Why would Seravelli or Friedman care about Dubas? Most TDL grades are highly critical of Dubas so not sure where you're seeing the media not criticize him. Moreover, Toffoli got a worse relative return as a full rental. Henrique did well though he can player center too. I'm sure if Dubas tried moving Guentzel earlier when Monahan and Lindholm got traded he would have done better. But PIT fans would have FREAKED OUT if he did that.
- jfkst1

You have a different sense of hockey media's treatment of Dubas over the last 5 or 6 years than I do, we should probably leave it at that. Glad you're satisfied with the return from Guentzel.

Why would Seravelli or Friedman care about Dubas? Most TDL grades are highly critical of Dubas so not sure where you're seeing the media not criticize him. Moreover, Toffoli got a worse relative return as a full rental. Henrique did well though he can player center too. I'm sure if Dubas tried moving Guentzel earlier when Monahan and Lindholm got traded he would have done better. But PIT fans would have FREAKED OUT if he did that.
- jfkst1

Dubas has gotten a lot of love from the press for being a competent GM though. I see him the same way I see coaches like Pete Deboer and Todd McLellan. Solid but not spectacular coaches who get jobs with contenders but never get the Cup. I guess you could say McLellan got one as an assistant. A great GM doesn’t care if the fans freak out if he can make a good deal.

Dubas has gotten a lot of love from the press for being a competent GM though. I see him the same way I see coaches like Pete Deboer and Todd McLellan. Solid but not spectacular coaches who get jobs with contenders but never get the Cup. I guess you could say McLellan got one as an assistant. A great GM doesn’t care if the fans freak out if he can make a good deal.
- Minnyhock

When Lindholm was traded, PIT had about a 70% projection of making the postseason. Answering to ownership on why he gave up on a season- which all but guarantees a lot less revenue in the year- is a lot easier to do as a fan with no accountability than the GM. Yes, he is paid a lot to make hard choices, but plenty of these criticisms are hindsight. Wasn't until recently that PIT playoff chances collapsed.

I like when the Buzztron has some teams finishing 18-0-2 and then someone else goes 1-18-1 down the stretch. Totally arbitrary. You either win out or lose every night. Or weird stuff like a team currently has 10 OT/SO losses, but magically finish with 8.
- HockeyBuzzed

Now was that the prior versions of the Buzztron?

Because this is the Buzztron 5000. Notice the 5000. Its supercharged.

Kinda like the different versions of the Dopplerthingamajig predicting weather in every city. Some have a Doppler 3000. Some have a Super Doppler. Not sure how many Dopplers to a Super. And don’t get me started on the Mega Doppler.

Regardless, 5000 makes me think it couldn’t possibly get anything wrong…

When Lindholm was traded, PIT had about a 70% projection of making the postseason. Answering to ownership on why he gave up on a season- which all but guarantees a lot less revenue in the year- is a lot easier to do as a fan with no accountability than the GM. Yes, he is paid a lot to make hard choices, but plenty of these criticisms are hindsight. Wasn't until recently that PIT playoff chances collapsed.
- jfkst1

At the time of the Lindholm trade, Calgary was 12th in the conference and 5 points back of the playoffs. But since Lindholm wouldn't sign or wouldn't sign at desirable terms, the Flames had to manage assets.

That same day, Pitt was also tied for 12th in the East and was 5 points out of the playoffs.

How ironic.

At the time of the Lindholm trade, Calgary was 12th in the conference and 5 points back of the playoffs. But since Lindholm wouldn't sign or wouldn't sign at desirable terms, the Flames had to manage assets.

That same day, Pitt was also tied for 12th in the East and was 5 points out of the playoffs.

How ironic.
- HockeyBuzzed

Yes, in points. Which is either profoundly ignorant or deliberately misleading on your part as it ignores games played. PIT was 9th in PT% in the conference, and only .006 PT% behind PHI. Meanwhile CGY was 12th in PT% as well.

How ironic.

When Lindholm was traded, PIT had about a 70% projection of making the postseason. Answering to ownership on why he gave up on a season- which all but guarantees a lot less revenue in the year- is a lot easier to do as a fan with no accountability than the GM. Yes, he is paid a lot to make hard choices, but plenty of these criticisms are hindsight. Wasn't until recently that PIT playoff chances collapsed.
- jfkst1

Not being bold, convincing or perceptive enough to get the owners to think past short term revenue and taking the long view toward the future shows me that he’s an ordinary GM. Couple that with fan sentiment handcuffing him from making a move is even worse.

