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Kyle Dubas Delivers His Honest Assessment of Maple Leafs Captain Auston Matthews
Photo credit: Imagn Images
Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews can be a polarizing guy, although former general manager Kyle Dubas knows the superstar quite well.
Auston Matthews is one of the best players in the NHL, although not everyone was a huge believer in him being given the captaincy of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Some felt like it was a slap in the face to previous captain John Tavares, while others simply felt as though Matthews didn't have the leadership skills.
These days, a lot of folks are eating crow, especially when you consider how Matthews' own teammates and coaches speak about him publicly.
Kyle Dubas talks Auston Matthews
Another great example of this came on Tuesday as former Leafs GM Kyle Dubas spoke to the Cam & Strick Podcast, where he offered up his views on Matthews.
He noted that the forward has completely evolved as a leader over the years and has done enough to prove himself.
Furthermore, he spoke about how Matthews should be back to 100 percent health next season, which will allow him to have a bounce-back year.
You've seen the evolution as a leader and the evolution on the defensive side as well. Of course, everyone knows about the goalscoring, but to see him named captain there, captain of Team USA, he puts a lot into his craft. I don't think any of the stuff that people talk about - the pressure, the market - his pressure is probably internal and trying to be at his absolute best, and you saw different steps that he took throughout his career.
He took constructive criticism well, especially as he got into his mid-20s, so it's been great to see him continue to evolve, and I hope that he gets back to 100 percent - I think as he talked about after the year - and get back to having a dominating year next year.
He took constructive criticism well, especially as he got into his mid-20s, so it's been great to see him continue to evolve, and I hope that he gets back to 100 percent - I think as he talked about after the year - and get back to having a dominating year next year.
Now, Kyle Dubas is with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he gets to watch guys like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin play the game of hockey.
Needless to say, Dubas has seen some incredible players in his time, and he is very lucky to have done so.
It also means his opinion on Matthews should be taken seriously, and that fans should listen when spoken to.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 13 | 88 ANSWERS Kyle Dubas Delivers His Honest Assessment of Maple Leafs Captain Auston Matthews Do you agree with what Kyle Dubas said about Auston Matthews? | ||
| YES | 49 | 55.7 % |
| NO | 39 | 44.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
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