CRANBERRY TWP, PA (93.7 The Fan) – A proud franchise that came from the depths to earn opponents respect. The Penguins were on top of the hockey world not that long ago. A perennial playoff team and championship favorite, a quick, relentless team to play against. There is realization it’s not like that anymore.
General manager Kyle Dubas spoke for nearly 45 minutes two days before the start of the season Monday about how they understand as an organization they need to work to get that status back.
“I think that everyone knows the season is going to be hard,” Dubas told local reporters. “We don’t come in with any preconceived notions anymore that we’re going to walk in and be a favorite or we’re going to walk in and strike fear into anybody. We’re going to have to earn that.”
It’s probably good for the organization to admit that. It seemed to have been living off past success and trying to band-aid its way back into the title hunt. Now Dubas said they have a plan to bring that back in terms what he said Pittsburgh hockey was built on-grit and innovation.
Now beginning his second full season, Dubas admits they won’t be favored to win anything. He said they need to build that competitive spirit every single day in practice, the gym and every game. They are fortunate in that they can do that while still having three huge pieces of some of their glory days.
“I’ve been encouraged very early on here, and a lot of you have seen it, by what I think is developing with our core group of younger players and the way they mimic and follow the example of the leadership of the existing core that has been here for a long time,” Dubas said. “It was great to walk out of my office or look out of my office and see Owen Pickering, Tanner Howe, Rutger McGroarty and Harrison Brunicke or Tristan Broz out on to the ice on one half late into the day. And as usual, on the other end would be Sidney Crosby and others.”
“That’s one of the things that we’ve really strived to do is to begin to form that younger core group that can learn from the (veteran) group that has had so much success here in Pittsburgh,” Dubas said. “There (were) a number of great moments during camp where the intentionality of that came to fruition out on the ice for everybody to see.”
“We just need to keep hammering that home.”
Dubas said if they can protect those core foundational principles of the Penguins while developing internally, having some of those young players in Wilkes-Barre making a push to get on the NHL roster. Push the compete level of those currently in the building, they can reach their goal.
What is that goal for the 2024-25 season?
“Playing very meaningful hockey in March, April and beyond,” Dubas said without getting into specifics.
Dubas said they’ve had talks throughout the offseason and into camp about their standards. He believes there are still high standards that work their way down from Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. Those players expect excellence. The Pens GM said it’s his duty to preserve those standards and to push the team to lift that standard.
The organization understands the external expectations are low. Not only are they not a listed contender, they aren’t even on the radar by most experts as a dark horse. Where they first showed up on a list of preseason predictions in The Athletic is second, on the subject of who will be the first coach fired. The Pens are given a 10% chance just to make the playoffs, below that of Buffalo or Ottawa. ESPN ranks them as the 18th best team in hockey to begin the season.
They don’t use that as fuel or a narrative, Dubas said rather the focus stays on them and what they can control. The improvements are going to have to come internally. They don’t have the cap room nor are they willing to deal top prospects or picks any more for immediate help.
“If we can simply channel our foundational principles of the Penguins, our competitive spirit, development and controlling games and controlling emotions, I think we’ll have an extremely successful season and we’ll meet all the goals that
we’ve set for ourselves this year,” Dubas said.
After a run of 16 straight playoff seasons, there is work to do to avoid a streak going in the other direction. At least now they admit their situation. It may be the first step to turning it around.