Kyle Dubas Has Daunting Checklist Ahead of Him as Penguins President

Kyle Dubas didn't take the easiest job with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but he seems ready for the challenge.

The Pittsburgh Penguins finally landed the front office executive they’ve been eyeing since the beginning of their search in Kyle Dubas.

After nearly two months of searching, the Penguins named Dubas as their president of hockey operations and work will start right away in getting the team back on track.

While Dubas will temporarily also serve as general manager, there is a daunting list of tasks that he must face in his first months with the organization.

Dubas is inheriting a Penguins team with issues all over the lineup, but where does Dubas start? What kind of changes can he bring to improve the roster?

During his opening press conference in Pittsburgh, Dubas noted how important the goalie position is in hockey, and the Penguins have a dilemma on their hands.

Starting goalie Tristan Jarry struggled during the 2022-23 season not only with winning, but keeping healthy.

It was awful timing as Jarry was playing in a contract year and is due for a new deal this offseason.

Dubas says he will evaluate the goalie situation and speak with goaltending coach Andy Chiodo about a plan of action.

One thing Dubas excelled in during his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs was his ability to acquire quality depth players to supplement the star-studded core.

He will have to continue that trend with the Penguins as the stars in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang continue to perform, but can’t do it all on their own.

It’ll be up to Dubas to extend his track record of solid trades and singings to fill out the Penguins’ bottom six with players who can produce at a quality level.

Crosby, Malkin, and Letang are a main focal point of the team, but need all the help they can get from the supporting cast.

The Penguins might be stuck with these two on the books, but it’ll be interesting to see if Dubas can find a way to shed Mikael Granlund and Jeff Carter.

Both players struggled with the Penguins last season and are costing the Penguins a combined $8.125 million against the salary cap.

Carter’s deal is likely sticking with the Penguins until it’s conclusion at the end of the 2023-24 season, but Granlund is movable.

Assuming Dubas finds a taker, at least; it’ll be a struggle to move one or both of Granlund and Carter, but they can’t share a roster when entering next season.

Wanting to win now and build a solid team for the future is something every incoming executive will say, but in the Penguins’ case, it’s a demanding task.

The Penguins don’t have much of a prospect pool to speak of making the future of the team look bleak, but Dubas wants to see long-term success.

Dubas said on a couple of occasions during his press conference that he plans on building a team that can be the ‘class of the NHL’ in the coming years.

It’s not going to be easy re-establishing the Penguins as a contender in just one offseason, but Dubas is up to the task.

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