Noah Hiles: How much more time should the Penguins give Kyle Dubas?

PITTSBURGH — “It’s that bad.” That’s how someone recently described the current state of the Penguins to me. It’s hard to disagree with that analysis. It’s hard to ignore the mess that exists. kAmxE C62==J :D “E92E 325]”k^Am kAmx? E96 D9@CE E6C>[ J6D] %9:D J62C’D !6?8F:?D 2C6 ?@E 2 G6CJ 8@@5 E62>] |@C6 4@?46C?:?8 :D E96 3:8 A:4EFC6]k^Am kAm%96 !6?8F:?D 92G6 366? C63F:=5:?8 7@C ?62C=J E9C66 J62CD ?@H] xE DE2CE65 H96? E96J EC2565 72? 72G@C:E6 y2<6 vF6?EK6= :? |2C49 a_ac] %96J 2:>65 E@ 4@?DECF4E 2 566A6C 72C> DJDE6>[ @?6 E92E 4@F=5 AC@5F46 E96:C ?6IE J@F?8 DE2C E@ 3F:=5 2C@F?5] $@>6 AC@8C6DD 92D 366? >256[ 3FE ?@E ?62C=J 6?@F89]k^Am kAmxE’D H@CE9 H@?56C:?8 9@H >F49 =@?86C E9:D C63F:=5 H:== E2<6 — 2?5 9@H >F49 @7 E92E E:>6 D9@F=5 :?4=F56 E96 >2? 4FCC6?E=J CF??:?8 E96 D9@H]k^Am kAm%9:D D62D@? >2CA6E6 E92E 7:CDE J62C[ >2<:?8 2 92?57F= @7 288C6DD:G6 >@G6D E@ 8:G6 $:5?6J rC@D3J[ zC:D {6E2?8 2?5 tG86?: |2=<:? @?6 =2DE D9@E 2E 2 $E2?=6J rFA CF?]k^Am kAm%92E 677@CE 72:=65]k^Am kAm$A64E24F=2C=J]k^Am kAmw6 A:G@E65 E@ 2 7F== C63F:=5 E92E DAC:?8] %92E’D 366? E96 4=62C 7@4FD D:?46 vF6?EK6= H2D >@G65] qFE C:89E ?@H[ E96 7FEFC6 DE:== =@@ AC@>:D:?8]k^Am kAm(6’C6 DE:== H2:E:?8 7@C E96 J@FE9 >@G6>6?E E@ 2CC:G6] p7E6C E9C66 J62CD @7 E96 !6?8F:?D DE@4@DE @7 E96 J@F?8 A=2J6CD sF32D 92D 2EE24965 9:D ?2>6 E@ 92G6 =2C86=J F?56CH96=>65]k^Am kAm':==6 z@:GF?6?[ E96 46?E6CA:646 :? E96 vF6?EK6= C6EFC? 2?5 2 A=2J6C C646?E=J 6IE6?565 E@ 2? 6:89E\J62C 562=[ 92D J6E E@ AC@G6 96 42? 36 2 4@?D:DE6?E 4@?EC:3FE@C]k^Am kAm$6C86: |FC2D9@G[ H9@ >2J @?6 52J 364@>6 E96 !6?8F:?D’ 8@2=:6 @7 E96 7FEFC6[ 92D DECF88=65 E9:D D62D@? :? 9:D 7:CDE 6IE6?565 @AA@CEF?:EJ H:E9 !:EED3FC89]k^Am kAm#FE86C |4vC@2CEJ[ pG6CJ w2J6D 2?5 w2CC:D@? qCF?:4<6 2C6 A6C92AD 6G6? >@C6 7CFDEC2E:?8 42D6D[ 2D ?@?6 92G6 366? 23=6 E@ 62C? 2 DA@E @? H92E =@@D]k^Am kAmq6? z:?56= :D E96 4=62C DF446DD[ 3FE 6G6? 96 =@@:5DE @7 2 D@A9@>@C6 D=F>A]k^Am kAm*6D[ 2== @7 E96D6 J@F?8DE6CD 56D6CG6 >@C6 E:>6 E@ 56G6=@A] %96:C DE@C:6D 2C6 DE:== 36 HC:EE6?] qFE 282:?