Penguins to ask Maple Leafs to talk to Kyle Dubas

Yesterday morning, the Maple Leafs announced that they had ended their relationship with Kyle Dubas. This was made official at a press conference during which Brendan Shanahan mentioned that discussions on a possible contract extension had recently taken place.

In short, as of yesterday, Dubas is free as a bird and his name is already circulating around the National Hockey League.

The Penguins are expected to reach out and ask for permission to speak with Kyle Dubas, per @FriedgeHNIC. 👀 pic.twitter.com/TMckfxsIyi

– Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 21, 2023

According to Elliotte Friedman, the Pittsburgh Penguins have asked the Maple Leafs for permission to speak with Dubas, as they are looking for a general manager.

It should be noted that a first round of interviews was held, during which Marc Bergevin was unable to convince the Pittsburgh staff. This means that there is enough interest in Dubas to make such a request to the Leafs.

The other clarification is that Dubas mentioned at his press conference that he wasn’t considering another NHL job next season other than Leafs GM. He had said that he considered family to be a crucial element in his potential decision.

The problem is, it wasn’t Dubas who decided to end the association – in fact, he wouldn’t have had the time to do so if he’d wanted to. His agent offered Shanahan new terms for a contract, and that’s when it was over.

Will this decision have an impact on Dubas’ willingness to return to the NHL? Time will tell, but three things have to happen before a return can happen: the Maple Leafs have to agree to Dubas talking to the Penguins, Dubas has to agree to an interview, and obviously the Pennsylvania outfit will have to be charmed by Dubas to make him their new general manager.

In gusto

– It’s unbelievable.

– Quite special.

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