The Pens and Wild have two of the oldest rosters yet both were desperate to make the playoffs with old flawed rosters that aren’t good enough to win a round. Not forward thinking to me.

Not being bold, convincing or perceptive enough to get the owners to think past short term revenue and taking the long view toward the future shows me that he’s an ordinary GM. Couple that with fan sentiment handcuffing him from making a move is even worse.

The Pens and Wild have two of the oldest rosters yet both were desperate to make the playoffs with old flawed rosters that aren’t good enough to win a round. Not forward thinking to me.
- Minnyhock

Yeah like what was the pitch to owners? We're in 12th, but not far back of a wildcard spot. So let's keep Guentzel for 6 more weeks and try to climb into a wildcard spot. If we succeed, we'll get 2 home dates versus NYR or Florida. Maybe if we get lucky we'll stretch that series to 6 games and get THREE extra games. Cha-ching!!

Fletch>dubas

he literally wore 55 on his jersey before in Minnesota Dumba55

Yeah like what was the pitch to owners? We're in 12th, but not far back of a wildcard spot. So let's keep Guentzel for 6 more weeks and try to climb into a wildcard spot. If we succeed, we'll get 2 home dates versus NYR or Florida. Maybe if we get lucky we'll stretch that series to 6 games and get THREE extra games. Cha-ching!!
- HockeyBuzzed

I'm sure you had big money on Florida making it to the SCF too. Ownership isn't brain dead. They understand the randomness of the NHL playoffs and a long postseason is big money. Giving that chance up a month plus before the deadline while still within close distance is a very hard argument to make. He delayed as long as possible. Would have been easier and probably better if the choice was forced on him earlier. But the team kept within striking distance most of the season until right before the deadline.

Why does Dubas get so much love from the media?
oh that's too easy answer.

The Toronto Maple Leafs.
He worked for them. He made them into the amazing juggernauts they are. All things that shine pretty blue are because of him. Anyone that worked for Toronto especially recently must be amazing. So, yes it's that easy to see why media personalities who mostly live and work in TO must continue to push the "all things Leafs is good" narrative even when it's clearly not.

I'm sure you had big money on Florida making it to the SCF too. Ownership isn't brain dead. They understand the randomness of the NHL playoffs and a long postseason is big money. Giving that chance up a month plus before the deadline while still within close distance is a very hard argument to make. He delayed as long as possible. Would have been easier and probably better if the choice was forced on him earlier. But the team kept within striking distance most of the season until right before the deadline.
- jfkst1

That really is a bit of a stretch isn't it? You've always seemed like one of the smarter posters here, surely you can see the difference between Florida last year - a team that won the President's trophy the previous season before adding Tkachuk and Pittsburgh this season. If Kyle Dubas is anything close to as smart as we've been constantly told he is, he's able to see the difference between those two situations. But the goalposts seemed to have moved. First it was Dubas received a mediocre return because Guentzel was a pure rental who wouldn't talk extension, then it was because he had to hold on to him later than normal because the Pens were kinda sorta still in the playoff race. I think there's a pretty good history of other GM's getting solid returns on rentals right up to the deadline.

Why does Dubas get so much love from the media?
oh that's too easy answer.

The Toronto Maple Leafs.
He worked for them. He made them into the amazing juggernauts they are. All things that shine pretty blue are because of him. Anyone that worked for Toronto especially recently must be amazing. So, yes it's that easy to see why media personalities who mostly live and work in TO must continue to push the "all things Leafs is good" narrative even when it's clearly not.
- Octavarium

I remember Josh Yohe making the case to hire Dubas. It basically came down to, all the other GM's thought he was really super smart and his staff really loved him and thought he was a good guy. There were no great trades referenced, no Toews for two 2nd's or Burakovsky for a 2nd and a 3rd, no Grubauer for a 2nd. Just Nick Foligno for a 1st and a 4th or Barrie and Kerfoot for Kadri. No Nichushkin-like reclamation project, no great signings - any poster on this board could have got the deals he got for Matthews, Marner, Nylander and Tavares. My memory is that Marner went for about a million a year more than Rantanen a few days before Rantanen. The "we can and we will" statement was about as dumb a signal as any young GM could send to a group of agents, basically putting himself in a position where he would lose face if he didn't sign all those dudes.

