Dubas admits he considered splitting core

Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas said the time for sentiment is over and he had considered, however briefly, trading one of his core players over the summer but didn’t see the right deal.

“None of those opportunities that came along in the summer were going to tangibly improve our team,” Dubas said on the latest episode of “The Bob McCown Podcast.” “They could have would have made us different, but they wouldn’t have necessarily made us better.”

The likes of Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews and William Nylander felt the brunt of the disappointment of Leaf fans after the team lost to the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the playoffs. They are all homegrown talent signed to expensive, long-term deals.

“The time for sentiment has come and gone as the years have gone past, where we haven’t broken through to what many deem is our potential,” Dubas said.

“We looked at everything. I know that there is a feeling that the core group is protected, and we have a strong belief in them. But I think we would look at anything that would that would improve our team overall, regardless.”

Matthews led the NHL in goals last year, with 41, and Marner (67 points) and Matthews (66) were fourth and fifth in the scoring race. but the pair combined for just one post-season goal. The Leafs haven’t won a playoff round since 2004 and Dubas said he felt some heat to make changes, but decided to stay the course.

“I’m excited for (the players) to pick themselves back up and get back at it in a few weeks and get into the season,” Dubas said. “And if things come up along the way that can improve our team, that’s the job. And we’ll be aggressive in trying to do that.

“But at this moment, none of those things have come across where I felt our team would be better.”