Kyle Dubas has spent the last stretch of the Penguins’ rebuild trying to find the kind of move that changes everything. Sometimes that means moving up in the draft.
Sometimes it means landing the player who can bridge the gap until the prospects are ready. Either way, he keeps hunting for the swing that matters.
The problem is that the market keeps making him wait.
Dubas said he didn’t really want to keep all of his 2025 draft capital, but the Penguins still walked away with 13 picks, including three first-rounders and three third-rounders. He also said the front office “worked our asses off” to get something done at the 2026 draft, but instead wound up with a package deal of Liam and Markus Ruck that could still turn into a real draw down the line.
That’s been the theme. Dubas keeps pushing for the big Penguins trade, while circumstance keeps nudging him back toward the patient route.
There’s a cautionary tale sitting right next door in Detroit. Steve Yzerman stepped down this week after seven years with the Red Wings, and his rebuild never quite reached the finish line.
The idea was familiar enough: rebuild the prospect base, then climb into Stanley Cup contention for the long haul. But Yzerman stayed conservative, maybe too conservative, and never made the franchise-shifting move that could have accelerated the process.
Dubas is clearly not operating that way. He’s been willing to take smart bets as they come, and several have already paid off.
Philip Tomasino didn’t work out, but Tommy Novak did. Cody Glass brought value and later returned a third-round pick after a solid season.
Elmer Soderblom also hit. And Dubas looks to have landed a major win with the relatively cheap trade for Egor Chinakhov.
Detroit did make some useful additions of its own, including goalie John Gibson and winger Alex DeBrincat. Yzerman also had real draft success with Moritz Seider in 2019 and Lucas Raymond in 2020, and Axel Sandin-Pellika in 2023 was another strong pick.
But after those hits, the rest of the run never built enough momentum. The seven-year tenure wound up defined by mediocrity across the board.
Dubas, by contrast, has worked within the limits in front of him and still found ways to move the Penguins forward. The 2023 first-rounder Brayden Yager became Rutger McGroarty.
The 2024 first-rounder helped bring in Erik Karlsson. And the 2024 second-rounders Harrison Brunicke and Tanner Howe both carry real promise, with Brunicke emerging as a potential top-four defenseman.
He’s also got a key advantage in the draft with Wes Clark, whom PHN detailed Friday.
After three years, Dubas is still waiting on that defining move. Karlsson was the big one early in his tenure, but the situation shifted fast after that, and the Penguins have been on the rebuilding path for two-and-a-half years now.
The difference is that Dubas has been trying to avoid the trap Yzerman fell into: doing too little and betting everything on a better tomorrow. If PHN’s top 20 prospects list showed anything, it’s that the Penguins’ recent draft classes have been pretty good.
And if Dubas eventually lands the big move he’s been chasing, it could end up being the signature moment of his time in Pittsburgh.
There’s one more twist, though.
As the Penguins try to steer clear of Detroit’s stalled rebuild, the next Red Wings GM may be far more aggressive. That could open the door to deals that help both teams. The Red Wings were rumored to be interested in winger Bryan Rust, and Rickard Rakell and Karlsson would both seem to fit Detroit’s win-now style.
So while Yzerman is gone, the Penguins may still end up dealing with a Detroit front office that’s more willing to strike. That kind of shift could create new options for Pittsburgh’s rebuild - the kind Yzerman never took, or never had.
And that’s irony.
In Other News...
Penguins Fans Finally Got A Signal The Team Heard Their Frustration
The Penguins have spent much of the 2020s trying to balance a slide in on-ice results with a business operation that has still found ways to grow, and last seasons attendance offered a sign that the fan base has not disappeared. NHL crowds were up across the league, and Pittsburgh was part of that rebound, filling its arena to 94% capacity after sitting at 91.5% the year before.
Now the team is signaling it heard the frustration around value, with most season ticket prices reportedly coming down for the upcoming season. It is a notable move for a franchise that has leaned on premium seating and other revenue streams under Fenway Sports ownership, and it suggests the Penguins are trying to make the building feel more accessible again while also keeping the business side moving in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]
Kyle Dubas May Be Running Out Of Time For His Big Swing
The Penguins are still circling the same kind of summer swing that could change the feel of their roster before the season starts, and Jason Robertson has emerged as the name worth watching. Dallas is weighing its options with the winger ahead of his arbitration hearing on July 25, a date that gives the Stars a natural checkpoint as they decide whether to push toward a contract extension or start listening more seriously on trade possibilities.
For Pittsburgh, the appeal is obvious: Robertson would be the sort of addition that signals a real attempt to raise the ceiling, even if the path to getting him is far from clean. A deal is still viewed as a long shot, with Dallas inclined to keep him and the Penguins still trying to land a major piece, but the unresolved contract picture leaves just enough room for Kyle Dubas to keep pressing as the calendar moves toward a decision point. [Read more 🡒]