PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It’s a team that is skidding towards a second consecutive non-playoff and likely losing season. Before the free agent deadline Friday, Pens GM Kyle Dubas was only able to make a couple of moves. It doesn’t mean he’s done.
“I think we need to make a lot of improvement to the group,” Dubas said Friday. “Obviously we are not where we aspire to be.”
The first-year Pens GM said they have the salary cap flexibility now to add players at the start of free agency on July 1. He said going into the summer they will have about $12 million in cap space based on where he forecasts the salary cap ceiling to be next season.
He also believes they now have more younger players, not just to add to the roster, but to potentially use in trades to help the NHL team get the players that will make them contenders again.
“Our goal is to every day optimize the group and make it the best we can,” Dubas said. “We have a group of players that are fiercely competitive, that means they are unhappy with me when you move somebody from the group.”
“It’s my duty to improve our team day-in and day-out.”
Dubas said he knows it comes with the job to have players or coaches unhappy with decisions he makes. He also understands that Jake Guentzel is very popular among the fans as well. Dubas said he got the most he could for Guentzel, but said you are not going to get a top or second-ranked prospect trading a player on an expiring contract. To get those types of players in return, you need to trade an asset with years left on his deal.
The Pens General Manager is offering no timeline for when they will improve. He said he understands everyone wants a date they can hold onto and know everything will be better, but he said that’s not the proper thing to do. His task is to work every day to make the Penguins a Stanley Cup contender again.
“Do I believe in the group?” Dubas said. “Yes, I do. We showed that in the summer trying to improve that every way we can. We can argue about the success of those transactions and that’s fine.”
Those discussions are happening, whether on 93.7 The Fan, social media, social gatherings or even among the team. Dubas believed he took a step to bring youth and potentially improve the organization. It needs both.