Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup Window Revealed By NHL Insider

The Erik Karlsson deal: where Kyle Dubas is making moves. You tweeted about that, right?

Yes, I did. That tweet quickly went viral because of the responses I received. With X, formerly known as Twitter, the more provocative you are, the more feedback you get. My tweet about Dubas wasn't intended to provoke, but it became clear that Dubas is polarizing. If you've been associated with the Maple Leafs in any capacity, especially recently, people will react strongly. After the Karlsson deal, my tweet was even featured on TSN2. When I tweeted it, I didn't mean Dubas is the best GM, nor that all his moves are good. In fact, he's made several poor trades. Yet, he's actively involved in numerous deals. You see his influence in the moves he made during the trade deadline and on July 1st.

On X, distinguishing real from fake accounts can be challenging. I had to ensure that tweet was genuinely from you because it was so surprising. Craig even commented, suggesting Kelly McCriman is the actual NHL pace setter. Regardless, the spotlight is on Dubas now. He's the president and self-appointed GM, answering to no one. He'll make his desired moves, constrained only by the fact he can't trade core pieces like Sidney Crosby. This restriction, present in both Toronto and Pittsburgh, affects his strategies.

Dubas's approach is intriguing. He's added Karlsson, who's 33, to a team with other members around the ages of 35 or 36. This strategy seems to aim for a two-year run with this group. Beyond that, there might be a need for a reset and a focus on future prospects. This could give Dubas almost a decade to shape the Penguins.

However, even with these moves, I doubt they have more than a two-year window to chase glory. After that, the team might struggle for a while. Pittsburgh hasn't been in such a situation before. Dubas will have to build from scratch for the first time, requiring patience and foresight.

Yet, considering the Penguins' past successes, it makes sense to maximize the current core's potential. The Eastern Conference will be competitive, with teams like Boston, Pittsburgh, and the Islanders fighting for playoff spots. The Karlsson deal, essentially a salary dump, reflects the current NHL state, where cap space is a premium asset. In this salary-cap era, San Jose took a significant hit by getting rid of Karlsson for just a protected first-round pick, highlighting the value of cap space over future assets.