Thanks to a report by Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, multiple sources are changing their tune when it comes to Kyle Dubas and the job in Pittsburgh as their new general manager. Many believed it was a matter of time before Dubas accepted the position, with Mark Madden suggesting it was all but done and that Dubas might be close to agreeing to terms. Insiders like Elliotte Friedman suggested the organization had put their GM search on hold Dubas made a decision but Seravalli’s comments during an interview on The Fan’s Drive Time has everyone second-guessing themselves.
Seravalli heard Madden’s report and gave props to the scribe for his often accurate reporting. At the same time, he noted he’s hearing differently. He explained, “That kind of goes against about every single thing that I’ve heard. I seem to have some indication, and not obviously to a point where I feel comfortable in reporting it, but there’s been lots of smoke in the last 24 hours that Kyle Dubas has, in fact, turned down the Pittsburgh Penguins.” He adds, “It just seems like the Penguins and Fenway Sports Group have re-engaged with some other people they were previously interviewing, which would lend to speculation that Kyle Dubas has turned them down.”
Friedman then acknowledged the change in narrative and noted during his latest 32 Thoughts podcast, “My theory is that it’s possible that there are some players here that we haven’t considered, that maybe some other teams have at the very least taken a look at what his long-term plans might be”. Who would that team be? The Ottawa Senators seem to be the most likely.
Dating back about a week, Seravalli suggested the Senators might be interested in Dubas and that Pierre Dorion’s position in Ottawa might not be safe. They didn’t make the playoffs (largely due to injuries to key players) and there are some big decisions coming up for that franchise. More than that, Seravalli suggested the Senators were a team that made more sense for Dubas. They are on the upswing versus potentially a year or two away from a rebuild like the Penguins, and Dubas grew up cheering for that team.
Part of the delay for any GM decision in Ottawa is due to the pending sale of the team. Once that’s cleared up, new ownership will likely be making some key decisions, and keeping Dorion or moving on will be first among them.
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