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New York Times
9 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Penguins' NHL Draft first round was unpredictable, unorthodox and completely Kyle Dubas
Follow our live coverage of the 2025 NHL Draft. PITTSBURGH — A few days before the NHL Draft, a Pittsburgh Penguins employee told me something about the team's president and general manager, Kyle Dubas, that stuck with me. 'Kyle isn't worried about what anyone else thinks. He's going to do what he wants. He's got guts.' Advertisement Fast forward to Friday's first round, where Dubas did pretty much everything unconventionally. If he was trying to win a popularity contest on social media, he failed. If he was trying to satisfy fans who treat mock drafts as gospel, he failed. Benjamin who? If he was trying to expedite the Penguins' rebuild to find players who could immediately help Sidney Crosby get back to the playoffs before he retires — which probably would've looked like trading up for a top-five pick — he failed. But, overall, did he fail? First of all, if you think you know, you don't. We won't know for years. On the surface, it seems disappointing that none of the big names in the top 10 slipped through the cracks to 11, where the Penguins were sitting, or that more familiar names, such as thumper Kashawn Aitcheson, were overlooked. It seems at least conceivable that Benjamin Kindel may have still been on the board when the Penguins made their second selection. We'll never know. Dubas noted after the draft that 'we had intel' that he wouldn't have been on the board for much longer. So, there is that. And Dubas did pull off some shrewd business. There's nothing sexy about trading down in a draft, especially a top-heavy one. Still, dealing the 12th pick for the 22nd and 31st picks is pretty good business. Turning around and dealing the 31st and the 59th to move back up to 24th is pretty good business, too. The Penguins met some objectives on the night. They have serious talent in the pipeline on defense (Harrison Brunicke, Emil Pieniniemi, Finn Harding, Owen Pickering) and in goal (Sergei Murashov). However, they look far more bleak at forward. Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen have the look of good NHL players, but neither projects to be a star. Behind those two, the organization doesn't have a ton of talent up front — some, but hardly overwhelming. Advertisement So, Dubas looked squarely at the forwards available and took three in the first 24 picks in the first round. After the 2024-25 season, Dubas decided the Penguins needed to get bigger and more difficult to play against. Bill Zonnon, the 22nd pick, is known for being a relentless, physical competitor who is nasty to play against. Will Horcoff, whom the Penguins took two picks later, is 6 feet 5 inches and physically imposing. He's the son of former NHL player Shawn Horcoff. Those two players may well help the Penguins become tougher to play against down the line. Friday was unpredictable and unorthodox for the Penguins, but they progressed. They selected three players in the first round since 1984. They selected multiple players in the first round for the first time since 2012. And yet, fans seem largely disappointed. They're restless. They're bored. They don't want to wait to compete for a championship again. They want fireworks. They wanted Dubas to trade up. (He said he tried but that there were no takers.) It's not that Dubas doesn't care about what the fans want. Of course he does. But he also is paid to make big decisions, and sometimes, the best decisions are not immediately received well or understood by the public. Everyone wanted a big name. Everyone wanted the Penguins to move up in the draft. Dubas said that, to move up in the draft, the Penguins would have ended up with just one player on Friday. Now, they have three. It's Dubas' show, with a hand from Wes Clark, his vice president of player personnel, who clearly has considerable influence on the draft process. When Dubas took over the Penguins just over two years ago, he seemed to go out of his way to please everyone. He might've wanted to impress Sidney Crosby and Mike Sullivan more than anyone. Even so, he had to have known a dramatic makeover was necessary. Advertisement But you try sitting in a room with Crosby and telling him you're going to sell. Try telling that to Sullivan. Good luck. Dubas gave them a chance to win with the current group, even though it was unlikely to work out. After a few months, he cut the cord and traded Jake Guentzel. That was the day Dubas made the Penguins truly his. Since then, the Penguins have sold, they've collected assets and they've built for the future. Now, is he building the right way? It's tough to say either way, even though the decision to draft Benjamin Kindel at No. 11 is going to be questioned until proven