The rumor mill is spinning on who Canada’s next general manager will be, following Doug Armstrong’s stepping down, and Pittsburgh’s Kyle Dubas may be at the front of the line.
Failing to beat the United States in the gold medal game, Canada was nearly at the peak of the hockey mountain once again. However, their inability to close the contest has already provoked a changing of the guard.
Kyle Dubas Receives Attention for Canada GM Slot After Impressive Turnaround in Pittsburgh
When the 2025-26 NHL season’s puck dropped, many believed the Pittsburgh Penguins would be a bottom-10 team in the league. However, Dubas has managed to acquire a mix of young talent and prove-it deal players to buy into an impressive system under first-year head coach Dan Muse.
As Canada aims to get back at the United States at the next international competition, Dubas may be the perfect fit to fill Armstrong’s role.
“I think Kyle Dubas would have to be considered a frontrunner”@JeffMarek on Morning Cuppa Hockey thinks Kyle Dubas could replace Doug Armstrong as Team Canada’s General Manager. @JLazzy23 | @ColbyCohen36
Presented by @ProrasoUSA #ShaveLikeAPro pic.twitter.com/JWsH6sKfoT
— Daily Faceoff (@DailyFaceoff) March 17, 2026
Daily Faceoff’s Jeff Marek spoke on the recent vacancy, pleading his case for Pittsburgh’s general manager to be appointed as Canada’s next man at the helm.
“Whether it’s working as an assistant general manager with the Olympic team, whether it’s his work with the World Championships, whether it’s the work he’s doing with the Pittsburgh Penguins, right now I think Kyle Dubas would have to be considered a frontrunner.”
Marek continued, “Knowing what I know about Hockey Canada under Katherine Henderson’s leadership right now, is they probably want to start skewing younger with younger, newer, fresher ideas for this next generation of hockey.”
The broadcaster went on to describe that while it was narrow, the United States’ victory over Canada could loom large.
“The USA had the triple sweep,” Marek said. “USA… Canada’s biggest rival just had the triple sweep. On the men’s and women’s side both games were close, both games went into overtime. You can really say ‘oh well if you squint hard enough you can say that it could have gone either way, coin flip, overtime, one mistake, there’s going to be cascade.'”
With Canada potentially promoting Dubas to a higher role in the future, what has the 40-year-old done to help Pittsburgh’s surprisingly rapid turnaround?
Arguably his most impressive signing, Anthony Mantha has already surpassed career highs in goals, assists, and points. Additionally, Mantha is among the top goal scorers on new teams this season (26). Similar in stature to the 6-foot-5 winger, the 6-foot-6 Justin Brazeau is having a career year himself, with highs in all three categories already surpassed.
Beyond the two big bodies, Dubas’s belief in a handful of unproven defensemen has paid off tremendously. Parker Wotherspoon has been a mainstay on Pittsburgh’s top defensive unit alongside Erik Karlsson. The 28-year-old has played in all 67 games this season and taken on a career high in time on ice per game (20:08).
Speaking of his aforementioned partner, Karlsson, the 35-year-old is having a revival season of his own after a questionable opening two seasons wearing black and gold. In 2025-26, the Swedish native is among the top-scoring defensemen over 30.
Aside from the veteran depth and skill level Dubas has added, his draft ability is second to none. Rookie Ben Kindel was selected 11th overall in the 2025 NHL draft and has played nearly every game for the Penguins this season. The 18-year-old also ranks among the top point getters among NHL rookies.
While all these moves contribute to Pittsburgh’s unexpected success, Dubas’s best Houdini act may have come when he dealt goaltender Tristan Jarry to the Edmonton Oilers. The deal sent fellow goaltender Stuart Skinner, defenseman Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick to Pittsburgh in exchange for Jarry and forward Sam Poulin.
The Penguins GM later flipped Kulak to Colorado in exchange for defenseman Sam Girard and a 2028 second-round pick, further building Pittsburgh’s draft fodder.
Since the trade, Jarry has started 15 games for the Oilers, posting an .855 save percentage and a whopping 4.17 goals-against average. Skinner, on the other hand, has split time with Arturs Silovs, another offseason acquisition for Dubas. Together, the two have formed a 1A-1B style tandem.
Thanks to Dubas, the Penguins currently sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 15 games remaining. Is the club’s success this season enough to propel Dubas to the top of the Canadian general manager candidacy pool?
