Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - This speculation is going to make me EXPLODE...

Episode Date: May 31, 2023

My god, can this just be done already? Hunter starts today's episode with ANOTHER update on Kyle Dubas as it seems like this saga won't end. He first examines the facts of what we definitely know before looking at some of the speculations, including what Mark Madden reported during his show on Tuesday. Is he reputable? Why hasn't anyone confirmed the report? He then discusses what Frank Seravalli said on a Sportsnet radio station and how he's purely guessing when it comes to FSG and them potentially looking at other candidates. Again, if Dubas was out, wouldn't we know by now? He then looks at the rumors surrounding Eddie Olzyck and how he could be team president if everything goes according to plan. Hunter gives his thoughts on why it wouldn't be a terrible move as long as Eddie has no say in hockey-related decisions. Finally, he previews the Stanley Cup Final and gives his prediction on who will win.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNHL for $20 off your first purchase.eBay MotorsFor parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit. eBay Motors dot com. Let’s ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit is only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply.Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.FanDuelMake Every Moment More. Don’t miss the chance to get your No Sweat First Bet up to TWO THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS in Bonus Bets when you go to FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as non-withdrawable free bets that expire in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Well, it is Tuesday evening in the Pittsburgh Penguins still do not have a general manager. To start today's episode, we're going to get into what we know about the Kyle Dubish in the GM situation and what we think we know about the situation that's coming up right after this. You're Locked-on Penguins. Your daily podcast on the Pittsburgh Penguins. Part of the Locked-on Podcast Network. Your team every day. Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Locked-on Penguins podcast.

host Hunter Hodesmer to follow me on Twitter. Hunter Hodes, follow the shows Twitter at Ellenmoremore Pemines. And of course, thank you all so much for making this your first list in the day. We are freeing available on all platforms. Here is our today's show thing, or our little graphic for YouTube, at least Kyle Duba speculation, something into Eddie Olchag, and we'll get into a preview for the Stanley Cup final. So all this Kyle Duba speculation, it is getting me ready to take it off my hat here, just rip my hair off.

That is what I want to do here. Yes, I have very long hair right now. Probably going to have to get a cup this week. I have a wedding to go to this weekend. But I am just so sick and tired of this. At the end of the day, I just, I want this to be over with. No matter what, whether Dubas takes it, whether he doesn't, someone else gets hired. I am so sick of this.

Let us examine, though, what we know. The facts. Kyle Dubus was here last week. Got here, what? Tuesday. Stayed for a couple days. Met with Sydney Crosby. Met with members of the Penguins PR. That came courtesy of Taylor Haas. Credit of her for the report was confirmed by Chris Johnston, was confirmed by Elliott Freeman. We also know that the Fenway Sports Group, of course, who owned the Penguins. They said to Kyle, the offer is yours or the job is yours.

Take the weekend, mull it over, get back to us when you can. well we still don't know I got you know I'm gonna get him ahead of myself Park that Fenway Sports Group was in Monaco this weekend they went to the F1 they're now back

and that's where we stand now we don't know whether he is still in and honestly I figure we probably would know if he rejected them by now I am recording this at about 8 o'clock on Tuesday evening

for this episode hoping all the full gym episode on Wednesday. If Kyle Dubes to climb the Penguins, wouldn't we have found that out? It would be so easy. You just send a text to Elliot Freeman, Jeff Merrick, Pierre LeBron, Renaud, any insider out there, Kevin Weeks, too. Hey, I declined it. The Penguins are moving on. Boom.

That tweet goes out there, gets a bunch of retweets and likes. It gets the word out to the fans. boom. But no, that hasn't been reported at all. In fact, we saw Mark Madden today of 105 not X. So say what you want about him. And trust me, I am not a big Mark Madden fan. I think he's loud and obnoxious and just says some very weird stuff. His hockey takes are odd.

He's also gone at me a few times throughout the last few years. He's gone after people I like. Just not like up a tea. If you like him, totally fine. Again, I'm not going to judge you if you do. But he said on his show today, to start it, that Dubison, FSG were finalizing a deal to make him the GM. He didn't say it was done,

but he said it was likely that they were finalizing it, and they haven't announced it because he was assessing the staff. That report has not been confirmed nor denied. But it was funny. Frank Servali did a radio hit on Sportsnet, and he said he wasn't hearing that. But then went on to say, I have the full quote here in front of me, actually.

