By: Audrey Fields
Edited By: Kylie Augis
Former Leafs’ GM Kyle Dubas has just been announced as President of Hockey Operations for the Pittsburgh Penguins. This comes just weeks after Dubas was let go from the Toronto franchise, which was a messy ordeal. His departure from the team left a vacancy in the Maple Leafs’ management, which was quickly filled by Brad Treliving. Treliving was formerly the GM of the Calgary Flames, but parted ways with the organization in April of this year. Since joining the Leafs, he has already made many statements about the franchise’s future that do not necessarily agree with what Dubas had previously planned, such as the future of the teams’ Core Four (Matthews, Marner, Nylander and Tavares). Many changes are in the works for not only Toronto, but for Pittsburgh as well.
Dubas and the Pens
Being signed on as President of Hockey Operations, Dubas will oversee every aspect of the department. He is currently serving as interim GM for the Pens, but that position will be filled in the near future. He has his work cut out for him, and one of his main goals at the moment is maintaining their current roster of NHL veterans, while preparing for the future of the franchise. This is just one of the many things that he will need to work on in the offseason in order to ensure the Penguins have a solid roster by the start of next season. This includes the potential resigning of goalie Tristan Jarry, who he has said he hopes to meet in addition to coaches Sullivan and Chiodo. Dubas will also be at the table for the Penguins during the 2023 NHL draft later this month.
There has been talk about Dubas’ move to the Pittsburgh franchise, and the implications of it. Some see his new job as a way to get back at the Maple Leafs for firing him, as a way to show them what they’re missing out on. Although he could have gone for less commitment or a short term employment opportunity, Dubas chose to get into another position that holds a lot of power.
Treliving’s Focuses
In his first few days as General Manager, Treliving has made references to some things he hopes to accomplish in his position. One of his top priorities at the moment is to re-sign center Auston Matthews, as he is not only a star player and member of the Core Four on the Leafs, but is ranked highly in the league as a whole. This is why he has made an effort to get in contact with Matthews, and he did so within his first 24 hours on the job. He has a very long list of things to get to this offseason, including the draft to prepare for and many other player contracts to go over. Filling Dubas’ shoes will be a difficult task, but Treliving has shown that he is more than equipped to do so.
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