Ryan Wilson: In one day Kyle Dubas has energized a stagnant Penguins franchise In one day Kyle Dubas has energized a stagnant Penguins franchise

I was in meetings all morning yesterday. Did someone break the Dubas hiring before an announcement was made or did the Penguins Twitter account break the story?

I was in meetings all morning yesterday. Did someone break the Dubas hiring before an announcement was made or did the Penguins Twitter account break the story?
- SuperHenderson13

Pens instagram had it first

So Sullivan was barely involved in the interviews and only recently did FSG ask him to speak with Kyle when they were sure they were going to offer him the job. There goes the "Sully has too much power" narrative that gets thrown around here.

@Burgh: I’m telling you Sullivan had a blank check last year because Hex was a dead man walking and took all the blame from FSG. Things are normalized now so any kind of immunity and direct line to ownership Sully had last year is probably gone now. Dubas would not have taken the job it FSG was pitching a situation where the head coach had meaningful FO input or reported more so to them than to him.

EDIT: That’s not to say that FSG and Dubas don’t like Sullivan. By the sounds of it they both see him as a vital cog and want him to succeed here. But moving forward I think he’ll be treated and evaluated just like any other coach in the league.

So Sullivan was barely involved in the interviews and only recently did FSG ask him to speak with Kyle when they were sure they were going to offer him the job. There goes the "Sully has too much power" narrative that gets thrown around here.
- burgh4life87

Yes, I do think it gets exaggerated and thrown around here too much. It mostly stems from Sullivan, whos from Boston, being seen having dinner with FSG (his bosses) in Boston one time and also that he negotiated his extension behind Hex's back...can you really blame anyone for doing that behind Hextalls back? hahah

@Burgh: I’m telling you Sullivan had a blank check last year because Hex was a dead man walking and took all the blame from FSG. Things are normalized now so any kind of immunity and direct line to ownership Sully had last year is probably gone now. Dubas would not have taken the job it FSG was pitching a situation where the head coach had meaningful FO input or reported more so to them than to him.

EDIT: That’s not to say that FSG and Dubas don’t like Sullivan. By the sounds of it they both see him as a vital cog and want him to succeed here. But moving forward I think he’ll be treated and evaluated just like any other coach in the league.
- Victoro311

The coach doesn't necessarily have to have a say in specific roster moves. But it's in the best interest of the GM to get his coach's input on what players are preferred to play his system.

To me, when you say Mike Sullivan’s name before Sid and Geno it throws immediate red flags. The coach should never be held or hold himself above the players.

To me, when you say Mike Sullivan’s name before Sid and Geno it throws immediate red flags. The coach should never be held or hold himself above the players.
- Grinder47

So the players should have more authority than the coach?

@Burgh: I’m telling you Sullivan had a blank check last year because Hex was a dead man walking and took all the blame from FSG. Things are normalized now so any kind of immunity and direct line to ownership Sully had last year is probably gone now. Dubas would not have taken the job it FSG was pitching a situation where the head coach had meaningful FO input or reported more so to them than to him.

EDIT: That’s not to say that FSG and Dubas don’t like Sullivan. By the sounds of it they both see him as a vital cog and want him to succeed here. But moving forward I think he’ll be treated and evaluated just like any other coach in the league.
- Victoro311

This doesn't matter. The point is that Sullivan does not have the internal control that people on here claim. He has always been seen and evaluated as just a coach. Yes FSG chose his side over Hextall, anyone with a brain would. But Sully wasn't making call ups or personnel decisions. That was Hextall. Hextall didn't even listen to Sully he just went out and got random guys and it didn't matter if they fit the system.

This doesn't matter. The point is that Sullivan does not have the internal control that people on here claim. He has always been seen and evaluated as just a coach. Yes FSG chose his side over Hextall, anyone with a brain would. But Sully wasn't making call ups or personnel decisions. That was Hextall. Hextall didn't even listen to Sully he just went out and got random guys and it didn't matter if they fit the system.
- burgh4life87

What’s your source on that?

Easier to think of Dubas as a politician.
He has all the answers because that’s his business - to sound smart and composed.
If you didn’t watch this year in Toronto he was more emotional and borderline mentally unstable.
His confidence wears thin when people start realizing he’s just a bullpoopter.

But enjoy, he will trade away so many draft picks it’s insane.

The Pens got a good man, Dubas was the most knowledgeable person in the Leaf's organization, going to miss him!

What’s your source on that?
- Grinder47

The Rossi/Yohe article. What’s your source on literally anything you say?

Easier to think of Dubas as a politician.
He has all the answers because that’s his business - to sound smart and composed.
If you didn’t watch this year in Toronto he was more emotional and borderline mentally unstable.
His confidence wears thin when people start realizing he’s just a bullpoopter.

But enjoy, he will trade away so many draft picks it’s insane.
- optimus-reim

lol borderline mentally unstable is pretty funny. Way too much salt in your frosted flakes this morning.

