And while Dubas has done well to replenish the pool with picks and prospects over the past year or so, the objective of any near-future moves wouldn't be to add more futures. Rather, it'd be to acquire actual players back, since this isn't a "tear-it-down-to-the-studs rebuild" yet, as Dubas likes to say. He remains committed to trying to win with at least Crosby. Ownership made that promise to Crosby over the summer, that the Penguins would be better this season.

For example, their most prominent pending free agent next summer is Pettersson, who wants to remain in Pittsburgh. But, as I wrote in Friday Insider last month, the Penguins have stayed no-contact with Pettersson's side, without even preliminary talks. That's because Dubas is looking to "protect all of our options" — and one of those options remains moving on from bigger assets as they retool the team quickly.

Dubas has been busy this season scouting other NHL games — some speculated that was related to his role as director of player personnel for Hockey Canada for this season's 4 Nations Face-Off, but Dubas has clarified that he's doing nothing for Hockey Canada that takes away from his job with the Penguins, and that it's the Penguins' off days that end up getting used for Hockey Canada work. So, when Dubas does something like he did on Monday — going to watch Canadiens-Sabres in Buffalo, and according to a source brought assistant general manager Jason Spezza plus manager of minor league operations Amanda Kessel with him, it's pretty safe to say that what he's looking at isn't related to any international tournament.

Of course, not everyone but Crosby can actually be traded. In addition to Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Bryan Rust and Erik Karlsson all have complete no-movement clauses. And while one could assume someone like Karlsson might be willing to waive that clause to go to a contender, it's hard to imagine that many contenders both have a need and the cap space for someone like Karlsson and his $10 million cap hit for three seasons. Seven more players have various levels of limited no-trade clauses, including one of the three goaltenders on the roster in Tristan Jarry.

The Penguins knew moves needed to be made well before Monday's abomination against Dallas. If anything, that horrendous first period and near-total lack of response just validated that, and maybe increased the urgency.

https://x.com/taylorhaasepgh/status/1856219061102719212?s=46

15 comments

  1. How about we first do the easy solution and just get rid of Sullivan, then fix the other problems

  2. Penguins have a tradition that once we fire a coach and hire a new coach, we make the playoff and win the cup. We should try that 👍

  3. If we’re going to tear it down to try to win with Sid, that is only possible at earliest, like, 2 years from now. It would require good, young stars, and teams aren’t going to give us that for an aging Malkin, our old guys can at best give us a couple of high:ish draft picks in the 1st/2nd round. We really need to stop with this nonsense belief that we can somehow compete and just rebuild already. If Sid doesn’t like that he has the right to demand a trade, it sucks and I hope he doesn’t, but that is the spot we’re in.

  5. Let me guess Dubas was “scouting” Mattias Samuelsson or Jack Quinn for Buffalo & for Montreal Arber Xhekaj, Kirby Dach, Josh Anderson, Joel Armia or Alex Newhook.
    None of these players would excel under the current coaching staff.
    Only Samuelsson, Quinn or Xhekaj are somewhat interesting.

  6. Fixing the goalie problem should be the first job. The fastest way to shoot up the standings is to fix the defense. The Penguins are 21st in Goals For per Game and 31st in Goals Against per Game.

    Why trade away our Hall of Famers if we have the second-worst defense in the league? The Penguins are scoring more goals than Edmonton and Boston this season. We give up twice as many goals as Winnipeg.

    If we had Winnipeg’s Goals Against per Game average of 2.00 we would be the 7th best team in the league. If it was 3.00, we would be 18th, a few places out of the playoffs.

    Improve the GA/GP by one goal each game. **This correlates to a 5% increase in save percentage.**

    **Instead of stopping 85% of shots on goal, stop 90% and the team will climb up the standings.**

    *10% in increase in save percentage = 2.00 GAA decrease. 85% SV% = 4.00 GAA.*

    *Instead of stopping 25.5 shots on 30 shots on goal, stop 27 shots and the team will slowly climb into playoff contention. It will be tough, because the Eastern Conference is very good this season, but even a 2.50 GAA would guarantee a spot in the playoffs.*

    **Jarry has been tearing up the Albany River Rats this month, maybe he is ready to take out of the microwave.**

  9. I don’t think I’m unreasonable to think that this is disrespectful to Malkin. Fine, rebuild, tear it down, trade everyone.

    But if you are talking like “except 87” with no regards to Malkin it does not feel like you are doing it because you respect Sid, his choice to stay or what he has done for the Pens.

    If that were the case you would extend the same courtesy to Geno. Because he has shown the same commitment to play for the Pens, he has chosen to stay and he has done just as much. And he has done all that while not being half as appreciated.

    Well, maybe saying “except 87 or 71” doesn’t have the same flair. Geno has a NMC. Maybe they are putting it like that for the dramatics.

    It should always be “except 87 or 71”.

  10. The rebuild needed to start 5 years ago. The window has been closed for years. At least they’re finally getting that.

  11. For the 3rd year in a row, can we fire Sully already? I am not opposed to trading, but he’s lost the locker room

  12. If you’re trading talented vets, whatever you’re getting back is not going to help you win in the short-term. Once you start moving players out, it’s a rebuild and there should be no delusion that the young players that you’re getting back can be used to “help Sid win”.

  13. as a canes fan, it feels like crosby is the thing that the pens need to move on from and rebuild — but with all the history he’s like a bad-ex that you keep going back to just to end up in the same place. Watching the pens play, it feels like the other players aren’t bought into that system anymore because it’s just “crosby is our guy” and then crosby gets frustrated in garbage time and loses his leadership qualities that the rest of the young guys def see

  15. Ngl it would be very beneficial for this team to move on from either Letang and/or Karlsson. Giving Brunicke a real opportunity to make the team next season. If there’s takers for Pettersson or Eller, pull the trigger now.  

    I’m super bullish on bringing up more than just Sam Poulin from WBS. Broz. McGroarty. Koivunen. Hell, I saw more effort from Imama against the boards in the preseason than I did from the entire roster last night at any given point. If we’re gonna get blown out, there should at the very least be pushing and shoving. If we’re gonna be the worst, which I’m totally fine with this season, at least make it entertaining. 

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