MacKinnon Out as Penguins Trim List of GM Contenders

Fenway Sports Group executives are continuing to narrow the list of candidates to be the Pittsburgh Penguins’ next general manager.

New Jersey assistant GM Dan MacKinnon, who was still in the mix over the weekend, is no longer under consideration for the job, per a source familiar with the search.

Before joining the Devils as director of player personnel in 2016, MacKinnon served as a scout, director of pro scouting and director of player personnel for the Penguins.

Precisely who is still in contention for the job isn’t clear, but that group is believed to include at least former Toronto general manager Kyle Dubas, Dallas assistant GM Steve Greeley and Eric Tulsky, assistant GM in Carolina.

The Maple Leafs threw a wrinkle into the Penguins’ hunt for Ron Hextall’s replacement last Friday, when Dubas was fired as GM.

A few days earlier, he had told a press conference that his intention was to either remain with Toronto or step away from the game to spend more time with his family.

After Dubas, whose contract runs through June, was fired, the FSG officials sought, and received, permission to speak with him.

It is not clear whether ownership sees Dubas primarily as a candidate for the GM job or a still-unspecified position about that in the corporate stricture.

Dubas has not publicly said whether he’s interested in discussing a role with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and has not spoken publicly since losing his job, but he placed the following on Twitter today:

onward. pic.twitter.com/kHlCfe8Q0a

— Kyle Dubas (@kyledubas) May 23, 2023