Tim Benz: Kyle Dubas gave the same speech to his young players that he did to the fans. Now Penguins must make it happen

Before last month’s NHL draft in Las Vegas, Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas made a clear statement about the direction he wants to go with the organization.

“We need to make sure that we have the flexibility and the options to bring in younger, hungrier players that can help us to get back to where everyone wants the team to be as quickly as we can,” Dubas said.

Apparently, Dubas isn’t just spreading that message to the fans through the media. He is saying it directly to the younger players the Penguins already have in their system at this week’s development camp in Cranberry. In other words, informing the Penguins’ prospects in their system that now is the time to flourish and make an impression.

That’s something that may have been much harder to do in years past with the Penguins in their previous routine of constantly swapping out prospects and draft choices for veterans in an effort to chase Stanley Cups.

“In Kyle’s speech (Friday before camp began), he alluded to that point,” winger Matt DiMarsico said. “The team is going to get younger, it’s going to get faster, and it’s going to come from the guys in the prospect pool and the guys in this camp. So I think they expect a lot of development from us here.”

A Pens Elite alum and Wexford native, DiMarsico knows that hasn’t exactly been the Penguins’ usual mode of operations when it comes to shaking up the roster.

“Growing up watching (the Penguins), I know (Jim) Rutherford traded for (Phil) Kessel, and that used a lot of the prospect pool. So it’s definitely a new direction. I’m excited to see where it goes,” DiMarsico said.

Indeed. Back in 2015, to acquire Kessel, Tyler Biggs and Tim Erixon from Toronto, Rutherford had to ship three prospects (Kasperi Kapanen, Scott Harrington and Nick Spaling), along with a first-round and a third-round draft choice to the Maple Leafs.

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That deal worked out. More recent moves to acquire big-name vets such as Erik Karlsson, Jason Zucker and Derick Brassard in exchange for prospects and picks have not yielded the postseason success of the Kessel deal.

With the Penguins restricted by lots of long-term veteran deals and no-movement clauses at the top of their roster, opportunities to round out some of the remaining open spots over the next few years are likely going to have to come from within the organizational chain.

That was a message from Dubas that also resonated with last year’s first-round pick, Brayden Yager.

Brayden Yager has a career-high 35 goals after this rocket!

Also a casual three-point period for him and Jagger Firkus#TakeFlightMJ | #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/mNUXHjWyb7

— Moose Jaw Warriors (@MJWARRIORS) March 22, 2024

“Kyle Dubas spoke to us the other day, as a whole, the development camp players. He was saying that we have a great opportunity. They’re looking for young players to come in and make an impact and make the most of that opportunity,” Yager said.

After totaling 95 points over 57 games en route to a Western Hockey League championship in Moose Jaw, Yager might have a shot at finding his way onto the Penguins roster this year. He is one of only two first-round choices made by the Penguins currently at the camp. The other is defenseman Owen Pickering (2022).

Despite putting up 46 points in 59 games with the Swift Current Broncos last year (and seven more in nine playoff games), Pickering may still need to add some bulk to his 6-foot-5 frame before cracking the NHL. Pickering is trying to make that happen by eating as many as seven meals a day and doing shots of olive oil. He’s up to 200 pounds after ending his junior season at 186.

“I’m trying to get stronger, more explosive. I’ve put on some weight. Now it’s about maturing my game to the pro level,” Pickering says. “It’s a step. I learned that a couple of years ago playing in the AHL (no points and a minus-9 in eight games). I was a lot skinnier playing in the AHL a couple of years ago and a lot less mature. So I feel like I’m a lot more ready for pro hockey now, and I think they are echoing that.”

Another candidate to help is 2021 second-rounder Tristan Broz. The 21-year-old left-handed center just won a national title with the Denver Pioneers, scoring two overtime game-winners during NCAA Tournament play.

BROZ IS CLUTCH ‼️#GoPios | @espn pic.twitter.com/zZSopFM6Bw

— Denver Hockey (@DU_Hockey) March 28, 2024

DENVER TO THE SHIP!!!!!!!!!

???? ESPN2#MFrozenFour x @DU_Hockey pic.twitter.com/h8IbLJP8HY

— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) April 12, 2024

Broz just signed a three-year, entry-level contract in April. The big question for him is if he will play center or left wing.

“They haven’t said where they see me starting. I think it is good to have that versatility, where I can play both. I grew up playing center until the eighth grade. From eighth grade through my junior year, more or less, I was a left wing,” Broz said. “Naturally, I’m more of a center. But I think I’ve learned really well to play left wing. Having that versatility, I don’t really care where I’m going to play. Let’s just go out and win.”

Given the Penguins’ logjam of veterans at center and relative scarcity of scoring threats at wing, it may behoove Broz to get readjusted to the left side. Regardless of position, though, the Penguins will take a quality injection of youth anywhere they can get it — whether it’s from their own drafted players or ones they acquired, such as 22-year Vasily Ponomarev or 21-year-old Ville Koivunen from Carolina via the Jake Guentzel trade.

“It’s huge that they want us to play in the NHL,” Koivunen said Saturday. “Once we improve, maybe they will give us good chances there. It gives me motivation and helps me out there.”

Now, the Penguins just need the motivation to stick with their plan of being younger and faster. Something that feels like it has been a talking point for a few years. However, once the puck drops, management and head coach Mike Sullivan always seem to defer to a game-night roster and game-night box score full of playing time for veterans.

Perhaps necessity will be the mother of consistency from messaging to action in 2024-25.

It better be.