How did Kyle Dubas fare in his first season as the Pittsburgh Penguins President/GM?

Year one of Kyle Dubas' tenure as Pittsburgh Penguins President of Hockey Operations and General Manager is in the books. Under Dubas' direction, the Penguins finished fifth in the Metropolitan division, won fewer games than the year prior, and missed the postseason again.

However, it's unfair to place the blame of the Penguins season squarely on Dubas' shoulders. No matter who took over last summer, they faced an enormous challenge. The Penguins were stuck with several underperforming players, an aging core, and a limited prospect system.

Dubas wasted no time making his mark, signing nearly a dozen new NHL contracts and pulling off a massive three-team trade.

Best Move - Erik Karlsson Trade

The Penguins traded for Erik Karlsson in early August of 2023. While Karlsson didn't replicate the magic of his 101-point season with San Jose, he instantly raised the Penguins' ceiling.

Meanwhile, Dubas rid the Penguins of several troubling contracts, including Mikael Granlund, Jeff Petry, and Jan Rutta.

With a year under his belt, expect Karlsson to get off to a good start in 2024 and climb closer to the offensive output he typically puts up.

Worst Move - Ryan Graves Signing (6-Years x $27 Million)

Dubas' worst move was a two-horse race between Ryan Graves and Reilly Smith. Graves was an anchor on the Penguins blue line for most of the 2023-24 season. His inability to find his footing with either Kris Letang or Erik Karlsson handcuffed the Penguins' coaching staff and was a significant reason for their subpar defensive play.

Smith didn't fit with the Penguins either. Fortunately, the Penguins only paid a third-round pick to Vegas to acquire him last summer. With one year remaining on Smith's deal, the Penguins could move on from him this summer to free up salary cap and roster space while regaining some of that value.

Overall Grade: C

The Penguins ultimately missed the postseason and finished with a worse record than last season. Dubas waited too long to make changes and failed to give the locker room the wake-up call they desperately needed.

Dubas had a decent performance at the NHL trade deadline, setting the team up to get younger and deeper in the next year while adding a missing element in Michael Bunting.

There were some hits (Lars Eller and Alex Nedeljkovic) and plenty of misses (Jansen Harkins, Ryan Graves, Tristan Jarry's contract, etc.), but Dubas has the Penguins in a better position today than they were one year ago.

There is still plenty of work to get to where they want to be. However, the Penguins finished the year playing their best hockey of the past two seasons. They have a revitalized prospect system and a much better base to build next season's team.

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