Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast – Penguin Kyle?
Marek: “What’s the latest between Dubas and the Pens?”
Friedman: “So on Saturday night we reported that the Penguins were expected to ask for permission to speak to Dubas. As we taped this, early Sunday evening after Game 2 of the Western Conference final, I hear that they do have permission to speak to Dubas. So if is going to go anywhere, I think we’re going to find out pretty quickly.
From what I understand, Pittsburgh was very close to ending their search. I think there was the possibility that we were going to find who the new head of Pittsburgh’s hockey operations was going to be early this week.
I believe that was the plan and I believe that’s where we were headed, Jeff. And again, I just want to make sure, I’m not convinced, it might end up being the case, but I’m not convinced it’s going to be president of hockey operations and GM for Pittsburgh. I think they’re going to hire “one lead hockey person” and kind of fill it out from there.
One of the things I was told is, they might only use the president of hockey operations title if they have to promote someone else to GM to get them out of another organization.
Anyway, I think they were getting really close. If you’ve heard all the podcasts, you heard the names we’ve kind of talked about. I think Mathieu Darche is one person from Tampa they were taking a real hard look at. We’ll see where it goes.
But now Dubas has dropped into the middle of all these searches. And I will say this, I had people who were kind telling me that the whole idea of Dubas maybe going to Ottawa at some point, and spicing up that rivalry with Toronto, definitely appealed to some people but I think Pittsburgh is gonna make their pitch and see if that appeals Kyle Dubas. And I think that process is underway.”
Marek: “The Kyle Dubas talk. The Kyle Dubas content was everywhere this weekend, and the conversations were wild. I just want to make sure I throw this out there on the Pod, just as, I don’t ultimately think it’s going to happen but one conversation I had, someone was speculating that they could see Dubas talking to Fenway Sports but not about the Pittsburgh Penguins, rather about baseball.
And it would be a very Kyle Dubas move to swerve everybody and end up working in baseball for Fenway Sports and not…
Friedman: “Why didn’t you just Liverpool? He’s going to talk to Fenway to run Liverpool.”
Marek: “I’m just putting it out there. I’m just throwing things out there on this podcast today.”