otherwise. Regardless of these moves' success or failure, this is Dubas' show. That's probably why this job appealed to him in the first place. Brendan Shanahan isn't here. Dubas is his own boss. Penguins ownership scarcely makes its presence felt. Former CEO David Morehouse is long gone. So is Sullivan, who possessed an awful lot of power for a coach. In the last month, we've seen Dubas go outside the box on a coaching hire and with the 11th pick in the draft. You might not like it. You might question it. You might have reason to. If the Penguins rise in the next few seasons, Dubas might look like a genius. If they fail, you'll be able to hear the laughter from Toronto. Either way, Dubas is doing it on his terms, which is precisely how he wants it. (Photo of Benjamin Kindel with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, Penguins defenseman Kris Letang and his son, Alex: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
New York Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Times
What I'm hearing about a Penguins trade target and moving up in the NHL Draft
PITTSBURGH — It's showtime for Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins. NHL Draft weekend has arrived, marking a golden opportunity for the Penguins president and general manager to land serious talent for his rebuild. The expectation around the team is that Dubas will be aggressive on the trade market. Advertisement What exactly does that mean? Let's run through the possibilities: • Dubas has the capital to trade up in the draft. It wouldn't be surprising to see the Penguins, who have the 11th and 12th picks, attempt to navigate their way into the top 10. The Penguins also have a second-round pick and three third-round picks. 'Kyle is looking to be aggressive. Everyone knows it,' said a league source who was granted anonymity so they could speak freely about another team. • Dubas is willing to bundle certain picks to move up in the draft. He's also willing to use one or more of those draft picks to land young, NHL-ready talent. He isn't interested in acquiring players who are three or four years away from being ready to contribute in the NHL. Dubas is pleased with the direction of the Penguins' system. It was in shambles when he arrived two years ago but is now probably close to the league average. Dubas wants players ready for the NHL right now. It's easier said than done, but that's the goal. • While some experts have said the 2025 NHL Draft class is average at best, I sense that Dubas likes the players available in the first round quite a bit. If he ends up staying in the 11th and 12th slots, he doesn't seem to view that as a failure. However, he's absolutely exploring trading up, given his surplus of picks. • Here's a name to keep in mind: League and Utah Mammoth sources told me the Penguins have interest in Mammoth center Jack McBain, a restricted free agent. The 6-foot-4 center is tough and good defensively. He put up 13 goals and 27 points in 82 games last season for Utah. This is precisely the kind of player the Penguins are looking for: He's only 25, he's big, and he has the potential to get better. The Penguins are terribly thin down the middle once you get past Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Crosby turns 38 in August, and Malkin, who turns 39 in July, is likely entering his final NHL season. The Penguins have talented prospects on the blue line, especially Harrison Brunicke, the 2024 second-round selection, who has the organization excited. They have talented prospects between the pipes in Sergei Murashov, who could be their future No. 1 goaltender, and Joel Blomqvist. They also have some talented prospects at wing, with Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen hardly looking out of place in their recent NHL stints. Advertisement At center, though, the Penguins have precious little in their system. Dubas wants the Penguins to get bigger and to become more difficult to play against. If that comes in a center, even better. McBain is one of a number of players the Penguins are interested in this summer. Utah wants to re-sign McBain but has been unable to strike a deal. • Though Dubas could move up in the draft, he almost certainly will not trade both of his first-round picks to do so. He's not going to sell the farm. The Penguins aren't in a position where they can be that aggressive. It is conceivable, though, that he would keep either the 11th or 12th pick, while using the other pick — along with picks in later rounds or a player on his roster — to either move up in the draft or land a younger NHL player who could help the Penguins well into the future. Remember, very few of Dubas' summer moves will be geared toward the 2025-26 season. He's eager to create a wave of prospects and young NHL players that can contend soon — an unreasonable expectation for the upcoming season. • Which