The Leafs sit fourth in the league standings, but face a daunting postseason path through the Atlantic Division bracket with a rematch against the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are fifth overall, in the first round with the NHL-best Boston Bruins likely waiting in the second round.
"We know it is going to be really tough," Dubas acknowledged. "We have been through it before. We know these are elite, elite competitors. At this moment, on both sides of this format in the East, you are going to have two teams that are in the top six — if it finishes this way — playing each other in the first round. It is great for the fans, but it is really tough when you are competing. I think we relish it. I think we need it, actually. I think we, of all times, should be embracing it and ready to go for it."
The Lightning picked up feisty forward Tanner Jeannot from the Nashville Predators on Sunday. The Bruins added defenceman Dmitry Orlov and forward Garnet Hathaway last week. Dubas is doing his part in the Eastern Conference arms race.
"This, to me, is the most fun time," he said with a smile. "As I said to the guys this morning as we were pushing it past the finish line ... the moments when you are just getting a trade you have been working on to the finish line are the most exciting part of it."
McCabe and Lafferty are expected to take part in practice on Tuesday before the team flies to Edmonton ahead of Wednesday's game against the Oilers.
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The cervical spine injury suffered by Jake Muzzin just four games into the season left a big hole in the top four of Toronto's defence. Enter McCabe, who posted a team best plus-7 on the rebuilding Blackhawks while logging tough minutes beside Seth Jones on the top pair. Dubas has had his eye on McCabe since the lefty became a free agent in the summer of 2021.
"We just always liked how physical and competitive he is in the neutral zone combined with how he can defend and move the puck. He seems to relish that role," Dubas said. "Once we kind of got through the salary part with Chicago, it just kind of fits and makes sense."
The Blackhawks retained 50 per cent of the salary so McCabe is on the Leafs books at $2 million and still has two more years on his deal.
"He is just 29 years old now and just turned 29," Dubas added. "Compared to the others on the market, he is one of the younger of the group."
McCabe started his career in Buffalo so he's never suited up in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
"You would love to have guys who have all won before," Dubas said. "But I think the way he plays is the best projection of how he is going to be in those moments. He plays with high pressure. He is physical and competitive. He doesn't really give an inch to people. That is what we are going to need in those moments. We think it is going to translate well."
Dubas also pointed out that former Leafs defenceman Ron Hainsey won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in his first ever NHL playoff appearance.
"Luckily, knowing Ronnie a little bit from having him here gave me more comfort," Dubas said.
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Lafferty scored 10 goals in 51 games this season in Chicago. He has another year on his contract with a cap hit of $1.15 million.
"The speed is the No. 1 thing that he brings but also the versatility," Dubas said. "He is able to play centre and is able to play wing. With competitiveness and tenacity on the forecheck, he is able to create turnovers up the ice and be physical and really competitive. This year, it has gone in for him more because he puts himself in those opportunities with his forechecking ability to get in behind the D. We are getting him for his ability to defend, forecheck, be competitive, and bring great speed to our team. He adds another layer of competitiveness, as with O'Reilly and Acciari, up front."
The Leafs have managed to score just three goals in the deciding game in the four playoff series with Dubas at the helm.
"The thing about all three of the forwards we have acquired is that they have also proven — Sam more so this year than in previous, but with Noel and Ryan — that they can score and they can score in tight to the net, where we are going to have to find a way and haven't found a way in key moments in the past," Dubas said. "It is something we feel like we've needed in those big moments and we have maybe lacked a little bit of to push us over the top."
Toronto's bottom six produced just two goals in 5-on-5 play during last year's seven-game series against Tampa Bay.
"We know we have guys who can score from anywhere at the top of the lineup," Dubas noted. "It is more about finding guys who can chip in more from the bottom. We think Noel and Sam can do that."
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Dubas may not be done.
"We will still be busy and active and try to find if there is any way we can continue to improve," he said.
Dubas may actually need to make another move once Matt Murray is ready to return. At the moment, the Leafs don't have the cap space to activate the goalie from the long-term injured reserve.
"We went through this last year, too, where we thought we were going to have to make another move and Rasmus Sandin got hurt in Nashville [in the final game before the trade deadline] and missed the remainder of the year. An old friend of mine used to say, 'When time is on your side, use it.' We will do that here. We kind of know where everything is at, but we will see where everything is at after the subsequent couple of games here in Edmonton and Calgary [on Thursday] and be able to adapt from there."
