Kyle Dubas Needs To Make a Huge First Move With Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins need a huge boost on offense, and Kyle Dubas might now just the right guys.
Over the past couple of seasons, it’s become increasingly clear that the Pittsburgh Penguins are closing in on the end of the greatest era in franchise history.
Some believe that the Penguins have already hit the end of the road, but is there a way for them to extend or re-open their window of contention?
It won’t be an easy task, but new president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas has the chance to put his new team right back in the race.
If the Penguins want to remain competitive in the final years of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang’s careers, they’ll have to make a huge splash right away.
One spot that has a number of splash moves just waiting to happen is a place Dubas is quite familiar with, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Dubas has already started to bring some of his friends from Toronto to Pittsburgh with the hiring of Jason Spezza, and more are likely on the way.
The Penguins need a bunch of help on offense and the Maple Leafs need immediate salary cap relief.
To make his first big splash move with the Penguins, Dubas should give a call to the Maple Leafs and see what it would cost to acquire the likes of Mitch Marner or William Nylander.
Either one of Marner or Nylander would cost the Penguins and arm and a leg, but it might be worth it to end the careers of Crosby, Malkin, and Letang on a high note.
Marner is only 26-years-old and is a lock to record 90-100 points every season all while being a stout defensive forward.
With the Maple Leafs, Marner is a regular on both the power play and penalty kill and can be a scoring threat while a man down.
In the past two seasons, Marner has put together nine points (7G-2A) while on the penalty kill.
Marner fits exactly what the Penguins look for in their forwards; a stellar contributor on offense while having a defensive mindset.
Nabbing Nylander from the Maple Leafs might be easier for Dubas as his contract is set to enter its final year and his dollar amount is much more affordable.
Even if the Penguins manage to land Nylander and get him a contract extension, his price shouldn’t exceed that of Marner.
Nylander might also be enticed by the idea of playing alongside his brother, Alex, who just signed a one-year contract extension to stay in Pittsburgh.
A deal between the Penguins and Maple Leafs is sure to happen with Dubas at the helm in Pittsburgh, and there are certain moves that should benefit both sides.
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