NHL analyst slams Penguins Prez Kyle Dubas for repeating same errors of Toronto

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Dec 08, 2023 16:39 GMT

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Kyle Dubas, the President of Hockey Operations and General Manager for the Pittsburgh Penguins, is under scrutiny as the team currently holds a .500 record after 25 games, securing only 11 victories. The recent disappointing defeat against the Tampa Bay Lightning has prompted criticism from multiple sources.

Notably, TSN analyst Craig Button didn't mince his words, directly targeting Dubas and alleging that he is replicating the errors of his tenure in Toronto.

Button, during his analysis, pointed out a significant error in Dubas's decision-making, specifically related to player signings. Drawing parallels between the situations in Pittsburgh and Toronto, Button emphasized that Dubas has signed players the teams did not need. In this instance, the focus was on the acquisition of defenseman Erik Karlsson during the past summer.

Button asserted on the sports network:

“He made the same significant error in Pittsburgh this past summer as he did in Toronto, and that was signing a player they didn’t need. Not that Erik Karlsson isn’t a good player–he’s a heck of a player. Not that John Tavares wasn’t a good player, and he is a good player. They didn’t need them.”

However, it's crucial to note that Dubas did not sign Karlsson as a free agent; rather, the Penguins traded for him, shedding significant unwanted salary in the process. The trade involved players such as Jeff Petry, Mikael Granlund, and Jan Rutta, who did not fit into the Penguins' scheme and failed to establish themselves during their tenures.

Kyle Dubas' move for Erik Karlsson came at a cost

Despite the salary cap considerations and maneuvering involved in acquiring Erik Karlsson, Button persisted in his critique of Dubas's decision-making. The analyst argued that Kyle Dubas could have utilized the allocated $10 million for Karlsson more wisely, especially in building depth for the team.

According to Button, Dubas had the financial flexibility to address the team's depth concerns but failed to do so.

“You take $10M and allocate it to a player you don’t need in Erik Karlsson,” Button continued. “He could have taken that money and built out the depth of his group. So, while Tampa Bay is trying to manage the talent drain, the attrition, Kyle Dubas had salary cap space. He had money to spend and didn’t spend it wisely.”

As a result of these decisions, the Penguins find themselves three points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for the second wild card spot, with Toronto having three games in hand.