The Pens GM checks in with his thoughts after making a big trade
Kyle Dubas talked on Saturday about the big trade he made to send away Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor, as well as what could be next for the Penguins.
Dubas: “We have to continue to move down the path of the mission we’ve set out the last year or so.”
More on last night’s trade: https://t.co/jDwWC9j2JP pic.twitter.com/oSxMUwljrz
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) February 1, 2025
As usual, Dubas was keying in on his objective to find new, young players to bring into the franchise.
“Going into the deadline, we’re going to continue to have discussions that fit where we are at in our strategy overall,” the GM said. “But we’ll also try to be in the mix for any younger players that become available and can come in and help our team. So we’ll try to use the collection of assets we have now to try to add to the group, if the right younger player becomes available. That collection of assets will get us into those discussions.”
There are no shortage of those assets, Pittsburgh has collected 15 picks in the first three rounds of the next three drafts.
“Our goal is to try to acquire the assets that we’ve laid out and then either turn those draft picks and develop them into players that can help the team quickly – but not expedite it to hinder the development of the player – or, use those assets to be in the mic when players that can make an impact are present and can help us. Previously, even this season, it’s been tough to get into those conversations for us because we haven’t had that level of asset for when a really good young player becomes available. Now, having multiple first-round picks, seeing these younger players start to develop – it gets us more and more into that mix. We just have to keep moving down that path.”
Dubas also acknowledged the current NHL team will have the chance to be bolstered by a strong AHL Wilkes-Barre team that has the second best points percentage in their division currently.
“I think what we want to do with those players is, when they earn the opportunity to come up to not just play for a weekend but play for a prolonged stretch. Once they earn it, we’re not going to deny them that opportunity.”
Even though the Penguins are sellers now and currently in 15th place in the Eastern Conference, Dubas continues to speak about urgency for upgrading the team as quickly as he can.
“We want to operate as urgently as we can to return the team there. We don’t want to buy patience or say it’s in X amount of years (or say our) plan in Year X, we hope to be at different points. Our goal is to try to acquire the assets that we’ve laid out and then either turn those draft picks and develop them into players that can help the team quickly.”
The NHL’s trade deadline is on March 7th and the trade market has been very active in the lead up to it. Pittsburgh is positioned with plenty of cap space in the future, and stockpiling more and more future assets to make their move when it comes time.