mikey's Thread of Penguin Randomness

[mac5155]

I always remember my dad saying that too. "that's why he's no good, he needs an international rink"

[MR25]

Anyone with an Athletic sub read the LeBrun article on Dubas?

[Ad@m]

Three empty netters?

[mikey]

He wears an "A" down there...?

[nocera]

Anyone with an Athletic sub read the LeBrun article on Dubas?

No but I did see this FSG selling the team fear mongering from David Pagnotta.


"Let me just throw out complete speculation with absolutely no substance to it at all so idiots* on niche message boards will share it. Hmm."

*Hi, I'm the idiot.

[dodint]

I'm not sure I'd care that FSG wants to sell the team.

[Gaucho]

I still think they bring back Jake.

[shoeshine boy]

I'm not sure I'd care that FSG wants to sell the team.

they've owned the Pens for how long, 3 years? are there not rules within professional sports leagues that you can't flip a team that quickly?

[mikey]

No. But the NHL doesn't like that kind of fly by night nonsense. So, this was likely just a made up thing that a person who has no obvious connections to that level of the business side of things is saying...

[Morkle]

I mean surely FSG knew going in they weren't getting the best years with Sid, and the Penguins weren't the most sense when it came to turning a major profit?

[mikey]

When Mario sold to them, he told them that he was in the best shape..............................

[mac5155]

And until Sid retires or is gone, nothing will be called a rebuild, nor should it. You don't rebuild with Sidney Crosby on the roster. You continuously "retool"

[LITT]

Anyone with an Athletic sub read the LeBrun article on Dubas?

No but I did see this FSG selling the team fear mongering from David Pagnotta.


"Let me just throw out complete speculation with absolutely no substance to it at all so idiots* on niche message boards will share it. Hmm."

*Hi, I'm the idiot.

PALM BEACH, Fla. — From a dramatic exit in Toronto to a frustrating season in Pittsburgh, Kyle Dubas has faced his share of adversity over thepast 10 months.
But the GM and president of hockey operations in Pittsburgh understood what he was taking on when he signed a seven-year deal with the
Pittsburgh Penguins
, and he’s embraced it.
“Overall, I’ve really enjoyed it, I’ve enjoyed the city, I’ve really enjoyed the organization,’’ Dubas began during our sitdown interview Monday afterDay 1 of the
NHL
GMs meetings. “I knew going into it, I knew what I was signing up for. That last summer we were going to try to give it a jolt,the team having come off missing the playoffs the previous year with an aging roster, to see if we can give it a jolt and we tried to do that.

But also we had to keep an open mind about where we were going to have to go in the future and my major focus was going to be in the long run,’’added Dubas.
Which, as the Penguins GM further explained, meant building up different departments and systems, and starting to add to the pipeline ofyounger players and prospects.
All while trying to stay competitive.
“We’re still in it, in the wild-card race and in our division,’’ insisted Dubas. “We just have to be stacking more wins together, having had a betterweek last week and I’m excited to see how we handle the weeks ahead.’’
But in that delicate balance of today versus tomorrow came trading pending UFA winger
Jake Guentzel
on the eve of the deadline which was adifficult but necessary decision. A trade that was felt throughout the organization.
“Yeah, and I wasn’t there the whole time with him, but I could feel internally the disappointment in seeing Jake walk out the door,’’ Dubas said.“And I understand that. He was a key member of the last Stanley Cup the team won, as a younger player coming up with the group. He’s a great,character person, everyone knows he’s a tremendous competitor.
“It’s tough when you have to make those decisions,’’ added Dubas. “But you have to always do what you believe is best for the long term of theorganization and my sights were set on giving the team as long as possible to assert itself more in the race. The other part was getting back a rosterplayer (
Michael Bunting
) that could help us as well in addition to the future assets.’’

Having Bunting part of that deal was important for Dubas, who didn’t want to make a futures-only deal. Again, trying to maintain that delicate
balance of today and the future, which is going to be very difficult with an aging roster and a pretty thin pipeline. But that’s what Dubas got hired
to do.

This is just me, but I think pulling off this roster turnaround in a timely manner is going to be extremely difficult. It has left Dubas with a small
margin of error to be sure. The trade for Karlsson last summer, so far, has not paid great dividends.
In the middle of the challenging roster makeover that lies ahead is another delicate balance, maintaining a clear line of communication with one of
the game’s all-time greats, Sidney Crosby, on where all this is headed. Some GMs don’t feel the need to keep a player in the loop that way. But No.
“I think you’d be remiss not to seek his opinion and how he’s feeling,’’ Dubas said. “Obviously he’s done so much for the city of Pittsburgh and forthe Penguins. … I want his opinion, I value his opinion.
“We may not always agree and I might have to do things in the short run he disagrees with.’’
Trading Guentzel no doubt being a prime example. But that’s how the greats like Crosby are wired; they’re not interested in knowing about plansfor five years from now, they believe they can win now. That’s their competitive nature.
“I would never expect for us to move a key player from our team and have any of those guys, including Sully (head coach Mike Sullivan), Sid,
KrisLetang
, Geno Malkin,
Erik Karlsson
,
Bryan Rust
, to think that that’s a good thing.
“All the guys that have been in there competing night in and night out have been able to have success because they’re tremendous competitors,’’Dubas added.
So he gets where those guys are coming from as far as feeling frustrated by being sellers at the deadline.
“I understand how that would make them feel, my intention was that I have to do what’s best in the long run, but we’re also trying to bringsomeone (Bunting) that can help us,’’ said Dubas.

