Pittsburgh Penguins GM Kyle Dubas to make difficult decisions this offseason
The Pittsburgh Penguins need to get back to the playoffs for the sake of the franchise, fans and Sidney Crosby himself. However, difficult decisions need to be made.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been on a downswing for the last number of years. If that's not cause for concern for fans of the franchise who have often been through thick and thin since the inception of the club in the first round of league expansion in 1968, the face of the franchise for almost the last twenty is a free agent and is due for a contract before puck drop in the fall. While that's not something anyone should be worried about, becoming a contender while arguably the franchise's best player is still in Pittsburgh will be easier said than done.
Some difficult months are going to be felt in Pittsburgh in the sense that the team will likely have to make some moves that nobody wants to make but are in the best interest of the club as they try to make it back to the playoffs before Crosby decides to pack it in for good. However, the question that should or is likely on everyone's mind is what can general manager Kyle Dubas do to rectify the situation?
Dubas for his time in the National Hockey League did what he felt he could to help the Toronto Maple Leafs reach the next level, but everyone knows how that turned out. He left a franchise reeling with one playoff win during his tenure. It could be said that the Penguins may suffer the same fate, although their current core even if aging has already proven winners. But a bad contract here and there can sink a franchise. Are the Penguins living in The Twilight Zone? With no less than five bad contracts on the books, it certainly looks that way.
The Penguins will inevitably look vastly different come puck drop in the fall. It's something that the Penguins faithful should get used to. Even if the team isn't built for it, they have always been in win-now metality and will likely do whatever it takes for that to happen again.
| POLL | ||
Who should the Pittsburgh Penguins try to trade this offseason? | ||
| Erik Karlsson | 99 | 57.9 % |
| Kris Letang | 23 | 13.5 % |
| Tristan Jarry | 30 | 17.5 % |
| Other | 19 | 11.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