I have the entire quote here in its entirety on my phone. So I transcribed it. He says there's been a lot of smoke in the last 24 hours that Kyle Dubus has, in fact, turned down the penguins, but I don't feel comfortable reporting that. So Frank is just guessing. That is what he is doing here, people. He is purely speculating and purely guessing. He goes, it seems like there's an indication of the penguins in FSC.

They have re-engaged with some other. other people that they were previously considering, which would land to speculation that Kyle Dubus has turned them down. Again, it's pure speculation. He's not even reporting this. And no one else has gone out there with a report that Dubus has declined the job. He also says, but again, nothing I'm comfortable sharing in any official way. That's just sort of the vibes I've been getting calls that I've been chasing the last 24 hours.

He's guessing people. He's speculating. That is why I am so over. speculation part. All I can say is this. If he was out, I think we would know by now. And honestly, I think they would have a new GM in place. I could be dead wrong on this. And maybe news comes out on Wednesday where it's like, oh, hearing Kyle Davis did it did reject the job. Matthew Darje is going to be the new GM. Just confirmed it. That could very well be the case. But right now, considering that I heard that FHG wanted a response on Monday, funny enough

Memorial Day, and we didn't really get anything today except Madden's report, that would honestly lead me to believe that they are finalizing this deal for dovis. And also, remember, I think it was Elliott that said this. And that Fenway was looking to maybe fill out a staff of whoever the new GM is with people they interviewed. So could Kyle and the FSC ownership be doing that? That I think is something to very much think about. But I'm sorry, I'm just not subscribing to the notion that Dubus is out. It has not been officially reported, has not been leaked by anything or anyone. So until that happens, I'm sorry, I'm going to take that report with a grain of salt. And I also in a way take what Mark is saying with a grain of salt.

Now, I do understand he does have, and I understand Frank is more a national guy, but Mark does have, I think, more legitimate sources with the penguins. He's been around the team a long time. It is rare when he reports something on the team. I think the last time he actually did it was the Jack Johnson thing, which he got right. Give credit where credits do. He got that right when it came to the five-year term and the money. I believe Jason Mackey was covering the team at the time. He had it a couple days later. Mark had the deal before free agency started. So I'm not, so again, he is credible at times. He doesn't usually report stuff. He just spews off, you know, into the abyss on the radio.

But there is potentially something there. Again, I'm taking it with a small little grain assault right now because no one else is reporting it. But no one else is really fully, you know, going against it either. So, you know, it kind of means like to me it's a source off. You haven't seen Rob Rossier or Josh Yowie speak about it. Elliot Freeman hasn't said anything about it. None of the national other guys have said anything about it. Honestly, my friends, I don't fully think anyone knows other than Kyle Devis and the Fenway Sports Group ownership. So, you know, fully believing this person or fully believing this other person, I think it's just a waste of time until we actually get confirmation.

Like a leak tweet, hearing this from L.A. or Fembers or something like that. Or the Penguins releasing a news dump saying like, oh, welcome Kyle or welcome whoever this. Once that happens, then we can all talk about another stuff. right now, this is all speculation. Mark had his report. No one else has confirmed it. Frank talked about his thing on the radio, but he's not even reporting it.

He's just basically spitballing slash guessing. And no one has said that in recent days. Elliot laid at last said on his podcast that Fenway was thinking that he was going to take it. Chris Johnson was saying he expects him to take it. Steve Dang on his show without a while we're expecting he was going to take it. Honestly, it seems like Frank is the only one out of anyone that is saying, that dubus is not taking it. So, you know, we'll have to see.

Otherwise, my friends, I am just so sick and tired when it comes to just this, this whole, this whole thing. I cannot with this anymore. I'm so tired of it. So, you know, that wraps up this first. I mean, coming up in the second second, we're getting to the latest on a Eddie Olcheck rumor that he could be joining the organization, get my thoughts. on that before we will preview this time like a final later on in the show.