Then there's Tavares. The Leafs had just had the third ranked offense in the league with some young guys who were only going to get better. Let's shore up the defense, right? Nope lets throw a bunch of money at a near end of his prime 2C, inflate his own salary structure and bump his homegrown 2C down and eventually make him redundant. Super smart analytical Kyle Dubas, I've got enough work to do that I don't even want to take the time to talk about the goalie situation. But you're 100% correct. He worked for the Leafs so he has to be one of the best,

That really is a bit of a stretch isn't it? You've always seemed like one of the smarter posters here, surely you can see the difference between Florida last year - a team that won the President's trophy the previous season before adding Tkachuk and Pittsburgh this season. If Kyle Dubas is anything close to as smart as we've been constantly told he is, he's able to see the difference between those two situations. But the goalposts seemed to have moved. First it was Dubas received a mediocre return because Guentzel was a pure rental who wouldn't talk extension, then it was because he had to hold on to him later than normal because the Pens were kinda sorta still in the playoff race. I think there's a pretty good history of other GM's getting solid returns on rentals right up to the deadline.
- FoppaForever

We have a winner. 2021-22 Florida leads league with 122 points. They fall to Tampa, who goes on to win Cup.

Lesson learned. They move Huberdeau for Tkachuk. But start the next season poorly as Tkachuk adapts. But they finished 2022-23 strong. Sure, they were an 8th seed, but better equipped for playoff hockey than the previous year President trophy roster. That playoff run was not magical. It was a legit Cup contender finally hitting on all cylinders. Now this year - leading the league again.

The anomaly wasn't the magical playoff run. The anomaly was a poor stretch in the 2023-23 regular season. Aside from that, it's been 3 years of dominance. But sure, cling to the idea that anyone can squeeze into 8th and win the Cup. Go Penguins!

That really is a bit of a stretch isn't it? You've always seemed like one of the smarter posters here, surely you can see the difference between Florida last year - a team that won the President's trophy the previous season before adding Tkachuk and Pittsburgh this season. If Kyle Dubas is anything close to as smart as we've been constantly told he is, he's able to see the difference between those two situations. But the goalposts seemed to have moved. First it was Dubas received a mediocre return because Guentzel was a pure rental who wouldn't talk extension, then it was because he had to hold on to him later than normal because the Pens were kinda sorta still in the playoff race. I think there's a pretty good history of other GM's getting solid returns on rentals right up to the deadline.
- FoppaForever

Because fans are mindlessly presumptuous over the autonomy NHL GMs have. Dubas might very well want to rebuild and not be allowed to from FSG. Grier in SJ had to deal with it. Conroy is dealing with it now in CGY.

I really think you can take the Rangers out of the mix! See the rest of the league has put a BOUNTY ON PANARIN, FOX, ZIBANEJAD, SHESTERKIN, KREIDER, AND MILLER just to name a few because they want (AND WILL GET) revenge on REMPE!! The other ones who are going to need protection are "LITTLE" GARY BETTMAN AND GEORGE (DO YOU LIKE MY CHANEL DRESS AND GUCCI HEELS) PARROS WHO WILL LET HIM OFF. By the way, when he murders someone on the ice, both "LITTLE" GARY AND GEORGIE WILL BE ARRESTED AND TRIED AS ACCESSORIES FOR MURDER!!

I really think you can take the Rangers out of the mix! See the rest of the league has put a BOUNTY ON PANARIN, FOX, ZIBANEJAD, SHESTERKIN, KREIDER, AND MILLER just to name a few because they want (AND WILL GET) revenge on REMPE!! The other ones who are going to need protection are "LITTLE" GARY BETTMAN AND GEORGE (DO YOU LIKE MY CHANEL DRESS AND GUCCI HEELS) PARROS WHO WILL LET HIM OFF. By the way, when he murders someone on the ice, both "LITTLE" GARY AND GEORGIE WILL BE ARRESTED AND TRIED AS ACCESSORIES FOR MURDER!!
- IBleedBlu1

Why does this look like a Facebook comment left by a 64 year old on an obviously-fake political meme?