Kyle Dubas Looking to Clean House in Pittsburgh and There May be a Deal to be Made With the Leafs
Former Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas is reportedly open for business in Pittsburgh, and there's always a chance that he could swing a deal with his former team.
When Kyle Dubas arrived in Pittsburgh as President of Hockey Ops, it was abundantly clear that full control of his roster decisions was an important factor in his decision to return to work so soon after the fallout in Toronto.
Dubas was fired by the Maple Leafs in May of 2023 after another in a series of post-season exits, but his dismissal was reportedly not linked to his lack of playoff success. His termination came after a tough negotiation between Dubas and team President Brendan Shanahan.
With the Leafs opting not to renew the deal of Dubas, the young GM was quick to land a new gig in Pittsburgh, complete with the full roster control that he desired. Dubas made a quick impact with the acquisition of Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson, showing the fanbase that he was committed to remaining competitive in the twilight of Sidney Crosby's career. Unfortunately, things haven't worked out the way he would have liked.
The latest report coming out of Pittsburgh has Pens beat reporter Taylor Haase confirming that Dubas is steering towards a major roster overhaul, with everyone except Sidney Crosby reportedly available.
How do the Leafs tie into all of this? Well, as Kyle Dubas' former team, he knows the organization and the players very well. He has brought a number of players and personnel with him to Pittsburgh, including former Leafs head of scouting Wes Clark, former player and executive Jason Spezza and multiple others.
Dubas likes his guys and he always has. Thus, it makes sense that Dubas would have an interest in reuniting with some of his previous players.
Another reason why the Leafs may be a potential dance partner for the Penguins is that the Buds are still tight up against the cap and will need to move at least one body out at some point in the not-too-distant future. Among those who might be of interest are a pair of his former players in Calle Jarnkrok and Nicholas Robertson.
Jarnkrok is currently sidelined while he recovers from a sports hernia. He recently suffered a setback and will need to see a specialist, but he does have another season remaining on his contract after this one at a reasonable $2.1M cap hit. Dubas likes his versatile players, and Jarnkrok is certainly that.
Robertson, a former 2nd round draft pick of Dubas in 2018, has already requested a trade out of Toronto, citing a lack of opportunity as his primary motivator to seek a trade. While he did end up signing a 1-year contract extension, the pending RFA still hasn't received the opportunity he feels he deserves, and from the team's perspective, they could be willing to move on from a player who has underwhelmed with his production this season.
With Dubas open for business in Pittsburgh, it will be interesting to see if Brad Treliving reaches out and tries to facilitate some sort of a deal with his predecessor. The two Eastern Conference clubs are certainly in a position to help each other out with the Leafs in need of some extra draft capital and the Pens looking for a bit of a culture change in Pittsburgh.
