The St. Louis Blues have a debt of gratitude to Pittsburgh Penguins GM Kyle Dubas. Well, it wasn’t that Dubas did the Blues any favors; he just made things a bit easier on the team.
During an appearance on the August 11 edition of the Cam and Strick Podcast, Dubas got candid about his life and career. Amid the interesting topics discussed, Dubas touched on a seemingly inconsequential trade that led the St. Louis Blues to recover their second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Of course, as we all know, that trade was made as a means of facilitating the Philip Broberg offer sheet last summer. In short, Dubas was kind enough not to refuse to trade the pick back to the Blues so that the team could complete the offer sheet negotiation for Broberg.
In the end, Dubas got a second and third-round pick in exchange for the Blues’ original second-rounder in 2025. Dubas could have gouged Doug Armstrong, but he didn’t. He played a fair game.
That attitude speaks volumes about Dubas’ character and fairness as a business person.
Dubas also stated that he wasn’t quite sure what Armstrong was up to. He suspected that Armstrong had a deal in the works, but couldn’t sense where it was going. Dubas stated he felt the Blues had an offer sheet in mind, but couldn’t figure out who they were targeting.
The Pens GM concluded his thoughts by saying he felt satisfied that the Blues got two good players while the Oilers were able to return to the Stanley Cup Final.
Dubas wants to follow St. Louis Blues’ lead
Kyle Dubas made another interesting remark about the Blues. When expounding on his vision for the Penguins, Dubas brought up St. Louis as an example. In particular, Dubas highlighted how the Blues were able to go from a Stanley Cup win, a teardown, retooling, and back into the playoffs in a quick timeframe.
That’s the path Dubas would like to follow in Pittsburgh. He feels the Blues have set a solid example of how a team can essentially pivot its roster on a dime. Dubas is hopeful that he can replicate the Blues’ success and bring the Penguins back into the playoff hunt in the Eastern Conference.
Lastly, Dubas underscored how the Blues look poised to be a contending team for the foreseeable future. Given the way the team is constructed, Dubas believes the Blues will be a good team for years to come.
Check out the conversation from the 2:15:00 mark onwards:
Dubas is considered one of the smartest people in hockey. So, Blues fans hope he’s right in his assessment.