Noel Acciari explains Kyle Dubas as the reason he signed in Pittsburgh

When Noel Acciari signed with the Penguins on July 1st this offseason for $6M over the next three seasons, immediately a connection was made between Acciari and Dubas.

Kyle Dubas had been rumoured to be interested in acquiring Acciari for years - dating back to his impressive playoff performances against the Leafs while Acciari was with Boston and Columbus. Once Dubas finally landed Acciari in Toronto at last seasons' trade deadline, it was clear he didn't want to let him go; eventually bringing Acciari with him to Pittsburgh.

Acciari actually commented on Dubas' willingness to bring him over to Pittsburgh, even commenting on their developing friendship. In a recent interview, Acciari relayed: «Kyle and I formed a bit of a relationship toward the end there in Toronto and he told me the plan for Pittsburgh.»




To Leafs fans, this could be seen as another classic example of Kyle Dubas having strong affinities for certain players, be it in the mold of defensive bottom-six players like Noel Acciari or David Kampf, or undersized scoring wingers like Andreas Johnsson, also recently signed with Pittsburgh. Dubas clearly believes in a select set of players, and will stubbornly place them in the lineup to fulfill his own vision for a Stanley Cup.