Kyle Dubas and Barry Trotz spotted together in Stockholm - here's what it means
Photo credit: NHL.com
Penguins GM Kyle Dubas was spotted having coffee in Sweden with Predators GM Barry Trotz, and while many assume a trade was in the works, that's not the case.
Two hockey general managers in a quiet cafe in Stockholm, Sweden, might appear as the beginning of a trade, but this was not the case for Kyle Dubas, the general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Barry Trotz, general manager of the Nashville Predators.
During a break in the 2025 NHL Global Series in Sweden, they took five minutes to slip away for coffee and pastries and some Swedish Fika.
"But how's your season going? Obviously, a lot better than ours at this point."
- Barry Trotz
- Barry Trotz
"It's been good. (First-year coach) Dan (Muse) has come in and done a really good job right from training camp on. The veteran guys here are, obviously, so proud, so they've played very well, all of them."
- Kyle Dubas
- Kyle Dubas
What the conversation between Kyle Dubas and Barry Trotz was about
The conversation drifted from pleasantries to how they manage their teams and where they are with their rosters, but there wasn't any talk of any trades, except for Trotz's joke about borrowing Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin from Dubas.
The 39-year-old is entering his third year as general manager of the Penguins, following five years as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
He spent his early career as a player agent and then worked as general manager of the OHL team Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, and then joined Toronto's management team in 2014 and was promoted to general manager in 2018.
Trotz, 63, is entering his third year as the Predators' GM, following an illustrious coaching career.
Why Barry Trotz is so well-respected around the NHL
He is fourth all-time in games coached and victories, a two-time winner of the Jack Adams Award, and guided the Washington Capitals to the Stanley Cup championship in 2018, following stints as head coach of the Predators and the New York Islanders.
Right now, both sets of GMs are trying to retool on the fly, relying on veteran players and trying to build through younger talent.
The Pittsburgh team is working with players like Crosby, Malkin, and Kris Letang, and the Nashville team is working with players like Steven Stamkos, Ryan O'Reilly, and Jonathan Marchessault.
Ultimately, this moment of Fika was less about backroom politics and more about two arch-rivals and the exchange of their ideas within a quiet moment amidst the frenzy of the season.
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