PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – As the season is set to open, first-year Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas said he was pleased with training camp, the competition level and depth on this team. As the games will matter starting on Tuesday, some thoughts on a few topics around the team.
Guentzel health
Coming back earlier than expected from off-season ankle surgery to be a full participant in practice, Dubas said he’s not surprised from everything he’s heard about Jake Guentzel that he might play Tuesday night. Guentzel is the biggest contract question after this season as he would head into free agency. Dubas said they are focused on the forward’s health right not but he has a great relationship with Guentzel’s agent and will have talks whenever their side wants to.
Guentzel is in the final year of a five-year, $30 million salary and is coming off scoring 81 goals with 157 assists in the last two seasons.
Karlsson fit
Dubas says he’s not a guy to put a lot into preseason results, so nothing he’s seen so far is really judged. He said defenseman Erik Karlsson is the type of player that will make the power play fit and work. That it will be Karlsson who will adjust as well as making others around him better.
“His energy, the professionalism, how hard he works, the condition he came into camp in wasn’t something that I knew to that degree,” Dubas said Monday. “To see how prepared he was, and what he does each day to get himself ready for practice and games has been quite impressive. The energy level and confidence he brings each day has been great to see and well received by everybody.”
“It’s been quite refreshing. He’s a lot of fun to have.”
Carter role
It’s likely a man with 836 career NHL points will start on the Pens fourth line. Jeff Carter has been lining up there, but Dubas said he would have the opportunity to move up. He said Carter has had a very good training camp.
“The doubt that may be there will probably fuel him to show that he’s still capable of being a strong and contributing member of a contending team and that’s what we expect from him,” Dubas said. “I’ve known Jeff a very long time. I know what he’s about.”
Crosby fight
He clarifies that he never wants to see Sidney Crosby fight, however Dubas said he appreciates Crosby sticking up for teammate Kris Letang by going after Buffalo’s Peyton Krebs in an exhibition game on Friday for what he thought was a cheap hit.
“I loved the moment for the team because I think you hear all of these things about Sid when you come in here,” Dubas said. “Every single day you see a number of things that back it all up because you can’t really believe on the outside that it’s real. It’s more than real.”
Successful
Asked what will make a successful season, Dubas explained it this way.
“The standard is that the group is going to win each day and they are going to stack all those days one on top of the other and it’s going to lead to contending and winning the Stanley Cup,” Dubas said.
He said he understands there are doubters. He thinks it’s fair to doubt his team because it’s up to them to earn that belief back. The new GM then added if they don’t win the Cup that everyone will look back and think they didn’t reach their objective.