I’ll be honest. With a little over a month left until the start of training camp, I still look at the Penguins’ roster and scratch my head. The overabundance of forwards, particularly bottom-sixers, the abject lack of openings for the kids, and the absolutely frightening makeup of the left side of our defense just doesn’t make sense. To say nothing of a dearth of physicality when other Eastern Conference teams such as the Capitals and Panthers have gone on a muscle-building spree.
Yes, there’s certainly still time to make a trade or two. I’m reminded that today marks the third anniversary of the Erik Karlsson mega-deal. However, it sure doesn’t seem like any trades are in the works. Not for ‘Canes portside defenseman Alex Nikishin, not for Kraken center Shane Wright (especially in the wake of the Tommy Novak extension). Not for anybody.
Of course, I felt pretty much the same way about last summer’s moves. To our POHO/GM’s enormous credit, just about every one paid off in spades, from the signings of twin towers Anthony Mantha and Justin Brazeau (50 goals combined) to the surprising emergence of journeyman defender Parker Wotherspoon in an elevated role.
It was, quite literally, magical. So was the team’s stunning success and second-place finish.
I just don’t get the same vibe this time around. Yeah, some of Dubas’ moves I like, especially adding forward Nicolas Robertson and defenseman Declan Carlile on the cheap. However, I’m lukewarm on most and absolutely hate a few others.
It’s as if Dubas had no backup plan in place once his pursuit of Jason Robertson fell through. As if acquiring the Stars’ star would’ve fixed our myriad issues in one bold stroke.
Or does he? Beyond the pretense of improving the team “brick-by-brick” and making it competitive, does Dubas have a secret agenda? One only he and his staff are privy to?
Based on the team’s construction (perhaps deconstruction is more apt), one almost gets the sense that he’d privately like it to fail. The better to nab a top-10 pick in the draft, which the Pens haven’t had since the late Ray Shero took Derrick Pouliot eighth overall back in 2012. Over a decade ago.
If so, Dubas may get his wish. I’m admittedly no expert when it comes to judging horseflesh or hockey teams, but I can easily envision the current bunch coming up a cropper (or pushing up daisies) to the tune of an 80-point season. A perceived plunge that could potentially set the table for a selloff at the trade deadline involving UFA-to-be Karlsson and/or the R’n’R boys, Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust.
I definitely get the sense that Dubas has his eyes firmly fixed on the road ahead. Almost as if he’s regarding this season as a throw-away.
Has he purposely and privately set the team up to fail?
As with everything, time will tell.
If Dubas’s plan was to piece together a team that would look like he was trying to win be competitive this season but passive/aggressively trying to fail, he really did not need to sign Novak to an extension or give RFA Koivunen an 8 year contract. Both of these signings make no sense in either category, they are simply random acts.
Trying to trade for Jason Robertson also makes no sense in either strategy. The best case scenario for the current team would be to a repeat of last season, 1 and done playoff appearance and even a lower future. Robertson would have one or maybe two years at best with a viable Crosby, a Crosby that was no longer in his prime and not able to get him as many pucks as some younger star, so Robertson’s effectiveness would not be up to his potential. Then once Sid was gone, Robertson would have no one capable of getting him the puck until he (Robertson) was too old to be at his best.
Our Penguins are a ship with no helm, aimlessly wandering through the seas.
There is a high probability he is hoping we bomb. May also be a reason Crosby hasn’t signed an extension this off-season. He may have been told we aren’t being aggressive in a playoff push. We will just grab average pieces to construct a team. While Malkin, Crosby, and Letang quietly retire. Or Crosby moves on.
The quick and dirty answer is the one that nobody wants to hear, it is that Dubas has no plan and is just throwing as much paint at the canvas as possible, hoping that something sticks. Unfortunately, it is tough to consider the logical response when the most likely answer is this bad.
Hey Other Rick,
To the contrary, I actually think Dubas does have plan, just not an especially palatable one. Something along the lines of piece together a team that won’t be good enough to make the playoffs, sell-off veterans like Karlsson, Rakell and Rust at the trade deadline to make us bad enough to qualify for a top-10 pick the draft. Then package that pick with other assets to get a top five pick.
Rick