Following a busy offseason which saw the Toronto Maple Leafs address a number of weaknesses in free agency, general manager Kyle Dubas is hoping that the team can grow so that they can reach their full potential.
“There’s so much focus sometimes placed on bringing in one or two players and the impact that they can make, but the reality is if that level of competitiveness, and grit, and toughness, as we term it, is going to permeate through the locker room, it’s going to be through the maturity of the group that’s already there,” Dubas said, according to TSN.
The Leafs added veterans Wayne Simmonds and Zach Bogosian during free agency, and also added San Jose Sharks icon Joe Thornton and his 22 seasons of experience.
“Our core group is really embracing the fact that this is a wonderful opportunity. If they’re willing to sacrifice a little bit in each of their own individual realms, as all young teams do, then we’ll really reach our full potential.”
“When we talk about toughness with our group, it’s very simple the way we define it,” Dubas said. “If there’s a 50-50 puck, do you desperately want to win that puck every single time? And are you willing to be the first one on the puck? Are you willing to go to the difficult areas of the ice with and without the puck and be successful?”
