Ever since the Penguins started to rebuild a couple years ago by dealing beloved winger Jake Guentzel, general manager Kyle Dubas has been a wizard with asset management and making the team younger for the future.
He has been taking on bad contracts and has gotten back high draft picks to stock up for the future and make sure the future of the Penguins looks as bright as possible.
There are specific moves that he made, to really help his case and the future looks as good as it can right now and will only get better the next few years.
The Anthony Beauvillier saga
Last offseason, Dubas signed Anthony Beauvillier to a one-year prove it deal to be able to flip him later for a better asset at the trade deadline.
He traded Beauvillier to the rival Washington Capitals for a second-round pick in this past year's draft which was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers.
But he got a second-rounder back from the Buffalo Sabres for taking Connor Clifton and they used that second-rounder in this past year's draft to select defenseman Peyton Kettles.
So essentially Beauvillier was turned into Connor Clifton and Peyton Kettles, and Clifton can be flipped later for another asset. Great work by Dubas.
The Matt Dumba deal
Recently the Penguins acquired Matt Dumba from the Dallas Stars for Vladislav Kolyachonok, but the sweetener to take Dumba's 3.7 million cap hit, was Dallas attached a 2028 second-round pick.
Dubas took on another bad player so he could get a premium asset in return, and possibly flip Dumba later for another pick at this year's trade deadline.
Another job well done by Kyle Dubas. He is really helping the upcoming rebuild by stocking the pick cupboard and loading up so they have a lot of guys to develop and help in the future.
The Penguins need to trust Dubas and his process and let it play out, because it will be a difficult thing to do, but it is worth it.