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Update On Erik Karlsson To Pittsburgh Rumblings

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Rob Rossi of The Athletic wrote a column today with regard to the Erik Karlsson trade saga. While many of the updates offered were hardly surprising, there were a few pieces of information that gave some insights into how the Pittsburgh Penguins became involved in the trade talks. Pittsburgh always seemed like a team that couldn’t squeeze a player with Karlsson’s cap number into their lineup, but based on the recent reporting it appears that they are the front-runner.

Rossi begins the article by dropping the news that Kyle Dubas reportedly identified Erik Karlsson as a trade target while he was in the interview process with Penguins ownership. Now, aside from the Tristan Jarry extension to this point much of Dubas’ work has been to tinker around the edges of the Penguins lineup. But it does appear that he’s built up the club’s depth in the bottom six and their defense core for the possibility that some players could be shipped out very soon.

Another newer piece of information that Rossi mentions is that Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang have reportedly endorsed the potential Karlsson acquisition and in Letang’s case, he’s even agreed to make changes to his own role within the Penguins lineup. If a potential trade were to go through, Letang would remain as Pittsburgh’s number one defenseman, however, Letang would change his powerplay role to allow Karlsson to quarterback the Penguin’s powerplay.

San Jose was also reportedly interested in defenseman Marcus Pettersson being part of a potential blockbuster, however, Dubas has squashed that notion thus far as head coach Mike Sullivan sees Pettersson and newly acquired defender Ryan Graves as the top two options for the left side of Pittsburgh’s defensive group. Pettersson was terrific for Pittsburgh last season after seeing his name all over trade rumors boards for much of the summer of 2022.

Lastly, Dubas apparently wants to put top-5 protection on any first-round pick he trades in a Karlsson deal and has reportedly floated the idea of putting other conditions such as home-ice advantage on lower-round draft picks that could be involved in the deal.

While it appears that the Penguins are still the front-runner to land the reigning Norris Trophy winner, it doesn’t appear that a trade is imminent anytime soon. Pittsburgh would have to navigate an awful lot of moving parts to push the trade through, however, as we’ve seen in the past these trades can come together quickly when teams are motivated to make the move happen. Regardless of the outcome, it does look like Dubas has plans to continue his makeover of the Penguins roster before the start of the 2023-24 season.

Penguins Notes: Karlsson, Guentzel, O’Connor

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Josh Yohe of The Athletic writes that all is quiet on the Erik Karlsson trade talks, but the Pittsburgh Penguins remain very interested in the reigning Norris Trophy winner. Yohe doesn’t know whether a deal will materialize quickly or if it could drag out all summer, but Mark Madden has one theory on the matter that Tim Benz writes about in the Pittsburgh Tribute-Review. Madden says that his sources have told him that the San Jose Sharks have the Penguins and the Carolina Hurricanes’ best offers and everyone is in a holding pattern to see if the Sharks will crack and take one of the deals.

Kyle Dubas and the Penguins would clearly love to complete a deal, but they do have a reasonably good top-4 defensive group should they miss out on landing Karlsson. While trading for Karlsson would dramatically improve the Penguins offense, they do have a good fallback option should he end up elsewhere. At the moment, Pittsburgh has Jeff Petry penciled in on the right side of their second pairing, and while he didn’t play up to his $6.25MM cap hit last year, his pairing with Marcus Pettersson was quite good.

In other Penguins notes:

