Paul Steigerwald

Kyle Dubas gets some offer that blows him away.

Well, you know, in other years, 96 would be a pretty good number.

I don't know if it's going to come in lower or higher this year based on the competition because the Atlantic Division is very strong.

And those two teams in the wild card position could very well end up being Atlantic Division teams, which means the Penguins are going to be in a dogfight for a playoff spot if they don't get into the top three in the Metropolitan Divisions.

And the Penguins' record in the Metropolitan Division, and I don't have it in front of me, I hope I can remember it, but I think it's 11-1-3, something like that.

It's tremendous.

It's the best record I can remember them having in the division in a long time.

And so if they can continue to beat teams in their division and keep that record going, that'll help.

And maybe give them a better chance of finishing in that top three.

So it's not just the point total.

To me, it's where they finish because that wild card,

situation could become very competitive I know it's I don't think it's ever happened where one of the two wildcard teams finishes with more points than any of the teams in the top three but this might be one year where it could happen and I just hope the Penguins can just keep doing what they're doing they're kind of having a really good one game at a time focus right now I really believe they think they're good enough and nothing's going to shake their belief in themselves

Nothing.

And the loss of Sid certainly hasn't.

If anything, it's kind of a rallying point for them to kind of prove they could win without him and, you know, try to win it for him, that kind of thing.

So I have a lot of confidence in the fact that they're going to rack up at least that many points the rest of the year.

I think Kyle Dubas will continue to do what he's done, which is look for players who can help the team now and in the future and also get picks that he can use as further capital to maybe make other trades or to use those selections to get players.

I don't think he's going to deviate from what he's done.

And that doesn't mean that he wouldn't take a player that might also have an expiring contract, but he fills a need, say a defenseman or a

another center Iceman because, you know, they've lost Sid, and they're not as deep at center as you'd probably like to be if you have desires of, you know, going into the playoffs.