LAS VEGAS — Make no mistake, this was just the beginning.
There are almost certainly more trades coming. Kyle Dubas got the hockey world’s attention on Wednesday night, less than 48 hours until the NHL trade deadline, when he made a minor deal with San Jose, sending Vincent Desharnais (we barely knew you) to the Sharks for a fifth-round pick in 2028. An hour later, Dubas made a significantly bigger move, dealing Michael Bunting and a 2026 fourth-round pick to the Nashville Predators in return for Tommy Novak and Luke Schenn.
So, what to make of it all?
Dubas’ commitment to the future at this point is admirable. He’s laser-focused on what’s to come down the road, as he should be. Never mind the inclusion of Schenn. His presence won’t hurt. And here’s the thing: You can trade him at any time, he adds some much-needed team toughness, and he’s not a bad guy to have around for the influx of young defensemen who are on their way to Pittsburgh in coming years. And never mind his salary or that he’s on the books for an additional season. Who cares? Do you think the Penguins are going to win the Stanley Cup in 2026? Me neither! Thus, his salary is irrelevant. It’s like when the Penguins acquired Kevin Hayes. They didn’t care about him one way or the other. What they cared about was the second-round pick that the Blues sent along for the Penguins in the deal. That was the prize.
The bigger piece to this puzzle is Novak.
And in Novak, we see Dubas’ vision continuing to come to life. He is two years younger than Bunting, he makes less money than Bunting, he’s under contract for a year longer than Bunting, and he plays a more important position (center) than Bunting.
The Penguins have precious little at center behind Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. As you may have heard, those two aren’t getting younger. There’s a good chance Malkin will retire when his contract expires following next season. Crosby turns 38 in August and has two years remaining on his deal.
Currently, the Penguins’ bottom-six centers, to be kind, are not good. Now they have real depth, a guy who is a late bloomer but who can legitimately give the Penguins an answer down the middle behind Crosby and Malkin.
Novak scored 17 goals in only 51 games in his breakout 2022-23 campaign. He followed that up with 18 goals and 45 points last season. He has 13 goals this season in what has been a disaster of a season for the Predators.
Novak isn’t a star, but he’s an upgrade at a very important position. The analytics community likes him quite a bit. He passes the eye test, too. He strikes me as the kind of guy who is potentially a No. 2 center on a bad team, but a No. 3 center on a good team. While their styles are different, there is a lot of Brandon Sutter in his game. Quite frankly, he’s a better player than Bunting. I admire Bunting’s scoring ability … when he’s scoring. He’s as streaky as it gets. I admire his tenacity when he’s being tenacious … which is some of the time, but not all of the time. I admire his toughness … but how much does toughness matter when you’re one of the smallest guys on the ice? I admire Bunting’s ability to adapt to new linemates and to provide a spark to the power play … but his hockey IQ, tendency to take terrible penalties and overall defensive work are problems.
In this deal, I believe that Dubas got the better player. And it happens to be a player that hits on all of the Penguins’ needs: He enhances their skill level, makes them younger, makes them bigger and is affordable.
If Schenn adds some toughness and shows Harrison Brunicke the ropes during training camp next season, great. Smart. A bonus. Dubas has a history with Schenn, bringing him back to Toronto for a second stint during Dubas’ final season with the Maple Leafs. He knows of his character, which is reportedly very strong.
But this trade isn’t about Schenn. It’s not about losing a fourth-round pick in a couple of years. Rather, it’s about the same mission that we’ve seen for more than a year from Dubas.
Get draft picks. (Think the Marcus Pettersson/Drew O’Connor trade.)
Get prospects. (Think the Jake Guentzel trade.)
Take chances on young players who haven’t figured it out just yet at the NHL level, but who have talent. (Think Phil Tomasino and Cody Glass.)
Now, we are witnessing the next progression: Get a good, young NHL player. This is what Dubas did and he did so by subtracting a solid but slightly overpaid player who really wasn’t part of the Penguins’ future.
Novak may well be part of their future.
That’s good managing.
Dubas isn’t done yet. This is a remarkably fertile market for sellers. Teams are willing to give away high draft picks for above average NHL players. This is something we haven’t seen before, not to this extent.
So, Dubas is very much in the spotlight. Just how much can he get for Rickard Rakell? Because I assure you that Rakell has been made available. But the price tag on Rakell, according to one source within the organization, is “a king’s ransom.”
But can you blame Dubas? Look at what inferior players to Rakell are producing in trades. Dubas should be asking for an enormous amount, and he is. Will he sell too low on Rakell? Will his asking price scare teams away? Is keeping Rakell the right move? Will he hit a home run, trading Rakell for foundational pieces of a bright Penguins future?
These are difficult questions to answer. This is why Dubas is paid the big bucks.
The jury is still out on Dubas’ time in Pittsburgh and it will be for a while. But give him credit for having a vision and sticking to it. There is nothing wishy washy about what’s happening with the Penguins right now. Dubas is running the show and he’s on a crusade to land young talent in every direction.
Recently, he’s done very well.
The climate appears to be very much in his favor for the rest of the week. Times like these are when managers can take massive leaps in their rebuilding phase.
It’s go time.
What Dubas did on Wednesday looks like a good start.
(Photo: Charles LeClaire / Imagn Images)
