An ESPN analyst had some harsh criticism for the Pittsburgh Penguins' general manager.

PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Penguins have found themselves on a road leading nowhere, as the 2024 postseason seems too far out of reach. In his first year as Penguins president and general manager, Kyle Dubas had no choice but to trade a top forward in Jake Guentzel, hoping to quickly shuffle the deck and get back at it next season.

Despite the Penguins’ poor season, captain Sidney Crosby was on an unbelievable pace at the age of 36 until the trade talks with Guentzel intensified. Before his recent skid, Crosby had scored 63 points (32G-31A) in 58 games.

As it became clear Guentzel was never going to return to the ice in a Penguins’ uniform, Crosby’s numbers and body language have taken a complete turn. He has just one assist in the four games and has looked completely defeated.

Crosby’s negativity has forced many to criticize the Penguins for mistreating their superstar. Former player-turned-analyst P.K. Subban mocked and ripped Dubas for not fixing the Penguins sooner.

While on the set of NHL on ESPN, Subban joked that all it took was a pair of glasses for people to think he was the smartest person in the room, referring to Dubas’ trademark eyewear.

“That’s all it takes,” Subban said. “You put on a pair of spectacles and it makes you the smartest person in the room.”

A photo of Dubas flashed on the screen so viewers understood it was a clear shot at the Penguins front office leader. Subban wasn’t done there, however, and started pointing fingers at the work done by Dubas this season.

“It’s so disheartening to see Sidney Crosby like that,” Subban said. “He deserves better. I don’t think there’s enough accountability on management when it comes to these situations.”

Subban made note that Crosby has a chance to create a legacy for himself by continuing to battle in the postseason year after year and competing for more Stanley Cup rings as if Crosby hasn’t cemented plenty of a legacy with an endless resume of accomplishments, highlighted by three Cups. One of which came against Subban in 2017.

“He deserves an opportunity to play in the playoffs, and it’s on management to put the best team around him,” Subban said. “I don’t think they did that this year. That’s a missed opportunity.”

Dubas understood his job wouldn’t be easy in Pittsburgh, and he completely reshaped the roster in his first few months with the team. The players just so happened not to work out as expected. Dubas will have another summer to restructure the team again.

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