Kyle Dubas backed to succeed at Pittsburgh Penguins by NHL expert - "His fingerprints are going to be all over the team"

On Thursday, Kyle Dubas was named President of Hockey Operations by the Pittsburgh Penguins, becoming only the second person in the franchise's history to hold the position. Dubas will be in charge of all aspects of the Penguins' Hockey operations, including developing the franchise's strategic vision and philosophy.

Meanwhile, NHL analyst Jamie McLennan shared his thoughts on Kyle Dubas's appointment on the show SportsCentre. McLennan told host Jay Onrait that it is the "right situation for Dubas" at Penguins as he will be able to "run his own show right from top to bottom."

"It is the right situation for Kyle Dubas because he is getting an opportunity to run his own show right from top to bottom. You heard his comments as well say that ‘I am gonna be the interim general manager while I get my feet within the organization and I will choose somebody later this summer."

He also said that the efforts that Dubas will put into the franchise will be visible next season. Jamie added that the former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager is in a similar situation with the Penguins, except the core here is older and has won before when compared to the core he left with Toronto.

"So his fingerprints are going to be all over the team that they build next season. Kyle Dubas, he has his work cut out, just like Brad Treliving but you can argue that he is going through a similar situation in Pittsburgh where you’ve got a core there that is under contract.

You can just fast forward it that they’ve won before and that core is 10 years older than the core he left behind in Toronto. A lot of similar situations, just a different scenario."

A Glimpse into the Success Kyle Dubas Brought into the Toronto Maple Leafs

2022 NHL Draft - Round 2-7

Dubas had a nine-year stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs, with five years as the general manager of the club. He was appointed as the 17th GM in the history of the franchise. Dubas was just 32 years old at that time and became the second-youngest GM in NHL history.

Under his direction, the Maple Leafs made it to the playoffs each year. Three of the best regular seasons in the franchise's history also came under his tenure.

In the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Maple Leafs won their first-ever Round 1 series in 19 years under Dubas' guidance.