"I think the key thing is that we want these guys to earn it," Dubas said. "So, if we just start handing the guys spots, we're going to very quickly lose what I think the Penguins have been about for a very long time and what's made the Penguins a great team in the league since the early 90s."
He added: "It's right there for them. We're not going to block them, but they're going to have to go out and prove that they can be here, and they're going to have to earn their way here It's trying to find that balance between not blocking players but making them earn it and also having enough depth to be competitive on a nightly basis."