The Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t end up getting Erik Karlsson, but they wanted him.
After acquiring the reining Norris Trophy Winning, 101 point-scoring, 5v5 point leading, Erik Karlsson over the weekend, ex Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas said that attempting to acquire one of the NHL’s best defenseman went back to last year with the Leafs.
This isn’t exactly breaking news, as the rumours at the Trade Deadline were that Dubas was no longer in full control, and the decidedly non-Dubas-Like acquisitions seemed to confirm it.
And if you were in any doubt, the Leafs fired him after the season ended with Shanahan offering up a lot of nonsense about not thinking Dubas wanted to be the GM to justify the move.