TOUGH CHOICES

By Mike Rifkin

Last season, the Pittsburgh Penguins missed the playoffs for the first time in 16 years. The team fired GM Ron Hextall and President Brian Burke and hired former Leafs GM Kyle Dubas.Dubas was aggressive in his first season as the GM, headlined by acquiring former Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks. 

The Penguins have underachieved all season and had a decision to make at the trade deadline. What should they do with winger Jake Guentzel? Do they try to keep him and risk losing him for nothing after the season, or trade him and start thinking about the future? Dubas traded Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes for three prospects and two conditional draft picks based on whether the Hurricanes would reach the Stanley Cup Final.If you read social media, the return seems underwhelming for arguably the best player available at the trade deadline. After a 4-0 loss on Sunday to the Edmonton Oilers, the Penguins sit eight points, out of the last Wild Card spot and 10 points out from Third place in the Metropolitan Division with 19 games left in the season. The Penguins have lost three in a row and have been outscored 15-1 in that span. 

Kyle Dubas has some tough decisions on where he thinks his organization is. This is a team that hasn’t won a playoff series since 2018 (when they won the Stanley Cup). 13 players on the roster have at least a modified No trade clause. So the roster can change to a degree. Now could they trade Captain Sidney Crosby, sure but it would be a mistake. Crosby is having a Hart Trophy-caliber season, making him a Penguin for life is something on the table. If I were Dubas I would be on board moving Evgeni Malkin, Yes it will be weird seeing Malkin in another jersey but this team needs to get younger and faster. Moving on from Malkin or Defenseman Kris Letang could be difficult for fans, but it has to be on the table. 

The roster is not the only tough decision Dubas will have to make a decision on Head Coach Mike Sullivan is something else Dubas needs to figure out. Sullivan has the most wins in franchise history and has helped the team secure two Stanley Cups. (SPOILER ALERT: THE PENGUINS WILL BE A STATEMENT ADDRESS ON THE BREAKAWAY BANDITS PODCAST).  We’ll have to see what Kyle Dubas has in store in Pittsburgh this offseason.