After one season in charge, the Pittsburgh Penguins' GM may already face pressure to up the ante and get his team back into the playoffs, says Adam Proteau.
Jason Spezza and Kyle DubasThe NHL Hot Seat Radar series continues to roll out, continuing with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
We're listing one person on the 'hot seat' as someone facing considerable pressure to produce positive results or deal with the fallout. We’re identifying someone on the 'cold seat' – a person highly likely to remain with their team for quite some time.
Penguins’ Hot Seat: Kyle Dubas, GM-President of Hockey Operations
It’s true Dubas has only been on the job in Pittsburgh for just more than a year. But given where the Penguins are in their competitive cycle, Dubas will still be under pressure not only to get the team back in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in three seasons but also to make it count once they do.
It's a shame that star players Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson have not made the playoffs for two seasons, but the Penguins simply haven’t had the depth and consistent production at both ends of the ice to compete in the very tough Metropolitan Division.
Dubas made a splash on the trade and free-agent front last summer by getting Karlsson, Noel Acciari, Lars Eller and Ryan Graves. During the season, Dubas traded star winger Jake Guentzel in return for prospects and veteran pesty winger Michael Bunting, giving Pittsburgh more sandpaper at the cost of losing offensive firepower.
This summer, Dubas’ hands have been tied somewhat, limiting him to landing the well-travelled Kevin Hayes and Anthony Beauvillier, as well as depth defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, while trading veteran Reilly Smith to the New York Rangers.
Needless to say, these are hardly difference-makers, but there’s not much more Dubas can do with the salary cap space. He's painted himself into a corner financially, and he will rely on starting goalie Tristan Jarry to do much of the heavy lifting to get the Pens back to the playoffs.
All hands on deck must pull their weight, and any deficiencies could be the difference between making and missing the playoffs. If that doesn’t happen, Pittsburgh fans will be livid, and Dubas won’t have any answers to assuage their anger.
We’re not here to tell you Dubas will be fired at that point, but the patience of Penguins ownership will be tested if they push again and miss. There’s not much time right now for a backward or lateral step in Pittsburgh, and Dubas is facing all sorts of angst if there’s no notable improvement.
Penguins’ Cold Seat: Sidney Crosby, C
Is there any colder seat in hockey than the one Crosby occupies? We think not.
He’s now 36 and in the final year of his current contract, but it’s an incredible stretch to envision a circumstance in which Crosby wears a different team’s uniform. As one of the greatest competitors of all time, he’s earned the right to be a one-team player.
Now, this is not to say the Penguins shouldn’t be working on a rebuild. This team has serious structural deficiencies, and there’s no guarantee they’ll make the playoffs in the improving Metro division. But, much like Alex Ovechkin in Washington, Crosby is so woven into the fabric of Pittsburgh that it’s more or less heresy to suggest the team should part ways with him or tear it down while he's on the team. And he’s shown nothing but loyalty to the franchise.
It all adds up to mean Crosby will finish his career in Black and Gold, and the challenge for both him and his teammates is to turn things around while they still have that competitive window open. They must rebound soon to spare Crosby & Co. from another humiliating playoff miss.
Get the latest news and trending stories right to your inbox by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here.
