Confirmed with Link: Kyle Dubas named President of Hockey Operations

[Andy99]

Lol

 

[SomeDude]

I was like 15 during Spezza/Kovalchuk's draft year and Spezza was the first prospect I became enamored with following on the internet. I spent my days in the NHL.com chat room declaring Jason Spezza would end up a Penguin.





Nailed it.

 

[End of Line]

Color me shocked

 

[Scandale du Jour]

I was like 15 during Spezza/Kovalchuk's draft year and Spezza was the first prospect I became enamored with following on the internet. I spent my days in the NHL.com chat room declaring Jason Spezza would end up a Penguin.





Nailed it.

Same and I was about the same age.

I have a bunch of Spezza rookie cards

 

[Sideline]

Lol

I know nothing of Spezza's business acumen or talent evaluation skills. Yzerman was apparently a natural and Sakic has built a great organization, but then you see guys like Hextall and Kevin Lowe and realize being a great player means nothing in the GM chair.

 

[Deport Ogie]

While no one is shocked at all by this I do note that, once again, the first source to release it was the Pens themselves, same as the Dubas hire. FSG really is a tight ship when it comes to rumors.

 

[SomeDude]

Same and I was about the same age.

I have a bunch of Spezza rookie cards

Who's laughing now?

The answer is likely Spezza.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

While no one is shocked at all by this I do note that, once again, the first source to release it was the Pens themselves, same as the Dubas hire. FSG really is a tight ship when it comes to rumors.

This was rumored and considered to be a lock to happen from the moment Dubas became a candidate.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I hope Sid gives him shit about that one shift where he made Spezza look silly behind the net about half a dozen times.

 

[SomeDude]

While no one is shocked at all by this I do note that, once again, the first source to release it was the Pens themselves, same as the Dubas hire. FSG really is a tight ship when it comes to rumors.

Also helps that the local media is completely inept and could only break news if Jim Rutherford was on their lawn shouting it at them with a megaphone.

 

[Deport Ogie]

This was rumored and considered to be a lock to happen from the moment Dubas became a candidate.

By anyone with a brain, yes. But I mean the 'insiders' leaking that the hire was coming before it was announced by the team. We knew Treliving was Leafs GM like, 4 hours before the team announced it.

Add: It also makes it fairly easy to assume Pridham is the de facto favorite for GM once the draft is over and he can bail as both Dubas and Spezza are already familiar with him. But then again, maybe not since it looks like Spezza as AGM will report directly to Dubas, not the TBD GM. Pridham seems a decent choice but I also think I'd like them to go somewhere other than Toronto for that hire just for a new voice.

 

[WickedWrister]

I don't really have any strong opinion about Spezza as an AGM, wouldn't mind some insight from Leafs fans here tbh. Not quite sure what he'll be doing on a day-to-day basis but Dubas mentioned needing to fill out some of the hockey operations staff before the draft/FA. Sounds as if he'll be a liaison between all departments (operations, coaching, players).

 

[Trade]

Dany Heatley for Assistant Coach when Reirden gets poached?

Don’t get why people would be upset at this already, Spezza obviously has a good relationship with Dubas and is a great hockey mind. Let Dubas build his hockey ops team.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Also, I would anticipate at least two additional assistant GMs. Dubas had four under him in Toronto. Spezza gets a promotion so Toronto couldn't really block him since he was still under contract.

 

[SomeDude]

Is there a precedent for an assistant GM moonlighting as 4C? Mike Sullivan is currently investigating.

 

[WickedWrister]

Lol

Yeah I was thinking about this. Whoever our GM will be won't get to pick their "own" AGM's, or at least all of them. Not sure how much that matters to a prospective hire. I still think we'll poach someone from Toronto (or one of the guys like Darche we interviewed before Dubas) after the draft

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

By anyone with a brain, yes. But I mean the 'insiders' leaking that the hire was coming before it was announced by the team. We knew Treliving was Leafs GM like, 4 hours before the team announced it.

Felt like it was a foregone conclusion from just about the moment the Leafs fired Dubas and they started interviewing people with an emphasis on veteran GMs with experience. It was like Treliving, Bergevin and Chiarelli, and I don't think the latter two were ever really seriously considered (or ever will be again rofl) so it was pretty much Treliving from the hop.

 

[Andy99]

Also, I would anticipate at least two additional assistant GMs. Dubas had four under him in Toronto. Spezza gets a promotion so Toronto couldn't really block him since he was still under contract.

He wasn’t under contract with Toronto….he resigned there as soon as Dubas was fired…

 

[Lara Emily]

My laughing GOAT boy comes to the Pens

Yasssssss

 

[Andy99]

Yeah I was thinking about this. Whoever our GM will be won't get to pick their "own" AGM's, or at least all of them. Not sure how much that matters to a prospective hire. I still think we'll poach someone from Toronto (or one of the guys like Darche we interviewed before Dubas) after the draft

It’ll be Pridham…

 

[BillyOcean]

Another story we heard breaking first from Rossi and Yohe. Too good!

 

[Josey Wales]

It’ll be Pridham…

Yeah that is kind of backasswards

 

[PenguinSuitedUp]

So Spezza was playing hockey 2 years ago. He’s spent approximately 1 year in front office in an operations capacity, and now he’s 1 step away from being the most influential/powerful guy in terms of roster decisions? I really hope we have another AGM coming.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

I was not expecting that, what a shocker!!!

So If Dubas is to hire a GM, he needs to come in here knowing that he cannot get an ass GM and he cannot hire a new coaching staff!!! Very intriguing job opportunity lol

 

[BillyOcean]

While no one is shocked at all by this I do note that, once again, the first source to release it was the Pens themselves, same as the Dubas hire. FSG really is a tight ship when it comes to rumors.

The pgh media certainly isn't a bastion of investigative journalism.