3 things Kyle Dubas has gotten wrong as Toronto Maple Leafs GM

The Toronto Maple Leafs are facing a dire situation in the second round of the 2023 playoffs, down 3-0 to the Florida Panthers. The team's general manager, Kyle Dubas, has made three key mistakes that have contributed to this situation.

Three key mistakes that Kyle Dubas has made that has led to the Toronto Maple Leafs being down 3-0 to the Florida Panthers

The Matt Murray Trade

The first mistake was trading for Matt Murray before the season. While Murray was expected to be the starting goalie for the Toronto Maple Leafs, he got injured early in the season. The team had to rely on Ilya Samsonov as their starting goalie, until he too got injured.

Now, in a crucial elimination game four, the team is forced to start AHL goalie Joseph Woll, who has minimal NHL experience. This lack of goalie depth is hurting the Maple Leafs. They are unable to rely on a stable, experienced goalie to make key saves and keep them in the game.

Trading for the wrong defensemen at the deadline

The second mistake was making the wrong trades for defenseman at the trade deadline. While Luke Schenn has been a good fit for the team, Jake McCabe and Erik Gustaffson have drastically underperformed in the playoffs.

McCabe has been a liability on the ice, making costly mistakes that have led to goals against. Gustaffson, on the other hand, has not been able to contribute much offensively or defensively. This lack of defensive depth is hurting the Toronto Maple Leafs. They are unable to shut down the Panthers' offense and prevent them from scoring.

Bad line structure

The final mistake was having incomplete lines that the Toronto Maple Leafs have struggled to find natural fits for. It seems like all their lines are 2/3 complete, and they don't really know who to put with Matthews/Marner, Tavares/Nylander, and O'Reilly/Accari. They flip flop their left wings and can't stay consistent. Alex Kerfoot, Calle Jarnkrok, and Michael Bunting have flip-flopped between line combinations at left wing the entire series after Matthew Knies got injured.

This lack of consistency is hurting the Maple Leafs. They are unable to build chemistry and develop a consistent offensive attack.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are facing a dire situation in the playoffs, down 3-0 to the Florida Panthers. The team's GM has made three key mistakes that have contributed to this situation. They traded for Matt Murray before the season, hindering their goalie depth when Murray got injured early in the season. They made the wrong trades for defenseman at the trade deadline, resulting in a lack of defensive depth.

Finally, they have incomplete lines that they can't seem to find natural fits for, leading to a lack of consistency and chemistry on offense. These mistakes are costing the Maple Leafs dearly. If they want to make a comeback in the series, they will need to address these issues quickly.