CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, PA — Short of Sidney Crosby being, well, Sidney Crosby, nothing has gone according to plan in Kyle Dubas’ first season as president of hockey operations/general manager for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“Where we’re at right now is not where we aspired to be in the beginning or where we aspire to be right now,” Dubas said Wednesday.
However, he stopped short of committing to either selling or buying before the NHL trade deadline on March 8.
With only 29 games remaining, the Penguins find themselves 10 points from third place in the Metropolitan Division, eight points from the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card slot — and merely seven points from a place among the NHL’s bottom-five clubs. They are 3-6-2 since the 10-3-3 stretch that had them within striking distance of the postseason following a middling first couple of months.
The Penguins are in danger of missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season. They haven’t gone successive seasons without a playoff berth since before Sidney Crosby joined the organization in 2005-06.
After failing to qualify for the last postseason by only a point, Fenway Sports Group jettisoned GM Ron Hextall and hockey operations head Brian Burke. FSG hired Dubas, who previously served as GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and wasted little time in trying to remake the roster for another Cup run with the nucleus of Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.
The most notable of those additions — defensemen Ryan Graves (signing) and Erik Karlsson and winger Reilly Smith (trades) — have not lived up to expectations. Karlsson, the highest profile of acquisitions, has delivered favorable metrics at 5-on-5 play, but he failed to elevate a power play that was perceived to underproduce last season.
The Penguins’ power play is much worse — and Karlsson has even spent time, along with Malkin, on a second man-advantage unit in recent weeks.
Despite their struggles and standings position, multiple Penguins players said Wednesday they were hopeful to hear a commitment of support from Dubas.
“Obviously, we all still have optimism, we all still have belief in here,” Bryan Rust said. “So we’d like to hear that.”
As for how Rust and other holdovers from the 2016 and 2017 Cup championships clubs can keep things upbeat, he said, “At this point, you don’t have any other option.
“I feel like if you’re going to make things happen, you’ve gotta believe things are going to happen, you gotta know that we have it in this room,” Rust said. “Otherwise, you’re not going to be very helpful.”
Marcus Pettersson said he wanted Dubas to say “he believes in us like we believe in ourselves.”
Dubas said his immediate plan for the Penguins is to the current group “a chance” to improve their postseason standing.
“I think we’ve had enough moments throughout the season when we’re at our best, that we show we can play with anybody — it just hasn’t happened enough,” Dubas said. “So, we’re looking for that in this next stretch here.”
What is Jake Guentzel’s future with the Penguins?
Dubas neither committed to keeping nor trading Guentzel, who is on long-term injured reserve and will not play before the trade deadline.
“I understand how valuable he’s been as a teammate, member of the community, contributor to helping the team win a Stanley Cup, and so on and so forth — it’s important,” Dubas said of Guentzel, 29, who is on an expiring contract.
“We have to take stock of where we’re at and be realistic — and one of the issues we have is we need to get younger. We have a lot of guys in their 30s signed. Some of them are the best players in the history of the franchise. It’s tough with Jake because he’s an excellent player and playing at an elite level.
“We have to find a way to continue to have those solid veteran guys, but continue to get younger at the same time.”
Guentzel’s contract contains a limited no-movement clause that allows him to block a trade to 12 teams. He submitted that list to the Penguins prior to the start of this season.
Who would Dubas consider trading?
He wouldn’t say, though The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported Dubas is taking calls on all players who don’t comprise the core.
In multiple answers when he spoke, Dubas included Karlsson when also discussing Crosby, Malkin and Letang. He said those players would be excellent mentors as the Penguins get younger in future seasons.
“We hope to add to it — there’s only so much you can expect from that group,” Dubas said. “As much as you expect from them, they tend to deliver more, and they have here for a long time.
“They are four guys that are going to be Hall of Fame players. Erik is a new addition. I think he’d be the first to tell you he wants to contribute more, he feels he can contribute more. We need to help him get there.
“But I think those guys have the ability and character to help a younger group. That’s why I mentioned them together.”
The Penguins have 12 players with contractual clauses that give them either full or some say in any possible trades. Dubas said he has not approached any of those players to ask they waive a movement clause.
Is Mike Sullivan still Dubas’ preferred coach?
Dubas said he has a “deep respect for the coaching staff and the way they go about it.” He acknowledged external criticism of Sullivan and his staff, specifically associate coach Todd Reirden, who runs the power play.
Dubas referred to that criticism as “low-hanging fruit.”
Sullivan, who has won and coached the most games in Penguins’ history, has multiple years remaining on an extension he signed during the 2022 offseason. Reirden and assistant coach Mike Vellucci are on expiring deals.
“To me, with the coaching staff and Sully, I envision Mike Sullivan — based on what I’ve learned from him and our discussions this year and his ability to take the development of each individual player seriously — I think he’s the type of coach who shows he can win but also develop people and develop players,” Dubas said.
“I don’t think there needs to be any discussion about Mike.”
Dubas said he and Sullivan will evaluate the coaching staff after the season. He noted, though, that he’s pleased with the staff’s work, and said questions about their effectiveness “come because it hasn’t manifested itself with consistency on the ice.”
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(Photo: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
