Why Kyle Dubas is irked by the Blackhawks

Toronto's pursuit of netminder Marc-Andre Fleury became public knowledge, prompting the Maple Leafs GM to call out Chicago's rookie executive Kyle Davidson through the media.

Video Transcript

JUSTIN CUTHBERT: That's it for winners and losers. But there is one more controversy brewing, and that is Kyle Dubas versus Kyle Davidson. I'm not suggesting this is a Brian Burke, Kevin Lowe situation, where there's been a request issued to set up a barn fight. But these two guys are clearly not getting along at the moment.

A report came out over the weekend that the Leafs were in discussions with Chicago in a deal that would involve Marc-Andre Fleury and Brandon Hagel coming to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Petr Mrazek, so a salary dump, Matthew Knies and two first round picks. And Brendan Hagel ended up going for two first round picks to the Tampa Bay Lightning on the weekend, as well. So that is a showstopping deal, worth reporting, certainly, if you're Darren Dreger, who did report it for TSN. Very interesting.

But Kyle Dubas did not find it interesting. He's very angry, and I guess Kyle Davidson's unbothered with his response. He doesn't seem all that fazed, being a rookie general manager and being called out in the media. I do understand, though, why Dubas would be a little angry, and it's because this is an understandable frustration, because this is a frustrated GM.

It's tacit admission, this report coming out, that his goaltending, and he believes that it's not good enough. And it's not, probably. But now he's tacitly admitting to it, which puts more and more pressure, and more scrutiny under the goaltenders struggling under his watch, under the weight and pressure of expectation.

Jack Campbell and Petr Mrazek know-- well, Jack Campbell knows that they were going for an upgrade. They maybe don't believe in him being the starter in the postseason. Petr Mrazek knows they're trying to get rid of him.

So a situation bordering on untenable, or getting pretty shaky back there, is now maybe a little more flimsy, because Jack Campbell has been dealing with the psychological aspect of all this. And Petr Mrazek, the lights have proven to be too bright for him so far. And now this is even more pressure.

So I understand why Kyle Dubas is bothered. But at the same time, you made your own bed. You gambled, if you're Kyle Dubas, on Jack Campbell and Petr Mrazek. And you went out there and you look for an upgrade. And not everything, not every conversation, will be kept under wraps, and maybe this is a learning point for him, as well.

There was a report earlier, there was discussion about how GM's only talk to a couple of GM's. And this is probably why, because maybe they only trust a few to make sure that discussions are held behind closed doors. And of course, Kyle Davidson is completely new to this, rookie general manager, took over Stan Bowman only a couple of months ago.

And I guess they learned something, those two, about each other. The Kyle's feuding behind, whether it's Slack messaging, or whatever general managers use these days to communicate with one another. A very interesting scenario. And something for Maple Leaf fans to chew on talk radio and everything, and us to chew on, because clearly the Leafs not that comfortable with who they have in that, and that has been an issue in the past.