"I think it's certainly fair to say that if there aren't changes to our performance in the end that there will be changes to the organization," Dubas said on "The Bob McCown Podcast" on Thursday. "That comes with the territory in operating in a market like this and operating with a team that hasn't reached its potential in the playoffs."
Toronto (35-14-7) finished first in the seven-team Scotia North Division last season and was one win from advancing to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2004. The Maple Leafs then lost the final three games of a best-of-7 first round series to the Montreal Canadiens.
Toronto this offseason lost free agent goalie Frederik Andersen (Carolina Hurricanes); forwards Zach Hyman (Edmonton Oilers), Joe Thornton (Florida Panthers) and Nick Foligno (Boston Bruins); and defenseman Zach Bogosian (Tampa Bay Lightning).
The Maple Leafs added free agent goalie Petr Mrazek and forwards Nick Ritchie, David Kampf, Ondrej Kase and Michael Bunting. They join returning forwards Mitchell Marner, Auston Matthews, John Tavares and William Nylander, and defenseman Morgan Rielly.
"I think it's certainly fair to ponder [changes], and especially given the fact that we're going to return the same core group, which I have great belief in," Dubas said. "If I didn't have belief in it, knowing the consequences to the team, we wouldn't have returned it."
Toronto has lost five consecutive postseason series, following seasons each with a points percentage of at least .579 and finishing no lower than third place in their division.
The Maple Leafs last won the Stanley Cup in 1966-67. They open this season Oct. 13 at home against the Canadiens.
"The time for sentiment and different things like that have come and gone as the years have gone past where we have not broken through to what many deem as our potential," Dubas said.
