Penguins Will Have Options in GM Search
PITTSBURGH - If you haven’t heard by now, the Pittsburgh Penguins fired Ron Hextall, Brian Burke, and Chris Pryor.
With multiple huge roles open within the Penguins’ front office, Fenway Sports Group (FSG) is now tasked with finding replacements.
The main focus for their search will be who takes over fro Hextall as the next general manager.
There a quite a few different directions that the FSG and the Penguins can go in during their search, but who could be considered some of the best candidates for the job?
FSG says they are starting their search right away and it will be an expansive search.
“I can promise you it will be a robust process,” Dave Beeston of Fenway Sports Management said.
Kyle Dubas
The rumors have already begun to circulate that FSG is prepared to hand over a blank check to Kyle Dubas once his season with the Toronto Maple Leafs comes to an end.
Whether the Maple Leafs win a round in the playoffs or not, Dubas’ contract is up and there is no guarantee he sticks.
Dubas would fit in Pittsburgh as he understands what it’s like to be committed to a core group of players and still building a winning team.
The Leafs funneled most of their money into the likes of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and John Tavares among other names, yet they still find ways to have great success.
The Penguins have their core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang, and could use a mind like Dubas to build the winning team around them.
Sam Ventura
Another familiar face, Sam Ventura has worked in the Penguins front office before, and could likely be convinced to come back.
Ventura was brought into the Penguins organization in 2015 as a consultant and became a driving force in pushing the team’s usage of analytics.
Currently, Ventura is working in the Buffalo Sabres’ front office, and while they might not be a postseason team, they put together the best season they’ve had in a long time.
The Sabres were in the fight for a possible spot in the postseason up until there was about a week remaining in the season.
Ventura’s role played a hand in their growth into becoming a legitimate contender in the near future.
Eric Tulsky
The early fan favorite falls to Eric Tulsky, the current AGM of the Carolina Hurricanes.
During his time with the Hurricanes, Tulsky has a great focus on analytics in hockey, the exact direction FSG reportedly wants to take the Penguins.
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Over the past few seasons as other GMs around the league have hit the unemployment line, Tulsky has been involved in the interview process for a number of teams.
With the help of Tulsky, the Hurricanes have built a successful team that has legitimate Stanley Cup aspirations every season.
That’s the exact place the Penguins are hoping to get back to as soon as possible.
Jason Botterill
Like Ventura, Jason Botterill is a name that has previous ties with the Penguins.
Between Ray Shero and Jim Rutherford, Botterill served as interim general manager before being hired as associate GM with the Penguins.
From there, Botterill went on to gain real experience as the general manager of the Sabres for a couple of seasons.
After leaving Buffalo, Botterill joined the Seattle Kraken and is currently helping drive the train of their unexpected rise in 2022-23.
The expansion franchise in Seattle didn't have a great start, but have found real footing in their sophomore season.
Botterill currently holds the position of AGM with the Kraken, but depending on how good they perform in the playoffs, he might become a hot commodity.
FSG says they want to find a new face in the GM chair quickly, but they don’t want to rush the process.
It’ll be an interesting couple of weeks in Pittsburgh, and soon enough, the Penguins will have their next leader.
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