Noah Hiles: How much more time should the Penguins give Kyle Dubas?

Noah Hiles, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Nov 13, 2026

Published in Hockey

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PITTSBURGH — “It’s that bad.”

That’s how someone recently described the current state of the Penguins to me. It’s hard to disagree with that analysis. It’s hard to ignore the mess that exists.

It really is “that bad.”

In the short term, yes. This year’s Penguins are not a very good team. More concerning is the big picture.

The Penguins have been rebuilding for nearly three years now. It started when they traded fan favorite Jake Guentzel in March 2024. They aimed to construct a deeper farm system, one that could produce their next young star to build around. Some progress has been made, but not nearly enough.

It’s worth wondering how much longer this rebuild will take — and how much of that time should include the man currently running the show.

This season marks Year 4 of the Kyle Dubas era.

Dubas was hired by Fenway Sports Group in 2023 to usher the Penguins into a new age, to build a future beyond the Big Three. He tried to compete that first year, making a handful of aggressive moves to give Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin one last shot at a Stanley Cup run.

That effort failed.

Spectacularly.

He pivoted to a full rebuild that spring. That’s been the clear focus since Guentzel was moved. But right now, the future still looks far from promising.

We’re still waiting for the youth movement to arrive. After three years of the Penguins stockpiling draft picks and prospects, most of the young players Dubas has attached his name to have largely underwhelmed.

Ville Koivunen, the centerpiece in the Guentzel return and a player recently extended to an eight-year deal, has yet to prove he can be a consistent contributor.

Sergei Murashov, who may one day become the Penguins’ goalie of the future, has struggled this season in his first extended opportunity with Pittsburgh.

Rutger McGroarty, Avery Hayes and Harrison Brunicke are perhaps even more frustrating cases, as none have been able to earn a spot on what looks to be one of the NHL’s worst teams.

Ben Kindel is the clear success, but even he looks to be in the midst of a sophomore slump.

Yes, all of these youngsters deserve more time to develop. Their stories are still be written. But again, how much time is this rebuild going to take? And will it even be worth it in the end?

This would be easier to stomach if the farm system was deeper. That could’ve potentially been the case had Dubas committed further toward his stated goal this past offseason.

He could have struck while the iron was hot and traded the likes of Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell while their stocks were high. That would have also opened up more spots for young players who need NHL reps.

Instead, Dubas didn’t do much of anything.

He built a roster that, on paper, looked similar to last year’s. There were more role players, journeymen with little to offer long-term, than prospects with an undetermined future ahead.

Four years in, the future feels about as bleak as it did on Dubas’ first day. That reality hits even harder whenever the current club is playing this poorly.

It’s not time to give up on Dubas just yet, but the clock is ticking.

He made a handful of solid trades in the midst of last season, ones that helped his team reach the playoffs. He needs to be even better in the midst of this season when it comes to offloading veterans on expiring deals.

Next summer will be even more pivotal.

The Penguins likely will be picking inside the top 10, if not the top 5. Can Dubas find a player who can provide an immediate impact? One like Kindel, only better? Because that’s what’s desperately needed.

Free agency, if done right, could also expedite this process. Dubas will have plenty of money to spend. Perhaps signing Jason Robertson or Quinn Hughes, who are both 27, can make up for recent misses. Maybe that’s where he finds a big building block.

Regardless, something has to give — and soon. This wasn’t going to be fixed overnight. But the lack of overall progress is growing more visible by the day.

The Penguins can’t wait another four or five years to see if Dubas’ deliberate plan pays off. We need to see proof of concept within the next 12 months.

If not, maybe somebody else needs to take over this project.