Murray returned to practice on Saturday and accompanied the Leafs on the road trip, which started Sunday in Seattle. It looks like he'll be ready to return this week.
"It is tracking that way," Dubas confirmed. "He is continuing to skate and participate more and more. It looks good on that front. We sure hope so."
Murray, who is coming back from an ankle injury, hasn't played since Jan. 17.
The Leafs will play in Vancouver on Saturday before wrapping up the trip next Tuesday, March 7, in New Jersey.
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With four new players already added, Dubas will be careful about altering the chemistry of this group too much moving forward.
"It is a balance where you kind of [wonder if you're] changing the group too much," Dubas said. "But the guys have received Noel and Ryan so well. I think being on the road has helped."
Four of the five games since the trade with the Blues have been on the road.
"Those guys have integrated about as seamlessly as I hoped," Dubas continued. "I think they are planning on going to the [Bruce] Springsteen concert tonight, which will be great. I personally think that is outstanding for a number of reasons (smile), but it will be good for those guys to come together as well."
"It's a good time," Ilya Samsonov said following Sunday's win, "25 friends come to the road trip all together so it will be fun."
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Of course, there's already great chemistry throughout the roster with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner being the headliners. That dynamic dup ripped up the league last season with Matthews scoring 60 goals and Marner picking up 97 points. This year, however, they started slow and got split up on Nov. 12.
On Sunday, the pair started a game together for just the second time since the November split. Matthews scored twice while Marner picked up three assists during a 5-1 win over the Kraken.
"You are thrilled to see it come together like that in terms of how they scored and the jump Auston had being all around the net and all around the puck," coach Sheldon Keefe said.
Matthews snapped a four-game goal drought and seemed relieved afterwards.
"It always feels good to see it go in, I mean, I can't lie," Matthews said. "You try not to get discouraged, but it's hard not to sometimes. You see it go in and you get a little extra pep in your step."
It was only the third multi-goal game of the season for Matthews, who posted 15 such games last season en route to the Hart Trophy.
Matthews has scored 28 goals through 53 games this season.
"I don't think we have any doubt that he's going to continue to create chances and he's going to capitalize," said captain John Tavares. "He's just too good of a player. You know, you're talking about a top two, top three player in the world."
Before heading out West, Matthews lamented that the "game of inches" had gone against him this season. His shooting percentage has dipped to 12.8. Last year, he scored on 17. 2 per cent of his shots.
Playing with Marner may help Matthews get scoring at that rate once more.
"He's just dialed in," Matthews said. "You can just see it every game. I mean, he just makes unbelievable plays. He's got great poise. A lot of fun to watch, a lot of fun to play with and we want to continue to keep this going throughout this road trip."
Shot attempts favoured the Leafs 16-6 with Matthews, Marner and Michael Bunting on the ice Sunday, per NaturalStatTrick.com.
"We really were just on the puck, forcing turnovers on the other end and just staying on it, staying hungry," said Matthews. "Felt good to get that momentum back."
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After scoring on Sunday, Tavares is up to three goals and three assists in five games since moving to the wing.
"It continues to get a little bit more comfortable," the 32-year-old said. "I still think there's a lot of opportunity for growth ... The toughest thing for me is being in the shot lanes and reading some of those things defensively that I'm not quite used to."
Tavares has been playing alongside O'Reilly since the Selke Trophy winner came over from St. Louis.
"He has adjusted well," said Keefe. "Moving from centre to wing is really not that big of a deal. I think we make a bigger deal of it than it really is. We make a big deal of it with a guy who has played so long in the middle, of course, but in terms of the actual play and making the adjustment, probably the biggest thing is just accepting it and being in the right place mentally. Certainly, John has been right from the time I discussed it with him. He just continues to play. He has fit in well with O'Reilly. He is going to the net. Pucks are getting there. He is as good as anybody in the league in that area."
Tavares knocked in another puck from the doorstep against the Kraken. It was his 27th goal of the campaign, which matches his total from all of last season.
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The Leafs are scheduled to hold a practice at 12:30 p.m. PT on Tuesday at the Kraken Community Iceplex.
