Yes, it’s Sidney Crosby vs. Connor McDavid again as the Penguins make their once-a-year visit to Edmonton on Thursday. But the real star at the moment is Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas.
After striking out more than Jack Suwinski early in his Penguins tenure, Dubas has suddenly become Aaron Judge.
All he does is hit home runs.
The grand slam was having the guts to move on from coach Mike Sullivan after last season. Sullivan wanted to stay. Dubas wanted him to leave. Fenway Sports Group — remember them? — ceded to Dubas.
And look now: The Penguins are in playoff position, on a 9-2-2 run, while Sullivan’s last-place New York Rangers just sent a letter to fans telling them it’s just a “retool” and not a rebuild.
The Penguins also arrive in Edmonton with one more point than the Oilers, 49 games into the season. Anybody predict that?
This team — a mix of aging stars, energetic 20-somethings, castoffs and journeymen — is a way different team from the ones that went 1-7 against the Oilers over the previous four years, losing by an average margin of four goals (the Penguins also dropped a 6-4 decision in December).
Dan Muse has extracted from this club what Sullivan could not. Sullivan’s mind-numbing mantra, “We need to be hard to play against,” rarely landed in recent years. The Penguins had become the politest team in the NHL. They were easy to play against. They did everything but send thank-you cards after teams tortured their stars and roughed up their goaltenders.
Muse is having none of that. His team actually is hard to play against. It plays defense. It’s relentless and tough, and part of the reason is that Muse, unlike Sullivan, uses his fourth line.
But to be fair, the roster is different, too, and that is where Dubas comes in. I’m not sure Connor Dewar, Parker Wotherspoon, Justin Brazeau and Tommy Novak are household names in their own households, but something is clicking with all four and more like them — players with something to prove. Dubas is showing quite the knack for finding them.
The latest discovery might be the best of all, and not just because his name is Egor. Did you see the goal Egor Chinakhov scored Wednesday night in Calgary? Not a ton of players can generate that kind of velocity and accuracy on what was essentially a fallaway jump shot from the high slot. Incredible.
TIC. TAC. TOE. ????
WHAT A RELEASE FROM CHINNY ???? pic.twitter.com/IhxQE5XZeU
— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) January 22, 2026
I have no idea where the Chinakhov experiment goes — maybe Columbus was his problem — but you always take a chance on that kind of talent, especially when he’s only 24 and the price was a couple of non-first-round draft picks and Danton Heinen.
Even situations that not long ago appeared in the “blunders” category are working out for Dubas.
Erik Karlsson, who could return for the Oilers game, is playing the best hockey of his Penguins career. Ryan Graves has become something other than disastrous. Most pertinent to this game, Dubas was able to move on from Tristan Jarry’s contract and get a similar goalie in return when he worked a trade with Oilers GM Stan Bowman on Dec. 12: Jarry and Sam Poulin for goalie Stuart Skinner, veteran defenseman Brett Kulak and a second-round pick (Kulak’s arrival has bolstered Kris Letang — and even scored a goal the other night).
Both teams have prospered. Skinner has been nearly unbeatable in January, going 5-1 with a 1.68 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage. Jarry is 4-0-1 with the Oilers, though he was injured for a bit.
Meanwhile, the Penguins have a potential star goalie in the AHL in Sergei Murashov. They are stocked with future picks and have an improving farm system. Dubas was criticized for taking Ben Kindel 11th overall in the draft. Kindel, 18, made the team and despite a recent slump clearly belongs.
Do they have their next generational face of the franchise? No, but Sidney Crosby is still doing just fine in that role, and there was never anything resembling a guarantee of landing Gavin McKenna in the lottery, anyway, which many (including yours truly) was hoping for this season.
Things changed. I’m glad it looks like I was dead wrong about Dubas. Those unable to enjoy the moment are calling for the Penguins to trade veterans and keep an eye on the future. I’d rather enjoy the moment. I’d rather see where this goes. It’s been a while since the Penguins were this much fun to watch.
Dubas began his Penguins tenure looking like a stiff. He looks like a star now.