When Kyle Dubas talks about his timeline for the Pittsburgh Penguins, he almost always uses the word “urgent” to emphasize short-term focus on improvement, even as the main focus managerially has been
to trade away quality players when their contracts are running out and stockpile future draft picks. Dubas has reason to pay lip service towards short-term competitiveness, being as Sidney Crosby’s agent is one step away from publicly imploring his client to come around to the idea that the player deserves to finish his career with a flourish and not on a rebuilding team.
Dubas’s every word can be parsed for intention and how sincere it is, obviously a manager doesn’t keep in $11 million in cap space going into a season while ignoring the blue line if he truly was prioritizing the best short-term team he could produce. At the same time, Dubas hardly wants to position the Pens as the next version of the Buffalo Sabres or San Jose Sharks that face the long and uncertain climb out of the dregs of the league and set them up for a potential decade (or longer) period of being a doormat always waiting for that next wave of youth to raise them back up.
This time of year there’s always the disclaimer that it’s only been seven games, and that’s true. Justin Brazeau isn’t going to score on 36% of his shots forever. 82 games is a long time for teams to settle out and find their true level. None of that takes away from the impressive start for Pittsburgh. A lot of that has come from Dubas’s decisions in the off-season.
- Justin Brazeau: 5 goals, 3 assists in 7 games — the biggest signing, literally. The Pens grabbed Brazeau in free agency on a two-year deal worth $1.5 million per season. It might be the best budget signing of the summer, it certainly is through the first two weeks of the season. Brazeau started 2024-25 in Boston, where he did relatively well (10 goals and 20 points in 57 games) and was a trade deadline pickup by Minnesota. That didn’t go as well, scoring only one goal in 25 games with the Wild. This year, Brazeau can’t miss. His line with two fellow 6’5”+ has been a force. What a force he’s been to be one of the most pleasant and unexpected surprises in the league this year.
- Anthony Mantha: 3 goals, 3 assists in 7 games — Mantha got pulled out of the bargain bin this summer too after being injured for the majority of the 2024-25 season with a one-year contract on only a $2.5 million guarantee (and $2 million more in potential performance bonuses). Last season was supposed to be a redemption opportunity for Mantha after a dreadful 2024 playoffs in Vegas. That was delayed to now, Mantha is looking like the player who was productive for Detroit and Washington in the earlier part of his career, and also benefitting from playing with Brazeau and Evgeni Malkin on the uniquely big Pittsburgh second line. Unlike Brazeau, Mantha’s history of three 20+ goal seasons made his addition more of a known quantity.
- Arturs Silovs: 3-1-0 record, 2.25 GAA, .919 save%, 3.68 GSAx — Dubas ended up getting more back from trading away Alex Nedeljkovic (a third round pick) then he had to give up to acquire Silovs (a fourth round pick). That could work out as one of the best off-season moves he made. The Pens needed something new and fresh in their crease, and Tristan Jarry’s contract/play makes him a tough move. Enter Silovs, only 24, last year’s AHL champion goalie who is looking like a clear upgrade over what Pittsburgh has had in net lately. Silovs has the talent, size and technique to be a solid NHL option and his Penguin career has gotten off to a wonderful beginning like so many other recent adds.
- Dan Muse: The coaching change was an uncomfortable time, an unpleasant chore that the Penguins put off for too long. Muse has been a great choice by Dubas to pluck almost out of nowhere (few had barely heard his name in general, let alone that even that he was in serious consideration for the job) and it’s been aces. The Pens puck support is better, they’re defending the slot and net-front better, their neutral zone systems and easily defeatable puck side overload are gone. The buttons pushed from coaching has served the team well.
You can keep going if you want. Ben Kindel made the team as an 18-year old, and beyond that accomplishment has looked like he belongs. That’s more a win for the scouting and drafting to create an unexpected but welcome early return out of that pick, but one that Dubas still was a major part of. Ditto even the move to add Connor Dewar or bring back Filip Hallander or get some passable work out of Parker Wotherspoon.
The Penguins have exceeded expectations so far by winning five of their first seven games. At this point a key reason for that has been the offseason adds that have also exceeded wildest dreams. Dubas has a long history with Brazeau, but even in his heart of hearts it’s tough to imagine he could have dreamed up a start like this. Not since the days of Blake Comeau (who ‘only’ scored 16 goals and 31 points in 61 games in 2014-15, which under coach Mike Johnston is akin to production almost double that) has a player rejuvenated a career so quickly and thoroughly along side Evgeni Malkin.
There’s an awfully long time to go before the Pens can rightfully prove whether or not they have staying power. Time will likely work against them, Malkin’s aged legs have faded in recent seasons and Brazeau could always slide back down to the player he’s been for much of his career. Silovs, as a volatile goalie, figures to have some valleys thrown into this recent peak time.
As far as the first two weeks go, the Pens and Kyle Dubas couldn’t have hoped for much more. All the levers he pulled over the summer have paid immediate dividends, many have worked out to best case scenarios or even beyond the imagination of what could have been possible. The team has put out some enjoyable hockey to be excited about and have made it interesting to see just how this version of the fairly expectation-less Penguins can continue to build upon a solid start.