draft prospects do the Penguins like? Plenty. It's no secret that Dubas and the Penguins have a particular affection for Porter Martone, the Brampton Steelheads (OHL) forward expected to go in the top 10. Dubas saw him play in person several times this past season. Some of that is logistical — Brampton is located near Pearson International Airport in Toronto, making it an easy stop for an NHL executive who flies into Toronto, and Martone's teammate in Brampton was Finn Harding, the Penguins' seventh-round pick last season whom Dubas was monitoring — but the Penguins and Dubas clearly like Martone. As Canada's general manager in May's World Championship in Sweden, Dubas named Martone to the country's roster. • The Penguins expect a run on center prospects to begin early in Friday's draft. Advertisement That could include top prospects such as Jake O'Brien, James Hagens, Caleb Desnoyers, Roger McQueen and Brady Martin. Two other centers, Michael Misa and Anton Frondell, are expected to be taken in the first three or four picks. If the Penguins stay at 11 and 12, they'd be delighted if any of those centers fell to them. Dubas personally scouted O'Brien (Brantford, OHL) on numerous occasions. Martin, a tenacious player who projects as a No. 2 center in the NHL, played for Dubas' beloved Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, so rest assured, Dubas knows all about him. Hagens, once considered the top player in this draft, has dipped slightly during the past year but is highly skilled. Then there is McQueen, a 6-5 center who probably has as much star potential as just about any player in this draft. He also faces questions about his health after a back injury kept him out for most of this past season. The Penguins spent considerable time with McQueen during the NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo. They like him. • The Penguins were pleased — and a little surprised — when the New York Rangers informed them that they were giving up the 12th pick in this draft. The thinking around the Penguins organization is that the Rangers will likely be a bit better next season, given some roster turnover and Mike Sullivan now guiding the team. So, this year's No. 12 pick was probably as good as the Penguins were going to get, even if next year's draft is considered to be more talented. (Photo of Jack McBain: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
New York Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Pittsburgh Penguins NHL Draft guide: Picks, best fits and analysis
The Pittsburgh Penguins have 11 picks in the 2025 NHL Draft: Nos. 11, 12, 59, 73, 84, 85, 105, 130, 148, 169, 201. Here's what to expect. The Penguins haven't had many draft picks in recent years, but in the young talent they have acquired, it has been on defense and the wing, especially after trading center Brayden Yager to Winnipeg. They have no substantial prospect in their system at arguably the most important position. The Penguins enter the 2025 NHL Draft as a team that could make serious waves. President and general manager Kyle Dubas now owns the 11th and 12th picks in the first round, along with a second-round pick and three picks in the third round. He also enters this draft eager to land some substantial quality along with all of the quantity that having 11 picks in a draft promises to bring. Advertisement The Penguins, as a result, are a candidate to move into the top 10 of this draft. While Dubas acknowledges that his organization needs an infusion of young talent at every position, he is particularly impressed with the centers expected to go in the top 10. Sidney Crosby is going to be 38 next season, while Evgeni Malkin will be 39 and likely entering his final NHL season. That means the Penguins are in the market for a future top-six center. One of Dubas' favorite players in this draft is a forward, but not a center. He has scouted right wing Porter Martone extensively this season and brought him to Sweden as a member of Team Canada at the World Championship. Dubas believes he can acquire two good building blocks if he stays at 11 or 12, but he may well have the ammunition to make a bold move. — Josh Yohe, Penguins beat reporter In recent mock drafts, Corey Pronman has projected the following picks: 11. Kashawn Aitcheson, D 59. Tomas Poletin, LW 73. Maxim Schafer, RW 84. Conrad Fondrk, C 85. Yegor Borikov, RW 105. L.J. Mooney, C 130. Roman Bausov, D 148. Gabriel D'Aigle, G 169. Kieren Dervin, C 201. Jordan Gavin, LW (Photo of Penguins GM Kyle Dubas: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
National Post
2 days ago
- Sport
- National Post
Trades, draft a poor second to free agency to improve Maple Leafs
