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Penguins' Roster Shake-Up: What It Means for Dubas and the Team's Future
Kyle Dubas is not afraid to make moves and shake up the team's roster as we have seen this season, and it is expected he is going to continue this offseason.
Kyle Dubas recently commented on AHL call-ups and now has followed through. The Penguins have recalled Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen to the NHL roster, significantly shaking up the current look of the NHL club.
Pittsburgh's focus is on the future, and they have a bright young roster in Wilkes-Barre.
While most fans would like to see these prospects get the call, Dubas has cautioned that the team is not making moves to bring in young players just to see them play in the NHL this season.
All that being said, some recalls do make sense, particularly for players who are getting to restricted free agency.
A shot in the NHL allows the club to assess their potential role in the future, and allows Dubas a chance to figure out how he wants to proceed with them this offseason.
The recall of McGroarty and Koivunen was not for the sake of fan service, but it's always fun to have two of the organization's top forward prospects earn NHL minutes. Both have been successful in Wilkes-Barre, so they've earned an invite.
"I would say it's a very case by case basis, we'll evaluate it here each week and layout what we have ahead. I know people are clamoring for it, but we don't want to bring players up just to give them a test run or appease the fans or media. We have to do what's right for their development and we'll continue to do that over the coming weeks."
- Kyle Dubas
- Kyle Dubas
Roster moves are a commonplace in the AHL
Of course, that impacts the AHL Penguins, who are in the middle of a playoff run. Losing two of their best forwards isn't great for coach Kirk MacDonald, but roster changes are just the way of life in the minor leagues.
"I'm not so worried about breaking up the mojo [in Wilkes].That's part of the [AHL] level, you're going to have a different team every night at this time of the year."
- Kyle Dubas
- Kyle Dubas
Development is a priority, and a deep AHL playoff run would be good for these players. But there's no assurance that Wilkes-Barre will go deep, with the brief early-round series.
For McGroarty and Koivunen, gaining NHL experience now translates into worthwhile insight into their strengths and weaknesses, something that will prove its worth for both the organization and the players in the long term.
If the Penguins like what they see, perhaps Dubas wheels and deals this offseason to allow room for them next season in the NHL, which means the team could look a lot different come back drop in October.
| POLL | ||
MARS 29 | 156 ANSWERS Penguins' Roster Shake-Up: What It Means for Dubas and the Team's Future Will the Penguins roster look significantly different next season? | ||
| Yes | 142 | 91 % |
| No | 14 | 9 % |
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