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Penguins GM's Trade Deadline Plans Revealed After Strong Start

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Oct 27, 2025 1:23 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Penguins entered the season with low expectations, having missed the playoffs for three consecutive years, and with uncertainty surrounding their aging core.

Now, three weeks in, they’ve climbed near the top of the Eastern Conference standings, sparking conversations about how team president and general manager Kyle Dubas might respond before the trade deadline.

According to Josh Yohe of The Athletic, Dubas isn’t likely to deviate from his long-term vision even as the team sits at 6-2-1. That might not please Sidney Crosby’s agent after he made it clear his client wants to win and play postseason hockey.

"Everyone I have spoken with tells me that Dubas isn’t going to budge, that he possesses a vision of the future for these Penguins that is bright," Yohe reported. "And he’s not going to mess with that. He’s not going to get aggressive on the trade market and give up any future assets merely to help this team reach the playoffs."

Here’s the latest what I’m hearing on the Penguins balancing a surprisingly good start with pointing toward the future. We also talk Kindel, Brunicke, Kris Letang and much more. Read about it here: https://t.co/tVYJ6SyDz2
— Josh Yohe (@JoshYohe_PGH) October 27, 2025

Added Yohe: "If they surprise the world and make the postseason, great. It’s not like Dubas is against it, even if it surely wasn’t what he was expecting."

Yohe, however, believes that the Penguins’ early-season success doesn’t appear fluky. New additions like Anthony Mantha, Parker Wotherspoon, and Arturs Silovs have made immediate impacts.

Teenage prospects Ben Kindel and Harrison Brunicke continue to impress, and the return to form of Erik Karlsson has also helped solidify the lineup.

Even with strong fan sentiment and pressure from agent Pat Brisson — who speaks to Dubas “multiple times every day” — Yohe’s reporting suggests the front office remains focused on building a team that can contend in the mid- to long-term future.

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby (87) skates during warmups.Bob Frid-Imagn Images

"From everything I hear, Dubas is incredibly disciplined and unafraid to hurt some feelings along the way," Yohe reported. "He wants a team that consistently competes for championships for a long time and isn’t going to do anything to impact that."

Rather than push assets into short-term trades to chase an unlikely playoff berth, Dubas is reportedly staying disciplined.

The Penguins return to action Monday against the St. Louis Blues, looking to extend a promising start that may be forcing Dubas into taking action sooner than he expected.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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