Report: Penguins Going 'Big Game Hunting'

It's the time of year when teams have to decide: Are they going for it in trade season & free agency, or will they sit back and just nibble around the edges? The latest team that's said to be going 'big game hunting,' according to reports, is the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

The Pens had an unexpected revival this past season, making the playoffs in a year when it was thought they'd still be in a rebuild. Now that GM Kyle Dubas knows he can do both at the same time, he won't be shy about trying to make a splash this summer. Josh Yohe of The Athletic reports:

In short, GM Kyle Dubas is trying to accomplish a number of conflicting goals simultaneously. He wants to get younger, make his minor-league system better and make the playoffs again, with the goal of the Penguins becoming a championship contender as opposed to a team that simply slides into a postseason spot.  

A league source told me over the weekend that Dubas is “going big-game hunting” this summer.

Yohe went on to suggest that Bowen Byram was very much on Kyle Dubas's radar, that he likes Bowen "a great deal." Unfortunately, that was before the Chicago Blackhawks swooped in with a massive offer to scoop up the Sabres' top-four blueliner Tuesday night.

But let's keep an eye on other mid-20s young stars who are looking for a better opportunity elsewhere. It's kind of been Dubas's M.O. the past couple of years, but he's hoping to supercharge it this summer to a new level of player.