There are lots of notions about where our Penguins are heading. Some see POHO/GM Kyle Dubas’ recent moves as a sign post pointing squarely to a teardown, or at least one on the sly. A thinly veiled attempt to position us for at least a reasonable shot at snagging Happy Valley phenom Gavin McKenna in the upcoming draft and Landon DuPont in the one after that.
Others, including yours truly, aren’t 100 percent sure of his intent. To my eye, he seems to be following in the skate tracks of the Kings, circa 2018-22. The two-time Cup champions went through what I’d define as a selective retool. They gradually turned over their roster, parting ways with Cup heroes such as Dustin Brown, Alec Martinez, Jonathan Quick and ex-Pen Jeff Carter while using their version of Sidney Crosby, Anže Kopitar, as a center piece for a turnaround and rebirth.
The result?
After missing the playoffs three years running, the resurgent Kings have qualified for the playoffs the past four seasons, only to be defeated in the first round by the Oilers each time. (Talk about being owned!)
But I digress.
Obviously the take that matters most belongs to Dubas. And he insists the Pens aren’t trying to tank. In fact, he rankles at the suggestion.
“The one thing that I do disagree with is, is just the notion that we’re actively trying to get worse. That doesn’t really enter into our mindset at all that we’re going to go out, we’re going to purposely, you know, become worse,” he shared during a recent PDOcast hosted by Dimitri Filipovic.
As the old saying goes, the proof is in the pudding. Should the 39-year-old exec deal Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell or Bryan Rust (or any combination thereof) anywhere along the line and up to the trade deadline? The return(s) might say (scream) otherwise.
For now, we need to take Dubas at his word.
Positionally speaking, what he has done exceptionally well in a short amount of time is restock a nearly barren prospects cupboard, as well as our cache of picks. A whopping 28 in all spread over the next three drafts. Very reminiscent of the way then-GM Craig Patrick operated in the early 2000s while abruptly pivoting from buyer to seller.
The more darts you have to throw at the board, the greater your chances of hitting the bullseye. Or in this case, developing bona fide NHL talent.
Dubas has also afforded the team an astonishing level of flexibility. Of the 23 players currently listed on our PuckPedia roster, no fewer than 10 (seven forwards and three defensemen) are slated to become UFAs at the end of the season. Three more will become RFAs, including recently acquired netminder Arturs Silovs.
That’s over half our roster!
Not only does it provide Dubas with gobs of wiggle room when it comes to taking advantage of opportunities in the marketplace, it leaves plenty of potential roster space for deserving kids who are ready to take that next big step.
Whichever path Dubas chooses to follow, I’d say he’s positioning us exceptionally well.