  • Yohe writes in The Athletic that the Penguins and pending unrestricted free agent forward Jake Guentzel have had no talks on a contract extension for the two-time 40-goal scorer. Yohe doesn’t find this surprising given that acting Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas has been busy taking care of other business and adds that he and Guentzel’s agent have a good working relationship. Yohe’s sense is that the Penguins’ veteran players want Guentzel in the fold long-term, and he figures that the two sides will come to an agreement on an extension in the not-too-distant future. Guentzel has scored 76 goals in the past two seasons and has been the most productive winger that Sidney Crosby has played with, however, he is small in stature and will be 30 years old by the time his next contract kicks in. He will also be looking to cash in on what is likely to be the last lucrative long-term deal he will sign.
  • Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now wonders if the outcome of restricted free agent Drew O’Connor’s contract negotiations is tied to the Penguins’ desire to facilitate a trade for a defenseman. O’Connor filed for arbitration a few weeks ago meaning that once his case is settled or he re-signs it will open a second buyout window for the Penguins. Pittsburgh currently sits over the salary cap even with O’Connor unsigned but could buyout one of their undesirable contracts to create space once O’Connor puts pen to paper. The 25-year-old isn’t expected to demand much of a cap hit as he posted just five goals and six assists in 46 games last season and spent a good chunk of the year in the AHL, however, the days after he signs his next deal could send shockwaves through the NHL.

Latest On Erik Karlsson Trade Talks

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Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported today on the NHL Network that the San Jose Sharks remain steadfast in their efforts to trade reigning Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson. Friedman goes on to say that the Carolina Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins are the two teams that the Sharks are talking to and adds that Carolina may need to work out of a move for defenseman Brett Pesce to acquire some assets to complete a Karlsson deal.

On the Pittsburgh side of things, Josh Yohe of The Athletic wrote an article today that outlined why Erik Karlsson is the type of player that general manager Kyle Dubas needs to acquire. Yohe highlights exactly why Karlsson is the right player for the team and the situation the Penguins are currently in. While most of Yohe’s article is in defense of the Penguins acquiring the defenseman, he also adds a couple of pieces of information regarding a potential move. Yohe says that any move Pittsburgh makes for Karlsson would be complex and would involve a third team, which is no surprise given that Karlsson is owed $11.5MM annually for the next four seasons.

Friedman reported Tuesday on his 32 Thoughts Podcast that one hold-up to the potential deal was that teams wanted the Sharks to retain more of Karlsson’s cap hit. He went on to add that at the trade deadline in March San Jose was willing to retain between 18-20% of Karlsson’s cap hit to facilitate a deal. Friedman believes the Sharks will need to retain closer to 30% of the deal which would turn Karlsson into an $8MM player for the acquiring team, and should net the Sharks a better return. Something they are open to. Friedman also reported today on the NHL Network that he believes the Sharks have pursued unrestricted free-agent defenseman Matt Dumba as a possible replacement for Karlsson.

At this point, it almost feels as though the Penguins must acquire Karlsson. Not only would they block Carolina from adding Karlsson to their already stacked defensive unit, but it would help to jump-start their offence which became stale last year for long stretches. Pittsburgh feels like a team that needs a jolt as they have been unable to get out of the first round of the playoffs since 2018 and didn’t even qualify for the postseason last year. Adding a 101-point defenseman would also alleviate some of the offensive pressure off Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and the rest of the Penguins’ top-6 forward group who almost single-handily carried the team last season. And while Dubas has been busy overhauling the black hole that was the Penguins’ bottom six, he still hasn’t added much in the way of offensive firepower.

Penguins Notes: First Round Pick, Buyouts, Free Agency

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Pittsburgh Penguins interim general manager Kyle Dubas held a brief media availability today, touching on many of the choices he’ll have to make as he guides the team through his first offseason at the helm. With the team in a tough situation, unable to truly rebuild after missing the playoffs for the first time in nearly two decades, Dubas has a thin line to walk to prepare the right roster for 2023-24 while not impeding the team’s long-term outlook.

One of those matters is that of Pittsburgh’s first-round pick, slated for 14th overall on Wednesday. It’s their highest selection since drafting defenseman Derrick Pouliot eighth overall in 2012, and Dubas says the team will likely keep the pick. Pittsburgh has some (but not a lot) of salary maneuverability, and Dubas says that any big trade will likely come with another team looking to shed a mid-tier salaried contract.

