At his introductory news conference yesterday new Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas said the Penguins can win a championship with their aging core players, but emphasized that he has a lot of work to do to help the team prepare for the time when Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang are no longer lacing up the skates.
Dubas “will oversee all aspects of the Penguins hockey operations department including establishing the strategic vision and philosophy for the franchise,” according to the Pens. That may or may not include hiring a general manager, which is one of the first major decisions the 37-year-old former Toronto GM must make. He will also need to decide what to do about often-injured goaltender Tristan Jarry, who is a pending free agent.
Dubas says the core of Crosby, Malkin, and Letang needs to be supplemented with a stronger group of supporting players.
An important part of the Penguins’ future will be the ongoing work of coach Mike Sullivan and Crosby, who Dubas said were key to his decision to come to Pittsburgh.
Dubas says he believes the current group of Penguins will one day give way to a new generation of players, and that work begins now.
Dubas says he will serve as general manager for at least a month and during that time he will evaluate whether or not he needs a new GM.
Dubas said he will focus on building his roster to compete within the rugged Metro Division. One of his first orders of business will be getting ready for the NHL Draft, which begins June 28th. The NHL’s summer free agency period starts July 1st.
The Penguins yesterday cut ties to two former seventh round draft choices, relinquishing the rights to 2019 draft pick Santeri Airola and 2021 selection Ryan McCleary. Both are defensemen.
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