Penguins GM Kyle Dubas opens up on risky Dan Muse hire that paid off
The Pittsburgh Penguins are back in the playoffs, and general manager Kyle Dubas has opened up about the bold coaching decision that helped spark the turnaround. Hiring Dan Muse, a first-time NHL head coach, was seen as a gamble, but it has paid off. Speaking on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, Dubas explained the thinking behind the move.
He said the organization wanted a coach with a strong background in player development and the ability to connect with both young talent and experienced players. Muse’s work at Yale, the Chicago Steel, and USA Hockey stood out during the process. “Those are all purely developmental jobs and [he’s] done a great job there,” Dubas said.
MORE: NHL analyst backs Kyle Dubas as Toronto’s ‘most successful’ modern GM Dubas also pointed to Muse’s reputation from his assistant roles with the Nashville Predators and New York Rangers . Feedback from players was consistently positive, which helped separate him from other candidates. “Then it was digging into the feedback on him, running the penalty kill for Nashville and the Rangers,” Dubas said.
“So we knew the developmental piece was really strong, and then it was trying to get feedback from veteran players that had had him in Nashville and Rangers, and that all came back extremely positive, more positive than almost anybody else that we were talking to about the position. ” Despite not being a widely expected choice, Dubas said management was unanimous in believing Muse was the right fit. “Just for us, it felt like the best fit to accomplish what we wanted to accomplish last off-season,” Dubas said.
“And we were unanimous as a group in management that he was gonna be the best person for the Pittsburgh Penguins. ” The results have backed that belief. Muse guided Pittsburgh to a 41-24-16 record and ended a three-year playoff drought.