Multiple Toronto Maple Leafs superstars were asked about Pittsburgh Penguins president/GM Kyle Dubas.

When the 2022-23 season ended for the Pittsburgh Penguins, the hunt immediately began for a new face to lead the front office.

Fenway Sports Group and the Penguins interviewed a number of candidates, but they kept a keen eye on one name in particular: Kyle Dubas from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Following the end of the Maple Leafs season, Dubas stated his intention to remain in Toronto, but Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan had other plans.

Dubas was fired from his position forcing the Penguins to put their search on pause while they talk with their top candidate.

The Penguins eventually hired Dubas as president of hockey operations despite him saying on the record it was Toronto or nowhere.

Being fired from your job you just put full commitment into might change those plans, but that doesn’t mean the Maple Leafs personnel weren’t stunned by the move.

Multiple stars on the Maple Leafs roster were asked about the departure of their now former general manager.

Auston Matthews said he was surprised by the changes made in the Leafs front office, and that he had a good relationship with Dubas.

It didn’t matter who was in the front office for Matthews, however, as he recently signed an extension that will make him the highest paid player in the NHL starting with the 2024-25 season.

Maple Leafs captain John Tavares noted how difficult it was to see Dubas leave Toronto.

Tavares talked about how Dubas meant a lot to him both on and off the ice and was a huge reason he signed with Toronto in the first place.

Defenseman Morgan Rielly noted that the group had no choice but to stick together while everything unfolded.

The Maple Leafs are trekking on with Brad Treliving as their new general manager and hope to get over the hump as one of the best teams in the NHL.

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