Other Penguins notes:

  • One avenue Dubas likely won’t take to clear additional cap space is a buyout. He told reporters today he doesn’t prefer to use them, citing more “creative solutions” to opening up a team’s financial picture. Forward Mikael Granlund, who had just five points in 21 games after a midseason trade and is under contract for two more seasons at $5MM per year, was a highly speculated buyout candidate this offseason. If the team can’t find a way to move him in a deal, he’ll likely be sticking around for the time being.
  • Dubas also says the team won’t be going after any high-profile free agents, instead aiming to hit on some value bets – something he had a great deal of success doing during his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He mentioned the door isn’t closed on contract extensions with Jason Zucker and Tristan Jarry, the latter of which is crucial for the team’s clarity without a ton of other goalie options on the open market. He alluded to defenseman Brian Dumoulin heading to the open market, and they’ll look to replace his spot with a more cost-effective UFA.

Pittsburgh Penguins Hire Jason Spezza

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The Pittsburgh Penguins named longtime NHLer and former Toronto Maple Leafs executive Jason Spezza an assistant general manager today, the team said in a release. Spezza joins former boss Kyle Dubas in the Pittsburgh front office.

Spezza served as a special assistant to Dubas for Toronto last season after retiring in 2022 but resigned from his post after Toronto announced they wouldn’t renew Dubas’ contract as general manager. Dubas then joined the Penguins as president of hockey operations earlier this month.

With Toronto, Spezza was involved with all aspects of hockey operations, including player personnel and development, minor league operations, and hockey research and development. Per the Penguins, his role there will be the same, reporting directly to Dubas and “[assisting] club management in all hockey operations departments.”

Dubas gave a statement on the hire of his colleague and friend:

After a decorated playing career, Jason fully immersed himself on the management side of the game learning all facets of hockey operations this past season while with Toronto. He showed tremendous work ethic, curiosity, and ability to build relationships throughout all departments at the team facility. His move from the roster to the front office staff also helped make the hockey operations department, coaching staff and playing roster a more cohesive and collaborative unit. We are thrilled to have Jason join the Pittsburgh Penguins today as he will add a great perspective to our Club, and we are excited to watch him reach his potential in management.

It’s worth noting Dubas isn’t Spezza’s only connection to the Penguins’ front office. He played one season each with player development staff member Matt Cullen in Ottawa and hockey operations advisor Trevor Daley in Dallas.

The Penguins are building their new front office in an unusual way, hiring associate members before solidifying a longer-term general manager. Dubas said during his initial media availability in Pittsburgh that he plans to serve as interim general manager through the offseason before making a permanent hire closer to the start of the 2023-24 campaign.

Based on the club’s verbiage, it seems that Spezza will still report directly to Dubas even after a GM hire is made.

Snapshots: Senators, Penguins, Luostarinen

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Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reported today that the talk amongst the bidders for ownership of the Ottawa Senators is that Toronto billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos is the current favorite to purchase the franchise. Apostolopoulos was one of four bidders with the other three being Los Angeles-based producer Neko Sparks, Michael and Jeffrey Kimel of Harlo Capital, and Toronto’s Michael Andlauer. Garrioch goes on to say that Apostolopoulos, who missed out on purchasing the NFL’s Washington Commanders is in the driver’s seat as he had the highest bid at $1 billion.

Garrioch adds that it is far from a done deal as there has been talk that the other ownership groups have been making moves to improve their bids and add additional people to their groups. Sources have told Garrioch that Andlauer is confident he will get the team and he believes his position with the Montreal Canadiens as an alternate member of the NHL’s board of governors will give him the inside track to the Senators ownership. There was talk earlier in the week that Andlauer and the Kimel’s might form a collective group, but those talks have apparently stopped after not getting very far.

It’ll be interesting to see where the Senator’s ownership saga goes in the upcoming weeks. Gary Bettman doesn’t generally like to have other teams making announcements during the Stanley Cup finals, and with game 1 set for Saturday night it might be well into June when there is an official announcement about who will be the next owner of the Senators.