The coach doesn't necessarily have to have a say in specific roster moves. But it's in the best interest of the GM to get his coach's input on what players are preferred to play his system.
- jmatchett383

I mean of course. I’m just saying that Sullivan having a direct line to FSG and has some kind of special immunity from the PHO/GM is mostly bunk and that was just a special case scenario last year because Hex was an embarrassment

I mean of course. I’m just saying that Sullivan having a direct line to FSG and has some kind of special immunity from the PHO/GM is mostly bunk and that was just a special case scenario last year because Hex was an embarrassment
- Victoro311

That's fair. He definitely did have immunity last season and won't moving forward.

Easier to think of Dubas as a politician.
He has all the answers because that’s his business - to sound smart and composed.
If you didn’t watch this year in Toronto he was more emotional and borderline mentally unstable.
His confidence wears thin when people start realizing he’s just a bullpoopter.

But enjoy, he will trade away so many draft picks it’s insane.
- optimus-reim

Lucky for the pens they don’t have many!

Idk if he can build a cup team or not but he’s an upgrade from hex.

"Hours after the hire, the Penguins’ ownership group made more waves. Following Dubas’ media availability, the Penguins cut ties with three employees Hextall had hired. Alec Schall (director of hockey operations and salary cap management), Kerry Huffman (director of pro scouting) and Teena Murray (senior VP, integrated performance) were all fired, said team sources, who spoke under the condition of anonymity. All had at least one more year on their contracts."

Clearing out the last bit of the Hextall mess. Was there a more useless person than Huffman? Pro scout brought us Granlund, Bonino, and Kulikov

This doesn't matter. The point is that Sullivan does not have the internal control that people on here claim. He has always been seen and evaluated as just a coach. Yes FSG chose his side over Hextall, anyone with a brain would. But Sully wasn't making call ups or personnel decisions. That was Hextall. Hextall didn't even listen to Sully he just went out and got random guys and it didn't matter if they fit the system.
- burgh4life87

What does matter is that Sully and Dubas agree on what they want the identity of the team to be and have had multiple convos about it. Sully mentioned bringing in speed in this offseason to supplement the core guys. We could see a shift back to the 2015-16 style of play with a fast transition game and more chances off the rush, which is exciting to think about.

What does matter is that Sully and Dubas agree on what they want the identity of the team to be and have had multiple convos about it. Sully mentioned bringing in speed in this offseason to supplement the core guys. We could see a shift back to the 2015-16 style of play with a fast transition game and more chances off the rush, which is exciting to think about.
- j.boyd919

Agreed. If they coach has a certain style/system he wants to play, it's in the best interest of a winning organization for the GM to help him realize that kind of team. Whether or not those players are available is a different story, but at least have a roadmap.

What does matter is that Sully and Dubas agree on what they want the identity of the team to be and have had multiple convos about it. Sully mentioned bringing in speed in this offseason to supplement the core guys. We could see a shift back to the 2015-16 style of play with a fast transition game and more chances off the rush, which is exciting to think about.
- j.boyd919

I loved this. Dubas made a comment yesterday about the bottom 6 and how they need to be able to pressure and generate chances, not just defend. I think they are both on the same page. Should be fun.

I loved this. Dubas made a comment yesterday about the bottom 6 and how they need to be able to pressure and generate chances, not just defend. I think they are both on the same page. Should be fun.
- burgh4life87

The fact that he said "not get hemmed in their zone," was the exact type of comment I wanted to hear.

Easier to think of Dubas as a politician.
He has all the answers because that’s his business - to sound smart and composed.
If you didn’t watch this year in Toronto he was more emotional and borderline mentally unstable.
His confidence wears thin when people start realizing he’s just a bullpoopter.

But enjoy, he will trade away so many draft picks it’s insane.
- optimus-reim

You're not capable of looking at Dubas' body of work, or anything involving the Leafs, subjectively. It's hard for fans of their own team, with years, decades even, of emotional investment in their favourite teams to do so.

As someone who thinks one year's playoffs have very, very little to do with any other year's playoffs, except maybe having early exits (see Penguins 2010 to 2015) in common, I think Dubas overall body of work with the Leafs was great. Was it perfect and void of errors? Absolutely not, but on the whole it was great.. And he's only two years older than Sid. He's had success in every single level of hockey he's been a part of management in and I think he will get better and better at it... But ThE LeAfs diDnT WiN A CuP wITh DuBaS!!.... No they didn't, but they did have the best regular season of all time for that original 6 franchise and ran into a team of destiny like the Panthers... Much like the all time Bruins and very strong Canes. It's not far fetched to me at all that the Leafs are in the finals the next few season, with or without Dubas... But no matter, he will have had a major hand in it, if so.

Yohe’s match made in hockey heaven article was fun. It’s a puff piece with little substance but all energy and hype