Kyle Dubas Details Expectations For Penguins Coaching Search

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas is ready to put his line into the coaching candidate waters this offseason after the organization parted ways with longtime head coach Mike Sullivan.

Dubas told reporters Monday he wants to “cast a wide net” in his search to make sure they pick the right coach to lead the Penguins from behind the bench.

Dubas is looking for Pittsburgh’s next coach to be able to do a little bit of everything to help put the Penguins in a better position not only for next season, but beyond that as well.

“It’s going to be continuing to maximize the prime or the end of careers of some of the players that we have, and it’s going to be expeditiously developing some of the young players that have already come onto the roster, that are about to come onto the roster,” Dubas told reporters, per NHL.com’s Michelle Crechiolo. “Continue to make tweaks and changes around the system and the way that we integrate players, put their own stamp on the organization.”

Dubas also revealed his timeline for when he wants to have a new head coach in place. Dubas said virtual interviews will take place this month before conducting in-person interviews in late May and early June. The Penguins will want to have a head coach cemented by early next month with the NHL draft set to take place June 27.

But as Dubas explained, the coaching search isn’t a straightforward process with some candidates locked into playoff runs with their current teams.

“That may be delayed because some of the people — just very quickly we’ve started to put together a list of the top folks — some of those people are employed either by top AHL teams or they’re on NHL staffs as we speak right now,” Dubas said. “That would be the only delay in it. That will give you a preview of what we’re about to undertake.”