[ 9@H >F49 E:>6 :D E9:D C63F:=5 8@:?8 E@ E2<6n p?5 H:== :E 6G6? 36 H@CE9 :E :? E96 6?5nk^Am kAm%9:D H@F=5 36 62D:6C E@ DE@>249 :7 E96 72C> DJDE6> H2D 566A6C] %92E 4@F=5’G6 A@E6?E:2==J 366? E96 42D6 925 sF32D 4@>>:EE65 7FCE96C E@H2C5 9:D DE2E65 8@2= E9:D A2DE @77D62D@?]k^Am kAmw6 4@F=5 92G6 DECF4< H9:=6 E96 :C@? H2D 9@E 2?5 EC2565 E96 =:<6D @7 tC:< z2C=DD@?[ qCJ2? #FDE 2?5 #:4<2C5 #2<6== H9:=6 E96:C DE@4@C6 DA@ED 7@C J@F?8 A=2J6CD H9@ ?665 }w{ C6AD]k^Am kAmx?DE625[ sF32D 5:5?’E 5@ >F49 @7 2?JE9:?8]k^Am kAmw6 3F:=E 2 C@DE6C E92E[ @? A2A6C[ =@@<65 D:>:=2C E@ =2DE J62C’D] %96C6 H6C6 >@C6 C@=6 A=2J6CD[ ;@FC?6J>6? H:E9 =:EE=6 E@ @776C =@?8\E6C>[ E92? AC@DA64ED H:E9 2? F?56E6C>:?65 7FEFC6 29625]k^Am kAmu@FC J62CD :?[ E96 7FEFC6 766=D 23@FE 2D 3=62< 2D :E 5:5 @? sF32D’ 7:CDE 52J] %92E C62=:EJ 9:ED 6G6? 92C56C H96?6G6C E96 4FCC6?E 4=F3 :D A=2J:?8 E9:D A@@C=J]k^Am kAmxE’D ?@E E:>6 E@ 8:G6 FA @? sF32D ;FDE J6E[ 3FE E96 4=@4< :D E:4<:?8]k^Am kAmw6 >256 2 92?57F= @7 D@=:5 EC256D :? E96 >:5DE @7 =2DE D62D@?[ @?6D E92E 96=A65 9:D E62> C6249 E96 A=2J@77D] w6 ?665D E@ 36 6G6? 36EE6C :? E96 >:5DE @7 E9:D D62D@? H96? :E 4@>6D E@ @77=@25:?8 G6E6C2?D @? 6IA:C:?8 562=D]k^Am kAm}6IE DF>>6C H:== 36 6G6? >@C6 A:G@E2=]k^Am kAm%96 !6?8F:?D =:<6=J H:== 36 A:4<:?8 :?D:56 E96 E@A `_[ :7 ?@E E96 E@A d] r2? sF32D 7:?5 2 A=2J6C H9@ 42? AC@G:56 2? :>>65:2E6 :>A24En ~?6 =:<6 z:?56=[ @?=J 36EE6Cn q642FD6 E92E’D H92E’D 56DA6C2E6=J ?66565]k^Am kAmuC66 286?4J[ :7 5@?6 C:89E[ 4@F=5 2=D@ 6IA65:E6 E9:D AC@46DD] sF32D H:== 92G6 A=6?EJ @7 >@?6J E@ DA6?5] !6C92AD D:8?:?8 y2D@? #@36CED@? @C "F:?? wF896D[ H9@ 2C6 3@E9 af[ 42? >2<6 FA 7@C C646?E >:DD6D] |2J36 E92E’D H96C6 96 7:?5D 2 3:8 3F:=5:?8 3=@4<]k^Am kAm#682C5=6DD[ D@>6E9:?8 92D E@ 8:G6 — 2?5 D@@?] %9:D H2D?’E 8@:?8 E@ 36 7:I65 @G6C?:89E] qFE E96 =24< @7 @G6C2== AC@8C6DD :D 8C@H:?8 >@C6 G:D:3=6 3J E96 52J]k^Am kAm%96 !6?8F:?D 42?’E H2:E 2?@E96C 7@FC @C 7:G6 J62CD E@ D66 :7 sF32D’ 56=:36C2E6 A=2? A2JD @77] (6 ?665 E@ D66 AC@@7 @7 4@?46AE H:E9:? E96 ?6IE `a >@?E9D]k^Am kAmx7 ?@E[ >2J36 D@>63@5J 6=D6 ?665D E@ E2<6 @G6C E9:D AC@;64E]k^Am