As the Pittsburgh Penguins approach the offseason, there are two realities about the franchise that president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas has to consider.<\/p>\n
One reality is that this team improved by 18 points under a first-year coaching staff and finished second in the Metropolitan Division.<\/p>\n
The other reality is that \u2014 if you count the playoff series against Philadelphia and do away with overtime and shootout designations\u2014the Penguins were a sub-500 team. They won 43 games and lost 45.<\/p>\n
Based on how Dubas was speaking on Tuesday, he is leaning toward the belief that the second reality is the more accurate representation of where this team is.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur series ended on a Wednesday. That Sunday night, there was Tampa-Montreal Game 7 (Canadiens won 2-1), and then Colorado-Minnesota Game 1 of their series (Avalanche won 9-6). The Montreal-Tampa game, I question whether our team could compete in that environment defensively,\u201d Dubas lamented. \u201cWhen I flipped over to Colorado-Minnesota, I questioned whether our team could compete in that environment offensively. That\u2019s really the way that I view everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dubas wasn\u2019t done making comps to the rest of the league.<\/p>\n
\u201cCarolina, they\u2019re obviously the class of the (Metropolitan) division right now. They won the division by 15 points. They haven\u2019t lost a playoff game. We\u2019re not close to that,\u201d Dubas said. \u201cSo that\u2019s where we have to push to get to \u2014 to be at that stage where they\u2019re at, going to the Eastern Conference Final.\u201d<\/p>\n
The players sang a slightly different tune before leaving Pittsburgh after the 4-2 series loss to the Flyers. Many of them pointed to the group\u2019s 16 losses after regulation \u2014 six in overtime and 10 in a shootout.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou always hear arguments about loser points and overtimes and shootouts. If those things go the other way, maybe we could have won the division,\u201d winger Bryan Rust said. \u201cThat was an area where we fell tremendously short \u2014 those extra-time instances.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s true. Those could\u2019ve been 16 additional points added to the Penguins\u2019 total if helter-skelter 3-on-3 play or coin-flip shootouts had gone their way more often.<\/p>\n
Or, you could look at it and say, those were just 16 points the Penguins got while losing games.<\/p>\n
Again, two realities that paint a very different picture of where this team really is.<\/p>\n
It certainly sounds like Dubas identifies with that less affirming reality in this instance too.<\/p>\n
\u201cHave we made progress? I would say yes, we have,\u201d Dubas said. \u201cAre we where we want to be and aspire to be? No, not even close.\u201d<\/p>\n
The \u201cnot close\u201d tag was the most important part of that answer. Dubas said the team was particularly flawed on the defensive end.<\/p>\n
\u201cDefensively, we still continue to give up a lot, both in terms of what we\u2019re expected to give up, and in terms of what we actually gave up. Both were in the bottom 10 in the league, and it was a big, massive topic for Dan (Muse) and myself throughout the year,\u201d Dubas said. \u201cIt\u2019s the area that we have to improve upon the most if we\u2019re going to continue to make strides and continue to push the team back into being a contender.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dubas also made it clear what types of players he\u2019d like to find to make the Penguins better.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we really lack are those players in their later 20s that are really true difference makers \u2014 or mid 20s that are true difference makers,\u201d Dubas said.<\/p>\n
The general manager\u2019s candor was nice to hear, and he\u2019s right about what players to attack when it comes to adding to the roster. What I didn\u2019t hear, though, was a clear plan to fix those problems.<\/p>\n
\u2022 While Dubas talked about acquiring \u201cdifference makers\u201d in their mid-to-late 20s, he simultaneously cautioned media and fans from getting too excited about the prospect of spending much of the club\u2019s NHL-high $42.5 million in cap space.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Despite discussing the need to get younger stars, Dubas did little to make anyone think he is on the cusp of moving away from any of the team\u2019s veteran stars, especially Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. In fact, on the topic of retaining Malkin in unrestricted free agency, Dubas went so far as to say, \u201cWe would love to have him back,\u201d and referenced the \u201cspecial situation\u201d of those three continuing to play together because of the \u201cnostalgia\u201d of it.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Dubas had high praise for the performance of the minor league teams, but came well short of banging the drum for any of the organization\u2019s prospects being on the verge of stardom \u2014 underscoring that Malkin wouldn\u2019t be \u201cblocking anybody out\u201d if he stayed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to continue to add higher-end, younger players. We\u2019ve got great depth there,\u201d Dubas said. \u201cI don\u2019t think you\u2019d look at it and necessarily guarantee that any of them \u2014 Ben (Kindel) is Ben \u2014 but once you get past that level, we need to continue. We\u2019ve got great depth and guys that will fill in the roster.\u201d<\/p>\n
No, identifying his franchise\u2019s shortcomings and admitting them out loud are not problems for Dubas. To his credit, I certainly haven\u2019t been able to say that about the other two general managers in town the last few seasons.<\/p>\n
But, for now, concrete plans to fix those problems are as fuzzy as the memories of the club\u2019s last playoff series win in 2018.<\/p>\n