Who Is Likely To Follow Kyle Dubas to the Penguins?
Kyle Dubas is loyal to his people and some of them would be great fits with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Kyle Dubas was named the Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations about a week ago and some small changes have already begun.
It was almost immediately that Dubas made changes to the Penguins’ front office by firing three people who were brought on by former general manager Ron Hextall.
From the moment Dubas was hired, the speculation started over who from the Toronto Maple Leafs organization may follow.
The names have spanned from players, to coaches, to other front office executives.
As Dubas gets started with building the Penguins in his image, it’s fair to take a look at which hockey personnel might find new homes in Pittsburgh.
Ryan O’Reilly
There are a number of players that have a chance of finding their way to Pittsburgh from Toronto, but Ryan O’Reilly might be the most useful.
O’Reilly is someone the Penguins should have targeted during the trade deadline because he fits exactly what the team needs.
The Penguins are always looking for a depth forward who can not only produce offensively, but also stand out defensively.
O’Reilly checks all of those boxes; he scored 11 points (4G-7A) after being acquired by the Maple Leafs and has regularly been in contention for the Selke Trophy.
Michael Bunting
Also an upcoming free agent, Michael Bunting is another forward that fills multiple needs for the Penguins.
A young forward, who won’t demand a ton of money, that can be a pest to opponents, and still produce well on offense.
While playing all 82 games during the 2022-23 season in Toronto, Bunting scored 23 goals and 26 assists for 49 points while also piling up 103 penalty minutes.
Bunting will search for a new contract this offseason and Dubas should be one of the first to give him a call.
The Penguins need exactly what Bunting can offer and there is plenty of forward changes that need to be made that he would fit in perfectly.
Jason Spezza and Brendan Pridham
The two that worked the closest with Dubas last season, Jason Spezza and Brendan Pridham would be solid hires for the Penguins, but in much separate roles.
There is no telling exactly what spurred Spezza’s resignation from the Maple Leafs on the same day they fired Dubas, but the timing draws its own conclusions.
Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts Podcast believe that Spezza will work with the Penguins in the very near future, but there is an obstacle.
The Maple Leafs would have the option to block Spezza from working in another NHL front office; they could not block him from working with Fenway Sports Group, however.
It’s an abnormal, but totally viable option to keep Spezza working in the NHL and with his pal Dubas.
As for Pridham, he’s destined to be a general manger in the NHL one day, and Dubas said he will eventually get around to hiring one for the Penguins.
While Dubas will handle the GM duties for the time being, Pridham would be an outstanding option as a first timer.
Pridham could continue to learn the craft with Dubas and employ the same tricks he had with the Maple Leafs.
During his time in Toronto, Pridham did a lot of work with the salary cap and finding ways to fit multiple massive contracts under the ceiling.
The Maple Leafs could have hired Pridham when they were looking for their Dubas replacement, but they decided to roll with Brad Treliving.
Pridham is still under contract with Maple Leafs, but Dubas will be in Pittsburgh for a while and could a hire made down the line.
Dubas built a great team in Toronto, both on the ice and in the front office; if he wants to bring a few of his friends, it should only benefit the Penguins.
Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more!
- Subscribe to Inside the Penguins on YouTube
- Follow Inside the Penguins on Twitter: @InsidePenguins