Don’t Close the Door on Kyle Dubas and the Penguins Just Yet
The Pittsburgh Penguins might have one last chance to land Kyle Dubas to their front office.
When Kyle Dubas said during his end of season press conference that he had no plans of being a part of any organization other than the Toronto Maple Leafs, it seemed the Pittsburgh Penguins had lost their chances of hiring him for their front office.
Over the next few days, many names began to be revealed as part of the Penguins’ interview process as they look to fill vacancies at general manager and president of hockey operations.
During that time, the Maple Leafs were working behind the scenes on getting Dubas an extension in Toronto.
That was until the Maple Leafs announced that Dubas would not be returning to the team and they will not renew his contract when it expires on June 30.
Initially it seemed as if Dubas was set to get some time off, as he noted that the past year was hard on him and his family.
That was until Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan spoke about the decision to not give Dubas a new contract.
According to Shanahan, when Dubas spoke to the media, he felt a shift in his thinking towards the general manager.
Shanahan felt as if Dubas might not want to stay in Toronto; it was that mindset that pushed Shanahan to immediately start looking for replacements.
Despite the search for a new GM possibly underway in for Shanahan, Dubas expressed his interest in remaining in Toronto.
According to Shanahan, Dubas said in an email that he wanted to stay on as general manager of the Maple Leafs, and Dubas’ agent contacted Shanahan about a new ‘financial package.’
Shanahan said by the time Dubas reached out, he was already in a different place when it came to the future of the Maple Leafs.
While none of this blatantly says the Penguins will go after Dubas as a last minute candidate, they probably should.
The Penguins are yet to make their hires for the front office and if Dubas is willing to make the move, Fenway Sports Group won’t be afraid to offer whatever he wants.
It’s clear Dubas has a passion to win, talking trash with fans in Tampa Bay or throwing water bottles around might show the stress that weighed on him, but it also shows that he wants his team to be the best.
If at any point Dubas wants another job somewhere in the NHL, he’ll get it; he’s been regarded as one of the best GM’s in the NHL and is destined to succeed in whatever role he gets.
Just because the falling out between the Maple Leafs and Dubas was harsh doesn’t mean he’s automatically back in the running in Pittsburgh, but it should keep the door ajar for the time being.
Perhaps Dubas suddenly has something to prove and wants to go on a little revenge tour with a new club.
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