Penguins President and General Manager Kyle Dubas was available to the media on Wednesday ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline on March 8.
With the team having lost five of their last six games and out of a playoff spot, “where we're at right now is not where we aspired to be at the beginning, and where we aspire to be now.
“On that note, I think it's important for me as the person in this position to make myself available to you all and be accountable for where we're at, and answer any questions that anybody has about the team this year to date.”
Here are the biggest takeaways…
* Out of respect to the pedigree and history of this group, Dubas is trying to be as patient as possible and give them time, especially because the Penguins have had moments throughout the season that prove they can play with anybody.
“It just hasn’t happened enough,” Dubas said. “So, we’re looking for that in this next stretch here.”
Led by the Big Three of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang, the Penguins have been incredibly successful for nearly two decades, winning three Stanley Cups and putting together a 16-year playoff streak that ended last season.
If the group didn’t have that pedigree or history, Dubas wouldn’t feel they were owed the latitude he’s giving them now.
“But I feel that this group, respecting them and what they've accomplished in the past here, and then how proud they are – others may not agree, but I think that that's the right and fair thing to do. It's been outlined to them; they know what's at stake. We've got the last two remaining games of this homestand, (the Western Canada trip), and then we're back here again to show where we want to go. I just think that's the right and fair way to handle it now with the group.”
Dubas also understands that as the Penguins continue to stay level or drop down when it comes to the standings, that task becomes daunting – so he’s getting more calls from teams asking who’s going to be available.
In response to a report from TSN Insider Pierre LeBrun claiming the Penguins are listening on anyone outside of Crosby, Malkin and Letang, Dubas said, “It's my job to listen (when teams call). But there's been no discussion about these guys are and these guys aren’t available. A lot of teams are just calling and asking about a litany of our players.”
Jake Guentzel’s future is a decision that’s at the forefront, with the 29-year-old star winger in the last year of his contract.
Right now, Guentzel is on long-term injured reserve, and is eligible to return on March 10. Dubas said how their team continues to play in the next two-and-a-half weeks will dictate the short-term answer at the trade deadline.
But Dubas said he understands how valuable Guentzel, Crosby’s longtime linemate, has been as a teammate; a contributor to helping the team win the Stanley Cup with his epic performance as a rookie in 2017; and everything else he’s done in the years since as one of eight players in franchise history to have multiple 40+ goal seasons with the team.
“So, it's important, but at the same time, we have to take stock of where we're at and be realistic of the fact that one of the issues we have is we need to get younger. We have a lot of guys in their 30s signed; some of them are some of the best players in the history of the franchise,” said Dubas, with that list including the likes of Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell in addition to the Big Three.
“It’s tough with Jake, as I've said to him, because he's an excellent player and playing at an elite level. But we have to find a way to continue to have those solid veteran guys, but also continue to get younger at the same time.”
Dubas reiterated several times that the Penguins, who currently have the oldest roster in the NHL, need to get younger. Having players like Sidney Crosby prevents a complete rebuild, “because they’re too good.” The Penguins want to advantage of how he can impact (ideally younger) players, which can help everyone, and hopefully allow the team to keep contending.
“I don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves. But I think Sid, Geno, Kris Letang, Erik – they can provide massive value to new young guys coming into the league. I think that can give them an energy, and that's what we really need,” Dubas said.
He listed Penguins prospects Brayden Yager, Owen Pickering, Sam Poulin, and Joel Blomqvist, along with future draft picks and any other younger players the Penguins can bring in via trade if another club has a surplus in one position that they can capitalize on.
“To have those guys evolve and develop as those players are in the back ends of their careers, and that can help boost them as well. There weren't those opportunities available to us last offseason, but we have to hunt them and search them out now and be involved in all those discussions,” Dubas said.
Dubas said he can’t see the Penguins expending a ton of their future draft capital this year to become buyers at the trade deadline, even if the group does go on a run.
Dubas was open to a hockey trade along the lines of a one-for-one to shake up the room, which is something the team explored in the last several weeks going into the All-Star break, but the opportunities to do that “haven’t really been there, and we’ve exhausted them.”
He’s hoping that the level of urgency from their current situation can be what shakes things up, especially given how they had two points within reach in their last two losses on Sunday to the Kings and Tuesday to the Islanders.
“If there is ever going to be a chance where we're going to shake ourselves free, starting tomorrow would be it,” Dubas said.
Dubas said he didn’t think that there needs to be any discussion about Mike Sullivan’s status despite the team’s lack of consistency, reiterating his deep respect for the Penguins coaching staff in how they go about their business.
“To me – with the coaching staff, with Sully – based on what I've learned from him in our discussions this year and his ability to take the development of each individual player seriously, I think he's the type of coach that can both help you win, but also that he can develop people and develop players,” Dubas said.
“As I would do with my own staff, with any staff, I'll sit down with Mike at the end of the year and go through his view of it, and we'll be very thorough about that. But I know he has great belief in them and the work that they're doing, and I see the work that they're doing every day. I think the questions come because it hasn't manifested itself in consistency on the ice. So, I think that's a fair question and criticism.”
Dubas was also asked specifically about Todd Reirden, who oversees Pittsburgh’s struggling power play. Dubas said their performance falls on everybody, including himself.
“I think everybody in that locker room is unhappy about where that is at. So, I don't want to delve into individual coaches or players and their (performance) on the power play, because I have to do everything I can to help them all get to that next level,” Dubas said. “Then obviously, there's no dancing around, it hasn't been where we want to have or where we want it to be at. That said, we have continued opportunity here to rectify it, and that would be a real easy way for us to start to move in a more consistently strong direction as a club here in the next couple weeks.”
Finally, Dubas was asked what his message would be to the fans who are frustrated with the direction the team is going, and the chance they might miss the playoffs for a second straight year:
"I think the fans were incredible last night. Every time we would show some life, they would double it. And that has a major impact, you can feel it when you’re on the road, you can feel it at home. My message to the fans would be that they are doing their part, and if they continue to do that, that's a massive help to the players in the organization, especially with where we are at. And I think having gone through this weekend, and been through eight or nine months here now, this is a very proud city, especially regarding its sports teams. Everything that we do will be with the intention of delivering a championship contender for the team without them having to go through years of pain of having to get there. That's my commitment to the group and to the fans. I think the fans here deserve it, they've been incredible. And even when we haven't been at our best, they have our back, they are massively supportive. It's really been special to see."
Watch Dubas' full media availability:
