The Penguins Get Their Man

The Kyle Dubas Era in the ‘Burgh has officially begun.

Seven weeks after Fenway Sports Group fired president of hockey operations Brian Burke and general manager Ron Hextall and less than a fortnight since Dubas was axed by Toronto, the FSG hired the ex-Leafs exec yesterday to replace Burke.

In the short run Dubas will operate as his own GM, at least until after the Entry Draft and the start of free agency. It’s unclear at this stage if any of the other rumored finalists for the GM slot, Jason Botterill, Steve Greeley or Mathieu Darche, will be considered, or if Dubas will choose to go in his own direction. He’ll certainly have the latitude and clout to do so.

Dubas promises to breathe life into an organization sorely in need of some. A sexy choice, the 37-year-old native of Sault Ste. Marie is bright and remarkably accomplished for one so young. A forward-thinker on the cutting edge of analytics and diversity.

The Leafs made the postseason in each of his five years at the helm and were consistently among the top regular-season finishers. However, upon closer examination I’ll stop short of anointing him as a savior who’s going to lead us back to the Promised Land.

Truth be told, the Leafs’ cornerstones…Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and Morgan Rielly…were already in place when Dubas replaced Lou Lamoriello as the Leafs’ GM in May 2018.

His first major move was to sign erstwhile Islanders captain John Tavares to a seven-year-deal for $77 million, a contract that’s come under a bit of scrutiny of late. He’s made some astute trades, acquiring the likes of Jake Muzzin, Mark Giordano and Ryan O’Reilly. He’s made some clunkers as well, rolling the dice on brittle ex-Pens goalie Matt Murray and dealing feisty and productive Nazem Kadri to the Avs for Alex Kerfoot and Tyson Barie.

Same at the draft table. Chalk up first-rounder Rasmus Sandin and second-rounders Sean Durzi, Nicholas Robertson and Matthew Knies on the plus side of the ledger. Rodion Amirov, the 15th overall pick in 2020, was tragically diagnosed with a brain tumor. Mercifully, the young Russian’s recovering and is working to resume his career. The jury’s still out on recent picks like Roni Hirvonen and Fraser Minten.

Still, Dubas isn’t afraid to move in bold strokes. Early in his second season at the helm he replaced venerated but unpopular coach Mike Babcock with Sheldon Keefe. Grabbing for the brass ring at this season’s deadline, he acquired O’Reilly, Noel Acciari, Sam Lafferty, Jake McCabe, Luke Schenn and Erik Gustafsson in a stunning series of rapid-fire trades (shades of Ray Shero in ’13). While the new adds failed to put the Leafs over the top, it certainly wasn’t for a lack of trying.

In a lot of ways, Dubas reminds me of former GM Jim Rutherford. Like FGMJR, he’ll work to correct his mistakes. He was well-liked by his players, too.

My lone disappointment?

I’d hoped Dubas might bring in his own coach and give long-time Pens skipper Mike Sullivan his walking papers…or better yet…pull off that trade with the Rangers for Alexis Lafrenière I only half-jokingly proposed a while back. I just feel like the Pens need a new voice behind the bench and this was a golden opportunity to make a fresh start.

However, based on comments made by Dubas at his introductory presser, it doesn’t sound like Sully’s going anywhere.

Who knows? Perhaps having a new man in charge will help revitalize Sullivan, who seemed out of sync with the previous regime.

I do hope Dubas will stand his ground in terms of roster construction. In particular, he’ll need to override Sullivan’s aversion to physical players. Fortunately, he seems to appreciate the need for toughness. During his tenure with the Leafs, he acquired the aforementioned Schenn, Acciari and Lafferty, along with Wayne Simmonds, Kyle Clifford, Nick Ritchie, Nick Foligno, Michael Bunting and Zach Bogosian.

Like some of his more high-profile moves, not all of them worked out. But at least he recognizes the need for a physical element.

My bottom line?

Although Dubas is no miracle worker, this was a good get for our Pens.

I’m excited to see what he can do.