In other snapshots from around the NHL:

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins got to work today in the first day with Kyle Dubas at the helm. Dubas took over as president of hockey operations and interim general manager from Brian Burke and Ron Hextall and was quick to make moves to dismiss some members of the old guard. Josh Yohe of The Athletic reported that director of pro scouting Kerry Huffman, director of hockey operations and salary cap management Alec Schall, and senior VP of integrated performance Teena Murray were all let go with at least one year remaining on their contracts. All three were hired by Hextall and will not be part of the new management group in Pittsburgh as they rebuild their hockey ops after a disappointing season in which they missed the playoffs for the first time in 17 years.
  • Tom Gulitti of NHL.com writes that Florida Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen is practicing with the team in Vegas ahead of game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals tomorrow night. Luostarinen was paired back up with his usual linemates Sam Reinhart and Anton Lundell. The 24-year-old was injured in game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Carolina Hurricanes but has yet to miss a game. Paul Maurice was quoted in The Hockey News on Monday saying that he expected Luostarinen to be ready for game 1 and things appear to be trending that way. Luostarinen has been a big part of the Panthers third line in this postseason putting up two goals and three assists in 16 games.

Penguins Notes: Lawrence, GM Search, Jarry

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With one-half of their next front office duo settled, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ organizational focus now turns toward hiring a new general manager. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli notes the field of candidates could expand if Dubas is given input into the hiring process, naming current Columbus analytical consultant Cam Lawrence as a possibility.

Lawrence, also the Chief Financial Officer at nutritional retail company GNC, was also previously involved with the Florida Panthers’ analytics and scouting department from 2015 to 2021. In that time, his input helped Florida acquire undervalued players such as Jonathan Marchessault, Carter Verhaeghe, and Reilly Smith. If hired, it would make Pittsburgh one of the most analytically proficient front offices in the league. Seravalli notes Pittsburgh did interview Lawrence earlier in their search process.

  • In his introductory press conference today, new president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas offered some insight into an updated timeline for their general manager search. Dubas said he plans to handle the beginning of this offseason, including the draft and free agency, as the interim general manager, meaning a new hire for the position is no longer imminent. Any move will likely come later in the offseason after the team’s roster situation for 2023-24 is settled.
  • No choice is bigger for Pittsburgh this offseason than what to do in the crease. Capable but injury-prone starter Tristan Jarry is slated for unrestricted free agency on July 1, and Dubas says he plans on meeting with Jarry and Penguins goalie coach Andy Chiodo before making a decision on whether to retain him. It doesn’t seem the team is willing to pay above market value to have him back, with Dubas saying the team “will be doing a very thorough evaluation of Tristan and review where he stands in the marketplace.”

Pittsburgh Penguins Name Kyle Dubas President Of Hockey Operations

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have hired former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas as their next president of hockey operations, the team said Thursday morning. The search will continue for a new GM after firing Ron Hextall at the end of the season.

Dubas succeeds the outgoing Brian Burke, the first person Pittsburgh had named to a president of hockey ops position in their front office in franchise history. According to the team, Dubas’ role will be to “oversee all aspects of the Penguins hockey operations department, including establishing the strategic vision and philosophy for the franchise.”

Pittsburgh fired both Hextall and Burke after one of the more dysfunctional seasons in recent memory for Pittsburgh, which ended a league-high 16-season playoff streak.

After nine seasons as GM and assistant GM in Toronto, Dubas will no longer be tasked with making player personnel decisions. He’ll essentially oversee whoever Pittsburgh hires for the GM role, guiding/mentoring them to construct a roster aligning with Dubas’ team vision.

To put it simply: Dubas will decide how to get the Penguins out of their aging, mediocre state. Pittsburgh’s pending GM hire’s performance will determine how effectively it happens.

Speculation continues about who that hire might be. Current reporting indicates a two-person race between Seattle Kraken assistant GM Jason Botterill and Tampa Bay Lightning assistant GM Mathieu Darche.

Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic also said Thursday morning that Pittsburgh had informed Dallas Stars front office member Stephen Greeley he was out of the running for the still-vacant GM role.

While playoff success didn’t follow Dubas much in Toronto, he did create and fine-tune a roster capable of contending for a championship. He oversaw three of the five best regular seasons in franchise history by points percentage (2019, 2022, 2023) and was at the helm when Toronto won their first playoff series in nearly two decades, defeating the defending Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning.

