PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – It’s been the top name rumored to be the next Pens general manager even before Ron Hextall was officially fired. Kyle Dubas has reached an agreement to be the next Pittsburgh President of Hockey Operations.
It was believed that Dubas was set to become the General Manager.
“On behalf of my family, we are thrilled to join the Pittsburgh Penguins organization and all of the incredible people across Fenway Sports Group,” said Dubas in a statement released by the Penguins. “I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity that lies ahead of me.
The ownership group, FSG leadership and the Penguins staff on the ground in Pittsburgh have been absolutely outstanding. Everyone has demonstrated a clear commitment to building a best-in-class hockey operation.”
Unlike Hextall or even Jim Rutherford before him, Dubas never played in the NHL. He hasn’t played competitive hockey since he was 14-years-old due to dealing with concussions. He was a Sports Management graduate of Brock University near Toronto and started his career, at least for a short time, as a player agent. He was then a scout for a few years in the Ontario Hockey League before becoming the general manager of the Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Greyhounds at age 26.
Dubas was hired by the Toronto Maple Leafs as an assistant general manager in 2014 and then was the General Manager of the AHL’s Toronto Marlies for four seasons (winning the Calder Cup in 2018) before becoming the second-youngest GM in NHL history when the Maple Leafs promoted him in 2018. This season was the first Toronto got past the first round of the playoffs during his tenure and the Maple Leafs lost in the second round to eighth-seeded Florida four games to one.
“He wasn’t perfect in Toronto,” said Pittsburgh Hockey Now’s Dan Kingerski on 93.7 The Fan. “No GM is perfect, but his aggressiveness. His willingness to go out of the box with decisions and even philosophy. I think that’s what this organization needs and what FSG wants to do.”
“They might hit a home run. They might strike out. We will see what the structure is going to be, but Dubas was the best candidate available.”
Dubas faces a number of issues just walking in the door, not the least of which is salary cap. Contracts in the NHL are guaranteed. Jeff Carter’s ($3.125 million), because of his status, will count against the Pens cap no matter what. There are big contracts of players who weren’t healthy or didn’t produce up to their level, Mikael Granlund ($5 million) or Jeff Petry ($6.25 million).
There are a number of key free agents including starting goaltender Tristan Jarry. Does he deserve a new contract and given his injury history, what is that number? Jason Zucker was finally healthy and had a solid season, can you afford to bring him back? Brian Dumoulin, Nick Bonino, Danton Heinen, Dmitry Kulikov are unrestricted free agents and Drew O’Connor and Ryan Poehling are restricted. Then Jake Guentzel’s contract is up after next season.
“The problem is some of the work may not be able to be done,” Kingerski said on 93.7 The Fan. “There are some salary cap issues with the team. This stuff is guaranteed and the Penguins contracts are especially difficult.”
Kyle Dubas will get the opportunity to be Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang’s boss. Most would love that opportunity, but there is so much more that goes along with the job and it won’t be easy.
Fenway Sports Group Principal Owner, John Henry, and Chairman, Tom Werner, issued the following joint statement in an announcement about the hiring.
“We are thrilled to welcome Kyle to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Throughout his career, Kyle has proven himself as a forward-thinking hockey mind and embodies all of the qualities – integrity, intelligence, and an unwavering commitment to building a winning culture – that we value in a leader at the Penguins and within Fenway Sports Group. We have done exhaustive work narrowing down candidates throughout this process, but it did not take long to be impressed by Kyle, the reputation he’s cultivated for himself in and around the National Hockey League, and his vision for the organization on and off the ice.
His passion for the sport and ability to foster collaborative relationships with his staff, coaches and players is the type of leadership style that will undoubtedly resonate with the front office and set us on a new path for success in the near-term with our current championship-caliber core and beyond with a commitment to sustainable, long-term success.”