On the day goaltender Tristan Jarry was jettisoned on waivers, with the Pittsburgh Penguins sitting in 14th place in the Eastern Conference and on track for their lowest full-season point total since Sidney Crosby’s rookie year, it’s fair to ask the question: How did we get here?
Part of that answer lies in the tenure of GM Ron Hextall, who appeared ready to rebuild in the Steel City, only to send mixed messages and ultimately double down on the core. The other part of that answer lies in the first calendar year of successor Kyle Dubas’ tenure, which can now be classified only as a full-fledged disaster.
To refresh, here is a timeline of events:
> June 3, 2023: Dubas was hired as Pittsburgh’s president of…