As the Maple Leafs grapple with the ebb and flow of free agents on Tuesday, they likely aren't trading or drafting their way to re-couping any losses in coming days. Article content Their most marketable players have big contracts, armed with no-movement clauses even if they were approached, and many just arrived here in general manager Brad Treliving's initial purge of predecessor Kyle Dubas's roster. Article content Article content Given the GM's clarification of his 'change the DNA' comment during Thursday's pre-draft presser — 'it's not about airlifting in 20 new bodies' — the key is what UFAs, two, perhaps three, can be lured with new capital when star winger Mitch Marner walks. Treliving's coming third year on the job needs to see the team have a deep playoff run. Article content While there has been a flurry of trades prior to the two-day NHL draft commencing Friday night, the Leafs have been on the sidelines thus far. Treliving was non-committal on seeking a small return for Marner's rights before July 1, giving a team exclusive negotiating privileges for a few days. Article content The Athletic reported Thursday that all teams have been reminded by the league about rules on tampering with players before July 1 at the peril of heavy fines and lost draft picks. Article content 'You're trying to make your team better and the potential is to lose a really good player (Marner),' Treliving said. 'The challenge is there, you have to use it as an opportunity as well. You have to see what's available.' Article content Article content Unless the Leafs deal to move up and restore their first-round pick, they aren't due in the order until 64th at the end of Round 2. Article content Article content Article content 'At 64, we'll see,' a doubtful -sounding Treliving said. 'Our guys (led by amateur scouting director Mark Leach) are well-positioned for looking more at moving down scenarios potentially than moving up.' Article content While many fans want to see Treliving go after Florida's Stanley Cup champion winger Brad Marchand, a long-time Leaf nemesis, or other veterans, he has to be prudent. Article content 'You need balance. The league is getting younger. I don't know if it's coincidence that a lot of times you don't see that (Cup) team finish with a lot of rookies. But there's a lot of things young players can bring to a lineup.' Article content By the time the draft starts, an extension of the collective bargaining agreement could be tentatively done. It would change many of today's league procedures; such as lengthening the schedule, contract language, signing bonuses, a salary cap for playoffs, and off ice, an end to team-mandated player dess codes, all to take effect in 2026-27.
National Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- National Post
Trading first-round picks yet to reverse the Maple Leafs' Stanley Cup curse
They're forever known as 'the ones that got away' from the Maple Leafs. Article content There have been 10 drafts between 1991-2022 in which Toronto traded its first-round pick in search of help in regular season, playoffs or both, though it has yet to help end a 58-year Stanley Cup jinx. Article content Article content Barring a reverse mortgage by Friday night, the Leafs again will sit out the opening round, its selection at 25th owned by the Chicago Blackhawks from 2023's acquisition of defenceman Jake McCabe. Neither do the Leafs currently possess a first through 2027. Article content Per the chart below, they've had motive for trading the pick — and a few more in subsequent rounds. Such moves always carry a risk the traded choice ends up raising the Cup as happened again last week. Article content In other cases, the pick turned out a bust for the swap partner and Toronto came out ahead. Here are the yearly draft details, including the player Leafs eventually chose first. Article content Article content 2022 Article content FIRST PICK DEPARTED: 25th to Chicago, which selected 6-foot-4 defenceman Sam Rinzel. After leaving the University of Minnesota to join the Hawks last season, he had five assists in nine NHL games. Article content TRADE DETAILS: Leafs sent goalie Petr Mrazek and this pick to the Hawks for a second-rounder. GM Kyle Dubas was trying to undo an excessive three-year Mrazek contract, while the Hawks had cap room, a rebuild mindset and didn't mind finishing low enough to win the Connor Bedard lottery in 2023. Article content NEXT LEAF UP: Toronto chose WHL centre Fraser Minten at 38th overall. He excelled in his first training camp, made the team and played a total of 19 games for Toronto, but was traded for defenceman Brandon Carlo at the past March deadline. Article content Article content Article content 2019 Article content FIRST PICK DEPARTED; 22nd, Los Angles selected defenceman Tobias Bjornfot. You might have caught Bjornfot raising the Cup late in the Panthers' celebration on Tuesday. The Swede played 100-plus games for the Kings, but slipped through both L.A. and the Vegas Golden Knights, being claimed by the Panthers just as playoffs started.