This summer, Crosby will be one year from the expiry of his contract. This is a natural window for a player of his stature to sit down with theorganization to discuss the future, both the team’s and his own. We’ll see where those conversations go.
“Sure, I think that will be a private discussion with Sid, myself and (agent) Pat Brisson once the season is over,’’ Dubas said.
“But I think everyone’s been pretty clear on where they stand on the fact everyone would like to see him end his career in Pittsburgh and it’s myintention that in those years that we’re back and definitively contending.’’

So what does this offseason and beyond look like for Pittsburgh as far as the next steps?
“It’s trying to find our own group of younger players who can come in and support the team, you never know how long that’s going to take,’’ Dubas
said of the re-tool in the next few years. “And it’s never certain. Any maneuvers we can take, we want to give ourselves the assets to be able to get
into those conversations this summer for good, young players who come available in trades or younger players in free agency.
“That’s our intention at this stage.’’
In the meantime, Dubas once again firmly backed his head coach Mike Sullivan, who has a contract extension that kicks in next season.
“I think if you go down that path that maybe the public wants you to go down (making a coaching change), then you’re back in the market of
trying to find Mike Sullivan,’’ Dubas said. “To me, it’s not something… it would probably have to be a mutual thing where he felt that, and I felt
that way, and I don’t feel that way at all right now.’’
Before we wrapped up our interview, we ventured down a path that Dubas hasn’t been willing to go down yet with the media. One thing he hasn’t
really commented on was his parting of ways with the Toronto Maple Leafs last summer, and specifically not addressing Brendan Shanahan’s
detailed explanation of events that led to Dubas’ firing in a news conference that won’t soon be forgotten in Toronto.


For one, Dubas felt it important to immediately focus on his new job in Pittsburgh and put all his energy there. But there’s also another reason hehasn’t wanted to comment on it.
“I think it’s more that I just simply don’t want to create any waves in my wake because they impact a lot of people who I care about and lovedworking with (in the Leafs organization) — and I want to see them have success,’’ Dubas said.
“Unloading my personal feelings is what a lot of people want — and it may make me feel good in the short run — but it’s not of any benefit to thePittsburgh Penguins or the dozens of players and staff in Toronto who I want to see have success.’’
As Dubas put it, perhaps one day “deep in the future,’’ there will be a more appropriate time to discuss things publicly in more detail on his time inToronto and especially his dramatic departure. But for now, those aren’t waves he’s interested in creating. He’s OK with being criticized for that.He’s moved on. So have the Leafs.

[Gaucho]

ty

[nocera]

So he gets where those guys are coming from as far as feeling frustrated by being sellers at the deadline.
“I understand how that would make them feel, my intention was that I have to do what’s best in the long run, but we’re also trying to bring someone (Bunting) that can help us,’’ said Dubas.

So is that why the team played like dog **** following the deadline?

[iamjs]

cause of death - "detached blood clot"
when it's your time, it's your time.....

it's been updated to something different.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/19/sport/ko ... index.html

[Gaucho]

oh no

[nocera]

According to this, he jumped from their hotel balcony in Miami.
https://www.upi.com/Sports_News/NHL/202 ... 710849204/

[dodint]

How very (quasi) Russian of him.

[mikey]

He jumped, lived, and then a loose blood clot stabbed him in the chest and took his wallet...?

[Dickie Dunn]

Jumping from a hotel balcony would definitely detach a blood clot.

[JC2]

People need to get over losing Jake.

Without a contract in place, it was the smart move and the right move.

[Lelldorin]

People need to get over losing Jake.

Without a contract in place, it was the smart move and the right move.

I agree. It is stupid to keep a soon to be UFA if you aren't a contender but can get assets for him.

[MalkinIsMyHomeboy]

I'm fine with the trade; I'm more annoyed that we were never able to sign him long term but of course who knows what numbers both his group and the team were off by

[Gabe]

If the players wanted Jake to stay, they should have forced KD's hand by playing consistently like a real NHL contender this season. All the 1 goal losses and half efforts showed him that they weren't a serious threat to make the playoffs. They put themselves in contention, no way Jake would be dealt right now.