Dubas gave the following statement on joining the Penguins:

On behalf of my family, we are thrilled to join the Pittsburgh Penguins organization and all of the incredible people across Fenway Sports Group. I am deeply appreciative of the opportunity that lies ahead of me. The ownership group, FSG leadership and the Penguins staff on the ground in Pittsburgh have been absolutely outstanding. Everyone has demonstrated a clear commitment to building a best-in-class hockey operation. The rich history of winning and the competitiveness of the coaching staff and players were evident in each conversation I had about this position. The opportunity to work with such passionate and committed people, as well as the established character and leadership of the long-standing core group of talented players, gives me great enthusiasm for the challenge at hand. Our family has been made to feel extremely comfortable throughout this process and we are excited to now call Pittsburgh our home.

The outgoing Toronto GM said last month he would likely stay in Toronto or not work in the league next year, taking time to be with his family. That changed when Toronto president Brendan Shanahan made Dubas’ decision for him, letting him go with his contract with Toronto expiring this offseason.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Metropolitan Notes: Penguins, Hurricanes, Rogers

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In the latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman notes that Lightning assistant GM Mathieu Darche remains in the mix for the vacant Penguins GM position.  Darche received consideration for the opening in Montreal last season that later went to Kent Hughes.  He has been with Tampa Bay for the last four seasons but this is only his first one with the AGM title.  Friedman adds that former Toronto GM Kyle Dubas is their desired candidate and they’re prepared to wait a little bit to give him some time to decide if he wants the job but if he doesn’t, it could be Darche getting his first opportunity at running a team.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer examines a trio of Hurricanes forwards that he thinks could be on the move this summer. Teuvo Teravainen has one year left on his contract at a $5.4MM AAV but will be seeking more for 2024-25.  If Carolina doesn’t think they can extend him or they don’t want to pay his asking price, it’s possible he could move.  DeCock also wonders if the team might opt to sell high on RFA center Martin Necas who’s coming off a career year or Jack Drury who has done well in the minors but hasn’t put it together yet in the NHL; at 23, he’s still young enough that a rebuilding team might have some interest.
  • The Capitals have invited forward Jack Rogers to their development camp this summer, reports Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal (Twitter link). The 20-year-old played his freshman year at St. Cloud State this season, picking up three goals and five assists in 34 games.  Rogers is a year removed from a 30-goal campaign with Steinbach of the MJHL.  Washington almost certainly won’t be signing Rogers but they’ll get some information on him should they decide to pursue him later in his college career.

NHLPA Investigating Kyle Dubas’ Relationship With Agent

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The NHLPA confirmed to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli today that it’s conducting a review of the relationship between former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas and his agent, Chris Armstrong of Wasserman Sports. The review is focused on whether there has been a violation of the Certified Agent regulations that govern agent activity.

The NHLPA Certified Agent regulations explicitly prohibit agents from representing or providing services to any officer or employee of an NHL team. Currently, Armstrong is not an NHL-certified agent and, therefore, not subject to discipline by the NHLPA.

However, this investigation seeks to determine whether agents working for the same agency but in a different division or arm of the firm are also prohibited from representing hockey executives on the other side of the table. Wasserman Sports represents approximately 10 percent of the NHL’s total player pool, including high-profile stars such as Toronto’s own Auston Matthews.

Per Seravalli, several NHL-certified agents have expressed their belief that Dubas’ relationship with Armstrong is a clear violation of the regulations and have called for an investigation by the NHLPA.

Jeff Jackson, Wasserman’s hockey executive vice president, stated to Seravalli that he was unaware of any pending review by the NHLPA but expressed willingness to address any questions the association may have regarding the matter.

Dubas, a former certified player agent himself, would have been well aware of the regulations governing agents prior to entering into a relationship with Armstrong. Now a free agent after being let go by the Maple Leafs ahead of his contract expiring this summer, he’s been heavily linked to the Pittsburgh Penguins general manager opening in recent days.

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