Podcast Episode
Penguins Offseason Grades: Split Decision on Dubas, Plus the Final Ask Dan Anything Before the August Break
About this episode
Dan Kingerski closes out the season with Penguins offseason grades for Kyle Dubas — landing on a split decision between a D and a strong B depending on what the front office's actual goal was. He breaks down the Anthony Mantha-to-Kuzmenko downgrade, the righty-heavy defense problem with Van Riemsdyk stepping in, the low-risk Nick Robertson swap, and why holding onto expiring veterans like Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell, and Bryan Rust without trading them undercuts the rebuild. Then it's the last live chat and Ask Dan Anything of the summer: lineup battles, the Wheeling/Florida ECHL affiliate swap fallout, Ville Koivunen's contract standoff, 39-year-old defensemen aging curves, and why Pittsburgh isn't yet a top free-agent destination. Show goes dark for August, back before training camp.Chapters:00:00 – Intro / show format for the day
00:25 – Final No Pucks Given Penguins chat of the season; August break announced
01:35 – Penguins offseason grades begin: grading Kyle Dubas
02:22 – Grade breakdown starts: Anthony Mantha → Andre Kuzmenko downgrade
03:41 – Right-handed defense glut: Trevor van Riemsdyk in a tough spot
09:38 – Nick Robertson trade: low-risk, high-reward move praised
13:04 – Rutger MacGroarty and Ville Koivunen; lineup considerations
16:02 – Why holding pending free agents (Karlsson, Rakell, Rust) hurts the grade
19:34 – Wraps monologue; reiterates "split decision" grade, ties to March 1 trade deadline
19:59 – Live chat begins
22:29 – 15 back-to-backs this season, travel/roster management
25:11 – Do Penguins moves signal real competition for young players?
31:35 – Draft Kings playoff odds discussion; Penguins favored to miss
36:15 – Are the Penguins the "next Red Wings," stuck in the middle?
43:00 – Wheeling/Florida ECHL affiliate swap fallout, explained in depth
1:00:03 – Point-producer predictions, Erik Karlsson trade scenarios
1:09:04 – 39-year-old defensemen aging data (Karlsson replacement scenario)
1:19:33 – Why Pittsburgh isn't a top free-agent destination yet
1:22:26 – Sign-off; back in September