Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas’ first NHL game was on Oct. 3, 2018. Since then, he’s been an NHL decision-maker for the past six seasons and is approaching his 500th game, sitting at 454.
Despite not making the playoffs with the Penguins in 2023-24, the team finished 38-32-12, giving Dubas his sixth consecutive winning season as a general manager.
His record with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Penguins is 259-141-54, good for 592 points.
Pittsburgh has averaged 43 wins a season in the salary cap era, so they have the second-most wins in the past 19 seasons at 828-495-162.
Since head coach Mike Sullivan took over 28 games into the 2015-16 season, the Penguins have been 375-219-77, averaging 41 wins a season.
How many games does Dubas need to reach 300 wins?
The answer is 41.
After the global pandemic, Pittsburgh collected 46 wins, their third-best win total under Sullivan, following 50 (2016-17) and 47 (2017-18).
Surprisingly, Dubas’ teams in Toronto were no stranger to 41 wins, with 46 in his first season (2018-19) and back-to-back 50-win campaigns in 2021-22 (54) and 2022-23 (50).
Despite having one of the oldest lineups in the league, the Penguins recently made news by acquiring Rutger McGroarty, who instantly became their top prospect.
Scouts and hockey experts believe he could make his NHL debut in 2024-25, giving Pittsburgh a much-needed injection of youth.
However, Dubas had a busy summer, stockpiling draft picks and tweaking the bottom six with acquisitions like Kevin Hayes and Cody Glass.
This offseason, the Pittsburgh Penguins …
▪️Acquired a 2nd-round draft pick taking on Kevin Hayes’ contract
▪️Acquired a 3rd-round pick plus Cody Glass from Nashville
▪️Acquired Rutger McGroarty from WinnipegA quietly good summer for Kyle Dubas? 🐧 pic.twitter.com/1PPPgjoMl2
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) August 22, 2024
Of course, there are plenty of questions about the lineup, whether it’s goaltending concerns, defensemen underperforming, or Sidney Crosby’s contract extension.
Yet, Dubas is trying to do everything at once. He’s busy adjusting the lineup while cleaning up the mess left by former general manager Ron Hextall and preparing for the next era of Penguins hockey when Crosby retires.
Heading into 2024-25, Dubas has assembled a competitive team that can win 41 games and give him his 300th win. However, this is the same team that could win 40 and miss the playoffs by a single point.
It’s a fine line, to say the least.
Related: 5 Things to Know About Penguins Prospect Rutger McGroarty
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