NHL Rumors: GM Kyle Dubas senses urgency to get Penguins back into playoffs, willing to trade draft picks for NHL-ready talent 

By Jackson Weber

Modified Apr 02, 2025 17:15 GMT

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The Pittsburgh Penguins will soon be eliminated from the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. After 16 straight seasons of playoff hockey in Pittsburgh from 2006 to 2022, this year will mark the third consecutive season of the Pens missing the dance.

General manager Kyle Dubas has spent the last two years retooling the roster, accumulating as many draft picks, prospects and young players as possible. So, it's not a huge surprise to have seen the team struggle on the ice during this period of transition.

However, it sounds like Dubas is now ready to start moving forward in the re-tool, bringing the Pittsburgh Penguins back to contention as soon as possible.

Pens reporter Josh Yohe wrote a recent article for The Athletic where he shared what he's hearing regarding the team's offseason plans.

"Kyle Dubas considers getting the Penguins back into playoff contention and beyond an urgent priority, which means he is willing to trade draft picks for young, NHL-ready players," Yohe wrote.

"Don't be surprised if you see Dubas get aggressive on draft night in Los Angeles. He's done a good job of adding quantity to the Penguins' farm system, at some point, he'd like to focus more on quality."

The Penguins are slotted to have two first-round picks in the upcoming 2025 NHL draft. Their own pick currently sits at eighth overall, though the difference between eighth and fourth is just three points. Pittsburgh also owns the New York Rangers' first-round pick, which is top-13 protected and could go either way depending on where New York finishes in the standings.

Pittsburgh Penguins appear to be following the Washington Capitals model

It appears that Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins are following a similar strategy that the Washington Capitals have used in their return to contention.

Washington spent several seasons trading veteran players for picks and prospects, while simultaneously accumulating cap space. It then flipped the switch and began to add to its roster through free agency, trades and inserting its own prospects into the NHL lineup. Evidently, it's worked wonders as it has the second most points in the league this season (105 points).

While it feels like the Pens are far away from contention, they could be a lot closer than many believe. With a plethora of cap space, the most upcoming draft picks of any team in the league, and promising prospects like Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen and Owen Pickering ready to make the jump to the big club, Pittsburgh could be a team to watch for in the coming years.

The Pens will continue to finish their 2024-25 season on Thursday night in St. Louis against the Blues. The puck drops at 8 p.m. EDT at Enterprise Center.