The celebration was the last official act for Dubas as general manager of the Marlies, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Maple Leafs. Dubas starts his first offseason as Maple Leafs GM with pending unrestricted free agent forwards James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak and Leo Komarov, and with the No. 25 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft.
Dubas said no decision has been made on the free agents, who can test the open market July 1.
"The door is always open," Dubas said. "We're evaluating where things are."
Dubas said Toronto's young players -- forwards Auston Matthews, Mitchell Marner and William Nylander, and defenseman Morgan Rielly -- provide a talented foundation that negates any pressure to make a major acquisition.
"I don't think I have to do anything big just to do so," Dubas said. "That would be a disservice to the organization, frankly. It's not about me. It's about the players and the coaches.
"If what people describe as a big splash happens to make our team a lot better, then we'll do it, but it's not something that's important to me at all."
Dubas worked the phones for the Maple Leafs during the 2015 NHL Draft and said that experience will be valuable this year in Dallas (June 22-23). The Maple Leafs have seven picks, which gives them the flexibility to trade up or down.
"It's not going to be an unknown," the 32-year-old said. "You kind of have a sense of how it goes. And being able to watch Lou the last two years at the draft has been a major boost for me in how he handled interactions with GMs."
Dubas was GM of the Marlies since he joined the Toronto organization in 2014, and he was instrumental in hiring Keefe, who also could pursue a job as an NHL assistant if one is available.
The Marlies won the Calder Cup by defeating the Texas Stars in Game 7 on Thursday to become the first men's professional hockey team from Toronto to win a championship since the Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup in 1967.
Dubas now will work on winning an NHL title. Toronto this season was eliminated in the Eastern Conference First Round with a 7-4 loss in Game 7 at the Boston Bruins. The Maple Leafs played the deciding game on the road because they finished third behind the second-place Bruins in the Atlantic Division.
"In order to take that next step, the division is everything," Dubas said. "We finished behind Boston. We finished behind [the Tampa Bay Lightning]. Whatever we do to improve our team, that's what the focus has to be.
"Unless you are in a crossover situation in the [Stanley Cup Playoffs], you are going to be matched up against teams in your division and you have to get by them if you want to get to your ultimate goal."
It was a goal he reached with the Marlies, which included Dubas unleashing a scream while accepting the Calder Cup from Keefe.
"That's me, I guess. When things are exciting, I get excited," Dubas said. "I try to always maintain calm and be fairly stoic, but when things are exciting on that side of it, I think you should show your emotions."
Will that be the case with the Maple Leafs?
"lt won't happen every single day," Dubas said. "But if we get to June and things go our way, I'll be excited."