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Follow the shows Twitter at Anwarcial Penguins. And of course, thank you all so much for making this your first list in the day. are free and available on all platforms. So let's get into our second topic, which is what's going on with Eddie Olcheck. So Rob Rossi on WPXI's final word, he basically just dropped a little nugget that, oh, like, they could be something about Eddie Olcheck,

and then he just did like a weird face like, like, like, like, everyone was like, wait, what? So it's funny enough, I had heard this last week that Olchek was going to be hired in a role above the GM in president of hockey operations. Like if it's due this, for example, he would be above him, but he really wouldn't have any say in the hockey-related decisions.

I've heard that he's going to be the team president. He's going to be like a mouthpiece to ownership, just Brian Burke, basically. He's not going to have any power in hockey-related decisions. He's just going to be there, too. Talk to season ticket holders, you know, meet other people surrounding the organization and go to ownership if something comes up.

Again, just the Brian Berg thing. And if that's all he is, I am fine with it. He knows the organization. Remember, he coached here all those years ago. So I am fine with him for that part. What I would not be fine with is if he's like the president of hockey ops and he's just like actually filtering in with roster decisions because I don't really think he knows what the heck he's doing

when it comes to just building a team. He has some very weird takes on the broadcast. you know, I don't know why he's getting, I don't want to say this. It is funny, I guess, that he's getting quite a few interviews. He got very far along in the Flyers, President of Hockey Operations job. He has actually the runner up for it.

But it would be a different role here from what I am told. And again, if he's just coming in there to talk to season ticket holders and just talk to ownership group and talk to other people surrounding the organization, I am totally okay with that. You can probably do a lot worse and something like that. Do the parents need him? No, you know, you honestly can just hire someone throwing your hockey office and you don't really need Eddie.

But in terms of having a mouthpiece to go to ownership, I think that's fine. The Family Sports Ownership Group is very hands-off anyway. I am sure they just want someone to report to them that, hey, everything's going good here. You know, Eddie pays attention to the team and to the league as a whole. You know, he knows the organization. I think it's fine.

in that regard. I don't really know who else they interviewed for the role. And I think Rob was the first one to mention Eddie. I think it was a couple weeks ago. I didn't know what role it was at the time, but I was told on Friday that it was for team president, assuming it goes through. That's just that that's what I have been told everyone.

So everyone's probably everyone's going to make the horse jokes. and all this other stuff. It was weird. During the broadcast, I think the Panthers Hurricane series, he was kind of going after Tolski a little bit

and just the hurricanes in general. I think it was like right after Tolski was eliminated. That was a little weird. You know, maybe he didn't want

Tolski getting the GM job. I remember hearing it on the broadcast and thought that was a little just odd. But it definitely looks like he will be making his return

whenever this whole thing is finalized. So again, those are, I guess, just my main. thoughts when it comes to Eddie Olcheck. And there's really not much else to say.

He's not going to factor on hockey decisions. He's going to be a mouthpiece to ownership. He's going to be there for season ticket holders and whoever else wants to meet him. And he'll smooth things over with other people in the organization if that needs be. He gets a free pass to games. Free food, free drinks, free passes to games. That's it.

That's probably all he's going to be. So at the end of the day, it is really not a big deal for me. So that wrap. So this is a shorter segment than normal. I just, there really wasn't too much to say on it other than just those thoughts. So let me know what you all think down in the comment section for YouTube. Do you think this will be a good move? Do you don't do not think this would be a good move and let me know what you think about

the Kyle Dubas speculation as well. Coming up to end the show, we're going to preview the Stanley Cup final and why I think this could be a really fun final this year. That's coming up right after this commercial break. All right, I'm back in this episode of the Lockdown Penguins podcast. I am your host, Hunter Hodes. I'm going to follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. Follow the show's Twitter and also thank you all so much for making this.

Your first list in the day. We are free and available on all platforms. So Stanley Cup final, the Vegas Golden Knights, defeat the Dallas Stars in six games. I go over for two of my conference final predictions because I am a complete idiot. And we will get the Golden Knights versus the Fort Pampheters. We will have a first time Stanley Cup winner. This season, the Golden Knights and the first Stanley Cup final since 2018,

the Fort Pampheters, their first final since 96. And this has the makings of a very fun final. Vegas, Aden Hill, has been great. We love for him as an option for the Penguins, but I still get a little nervous that he would turn into a pumpkin if they signed him this summer. Mark Stone's been great. Jack Eichel seeing him in the final

after everything he went through in Buffalo was awesome. Chandler Stevenson's turned into a good player. The storylines of Florida giving Vegas two players for free, thanks to Dale Tallinn is obviously a big one in this series. Those two players being Riley, Samantha, John and the March or so. Brandon Montors, obviously on the Panthers. A lot of former Sabres here, Sam Reinhardt State, a lot of former Buffalo Sabres, which I find cool.

