Kyle Dubas Admits His Biggest Regret as Maple Leafs GM: A Small Trade From 2020 Still Haunts Him

Kyle Dubas has gone public with what he considers his biggest mistake as Toronto Maple Leafs general manager, and it concerns a player whose initials are M.M., but not Mitch Marner.

On the Cam and Strick podcast this week with former NHLer Cam Janssen and reporter Andy Strickland, Dubas admitted he has "tons of regrets" from his five years running the Leafs between 2018 and 2023, but one particularly stands out: trading Mason Marchment to the Florida Panthers for Denis Malgin on Feb. 19, 2020.

Mason Marchment had just four NHL games on his resume after years in the Toronto system at the time. Needing offense, Dubas targeted Denis Malgin, who had NHL experience but had never been a regular scorer in Florida.

The one-for-one trade was completed just weeks before the league shut down for COVID-19.

Malgin tallied just two goals in 31 games over two seasons with Toronto before being dealt to Colorado for Dryden Hunt.

Marchment, meanwhile, broke out with the Panthers, became a 20-goal scorer with the Dallas Stars, and now begins the 2025-26 season with the Seattle Kraken following a trade this summer.

As for Mitch Marner, who was dealt from Toronto in a sign-and-trade to the Vegas Golden Knights earlier this summer, Dubas said he hopes the change of scenery works out for both the team and player.