Penguins’ Kyle Dubas era off to dubious start in NHL free agency

When word surfaced regarding how much money and how many years the Pittsburgh Penguins handed to “free agent” goalie Tristan Jarry, some joked that Ron Hextall must have broken into new GM Kyle Dubas’s office. The Jarry deal, and the Penguins’ bewildering general direction, was truly that jarring.

While it would be absurd to count out Dubas and the Penguins altogether, it’s also true that every dollar and every year matters when you’re trying to maximize the twilight years of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.

So far? Not so inspiring.

Rumors of Penguins shooting for Erik Karlsson trade

As with any article posted early in free agency, there’s time for the picture to change. That may be especially true for the Penguins, as there are plenty of rumors about Pittsburgh hunting for an Erik Karlsson trade.

Karlsson, 33, is in control of his fate with a no-movement clause, and at full freight ($11.5-million cap hit for the next four seasons) his contract is its own no-movement clause. The reigning Norris Trophy winner wants to win, though, and the Sharks may be willing to eat quite a bit of that cap hit, so maybe the Penguins can indeed swing a Karlsson trade.

On one hand, Karlsson finishing his astounding career with other Hall of Famers would be astoundingly fun. But when you get down to the gritty details, it’s fair to wonder if Mike Sullivan’s system would be that good of a fit, if Karlsson’s defensive weaknesses negate most of his offense, and how a banged-up player might age.

But either way, it’s a massive asterisk hanging over the Penguins’ offseason. Such a trade could move out picks, young players and maybe even ease some concerns by getting Mikael Granlund’s problem ($5-million AAV for two years) off the books.

The surprising return of Jarry

In bringing back Jarry, the Penguins gave the 28-year-old goalie more money…