Kyle Dubas, the former general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, has shared his biggest regret from his tenure with the team. During a recent appearance on the _Cam and Strick_ podcast, he discussed his time as GM from 2018 to 2023 and revealed that trading forward Mason Marchment to the Florida Panthers for Denis Malgin on February 19, 2020, still weighs heavily on him.

Dubas, who is now in his second year as the general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins, stated, "I know you’re not supposed to look back. The biggest (regret) by far is actually Mason Marchment. By far. That one eats away and informs a lot of what we’ve tried to do since." Marchment had only played four games with the Leafs during the 2019-20 season after developing in the organization for several years. Dubas believed the team needed more scoring and sought a player with NHL experience.

Despite Malgin's lack of offensive success in Florida, Dubas proceeded with the trade just weeks before the NHL was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Malgin scored only two goals in 31 games for the Leafs over two seasons before being traded to Colorado for Dryden Hunt. In contrast, Marchment thrived with the Panthers, later becoming a 20-goal scorer with the Dallas Stars and is now with the Seattle Kraken.

Regarding Mitch Marner, who recently completed a sign-and-trade deal with the Vegas Golden Knights, Dubas expressed hope for a positive outcome for all parties involved. "Awesome person, wonderful player," he said of Marner. "I hope it works out well for everybody. I hope that it can galvanize the team and I hope that Mitch plays well in Vegas. I think we will look back on it in a number of years and have a better view of it, but I cheer for him and cheer for the rest of those guys to finally find their way through."

Dubas also addressed the challenges of managing a team in a high-pressure market like Toronto. He stated, "I don’t think that’s the case, that it’s too difficult of a market to play in. I think it’s a great market, they have deeply passionate fans that are desperate for the team to win. The team has not won in a long time, everybody knows that. I just think the team has to push through those moments."

He acknowledged the difficulties posed by the flat salary cap, which limited the team's ability to build a competitive roster. "After 2021, I thought we started to become much better at identifying what we needed to support the group and give the team a better chance," he said.

Dubas also reflected on the tenure of former head coach Mike Babcock, who was hired in 2015 and fired in 2019. He credited Babcock for instilling accountability and detail within the team but noted that it became clear a change was necessary for the team to progress.

On the topic of Auston Matthews, Dubas praised his growth as a player and leader, stating, "You’ve seen the evolution as a leader and the evolution on the defensive side as well. Everyone knows about the goal scoring. To see him named captain there, captain of Team USA, he puts a lot into his craft. His (biggest) pressure is probably internal in trying to be the absolute best."

Dubas concluded by reflecting on his relationship with Lou Lamoriello, the former GM, calling him a great mentor and emphasizing the impact Lamoriello had on his career.