I don't think the Buffalo Sabres fans care, but it's something cool to point out at least a little bit. But these are two fast, highly skilled teams, two teams that are getting great goaltending, two teams that are playing well defensively. And I think it's going to make for a great, and I mean a great series between the two teams. I'm going to pick against Florida again because I've done it three times in a row. I'm going to go Knights and Seven. Now that I say this, you all know the Panthers are going to win the Stanley Cup. That's just how it's going to go, right? You know it.

Matthew Kachuk has had a playoff run for the ages. If the Panthers do win this, he gets the consmite, in my opinion. You can easily argue for Sergei Vibrovsky. He has been electric for the Panthers, been the best goalie in the playoffs. But I would still get it to Kachuk because without him, the Panthers are not in here. for the situation. Bruce Cassidy, first season at the helm gets the Knights to the final.

Wonder what Bruins fans are thinking right now when it comes out. Even though they just won 65 games, didn't mean crap in the playoffs. What are they thinking right now that Bruce Cassidy has led the Knights to a Stanley Cup final in his first season at the helm? He is a very, and I mean a very good coach. I think this is going to be a long grinding series. Kachuk versus Stode is going to be such a great battle.

Two players. who are absolute psychopaths on the ice, they get under the opposition so easily. It is going to be an absolute treat to watch that. Brandon Montour's been awesome defensively for Florida. You got Shea Theodore and Alpsorangelo for Vegas. You can go Ayrneckblot on the Panthers. Two juggernauts at the top of the defense there.

Sasha Barkov, Matthew Kach, Mark Stone, Chandler Stevenson, all these guys. Riley Smith, William Carlson, Jonathan Marcheseau, Carter Verheye, you go down the list, Anthony Duclair. This team is good, but both teams, I should say, are awesome. And I can't wait to see what happens in this series. Special teams will obviously be a big key.

Florida's had a really good power player during the playoffs. Vegas has been so-so. Vegas, Pernary Hill, I think has been mostly very good. Goaltending can Aden Hill keep it up. Sergei Rossi's going to be very tough to beat. Ever since coming in for Alex Lyon, he's just turned into God, which is great to think about. Paul Marisa has done a pretty decent job adjusting to whatever style he has to go up against.

It's just, I'm just annoyed that we have to wait until Saturday to get this. I am. I am very annoyed. It sucks that we have to wait four more days for a Stanley Cup final. But I'm super excited about this. It's a final that I don't think anyone really expected coming into this season, especially in the playoffs, but I think it's one that's going to be a lot of fun.

And will the ratings be a bit down? Sure. You know what? Who cares? I'm not really that nervous about it. All I can say is I'm jealous of anyone that gets to cover it. You get to go to Vegas and Fort Lauderdale. Two vacation spots.

The reporters won't want to leave. That's going to be hilarious. But no, I'm going to take the Knights and Seven. I'm doing this a little bit just because of the Panthers and how I picked against them three times in row. But Vegas comes in as the favorite. I think the Panthers like it that way. They've been underdog in three straight series.

But Vegas, I think they're deeper. I think they're a bit faster. They're getting the goal tending. And I think their top end town, even, I know Kachuk is on the other side, might be too much for the Knights to handle. And that's why I'm going to go with Vegas to win the Stanley Cup. Who is going to win this year's Stanley Cup will be Vegas or will it be Florida? So that'll do it for this episode of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. A little bit of a shorter one today.

It looks like it's clocking in about 21, 22 minutes. Hopefully again, this is the last time we have to do all this annoying speculation about Kyle Dubus. and all this, I really think we're hours, if not, maybe a day, a day and a half away from this finishing up. I would be stunned, my friends, if a hire is not made before game one of this in the secondly cup final, which is step to begin this upcoming Saturday. I would be very surprised in that regard. So thank you so much for listening. I very much appreciate it. I'll talk with you all again on Wednesday.