Pittsburgh Penguins GM Kyle Dubas addressed recent reports that the team would have a "fire sale" at the 2025 trade deadline

Rumors surfaced over the last several days regarding the Pittsburgh Penguins' plans for the 2025 trade deadline.

A random Montreal-based website - RG Media - claimed that Penguins GM Kyle Dubas was looking for a "fire sale" at the trade deadline and that the Penguins were willing to retain salary to trade defenseman Erik Karlsson.

This writer - who has no ties to Pittsburgh media - claimed further that the team wanted and "needed" to move Karlsson, and possibly Kris Letang, and that the only "untouchables" were Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, Philip Tomasino, and Owen Pickering.

Well, Dubas has since gone on record to completely shut down rumors of this so-called "fire sale."

In an interview with Josh Getzoff on his biweekly "GM Show", Dubas cleared the air. He said that while they're trying to bring in younger NHL players, prospects, and picks, their goal still remains to set the core up for one more run and simultaneously build for the future - akin to the "two-window" approach that we detailed earlier this week.

"That's the goal, and that's our ambition, and that's what we're going to continue to do," Dubas said. "We're not going to stray from that. But to say that it's a 'fire sale' and we're willing to retain money on very long-term deals? You know, I understand how that stuff starts to get out and take on a life of its own, but it's not accurate. We've had lots of conversations. But are we telling teams that everything must go? No, we're not."

He doubled down on the plan in place to try to compete while still building a solid foundation for the future, referencing the Los Angeles Kings and Washington Capitals as blueprints of sort.

"The way that we're going will continue to be clear to everybody," Dubas said. "Which is, we're trying to return the team to being a contender as soon as possible. How are we going to do that? We have to add younger NHL players, we have to add prospects, and we have to add future capital and draft picks to the mix.

"So, my view of it is that we should be able to accomplish that and still be able to maintain our spot in the playoff race and push for it. I know that isn't met with the most open understanding at times, and I understand why... people want it to be binary. They want it to be, 'Are you in contention now, or are you rebuilding now?' And the in-between is where it tends to get a little bit ambiguous. I think we kind of like it that way as well because it keeps our cards closer to our chest."