CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. (AP) — The standings said the Pittsburgh Penguins took a step back this season. At times, far too many, particularly early in the year, the on-ice product did, too.
And while another sublime performance by the seemingly ageless Sidney Crosby couldn't stop the Penguins from missing the playoffs for a third straight year, general manager Kyle Dubas believes the worst is behind his club as it tries to navigate the tricky and often painful transition from one successful era to what he hopes is the next.
While there remains plenty of work to be done at the NHL level over another exceedingly long summer, Dubas thinks the organization as a whole is in a better place than it March 2024, when the trade of popular winger Jake Guentzel to Carolina served as an emotional gut punch to both the fan base and Guentzel's former teammates.
It was a move Dubas deemed a necessary part of the process in an effort to restore a prospect pool decimated by years of trading away picks in hopes of extending a near two-decade run of excellence that included three Stanley Cups.
The pace of prospect and pick acquisition has only picked up over the last 14 months. The Penguins have a whopping 30 selections over the next three NHL drafts and their minor league teams are contending. Dubas believes it's only a matter of time before that success cascades up to Pittsburgh.
“I’m more optimistic going into next year than I was organizationally (last year),” Dubas said Monday. “The results are going to be what they’re going to be, but I feel we’re closer to where we want to get back to now than last year.”
The Penguins finished 11 points out of a playoff spot, their worst since Crosby's rookie year nearly two decades ago. Only Chicago and San Jose gave up more goals and only three teams had fewer wins in regulation.
There are plenty of areas that need to be addressed by the time Pittsburgh reports for training camp in September. The goaltending tandem of Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic ranked among the worst in the league. Jarry, a two-time All-Star, endured a demotion to the American Hockey League in January and Nedeljkovic couldn't seize the opportunity to establish himself as a bona fide No. 1.
Yet given Jarry's contract carries more than a $5 million cap hit, don't expect teams to call Dubas to offer a lifeline. Dubas has already told both goaltenders they will be competing for a job when camp arrives, with the idea they will be pushed by Joel Blomqvist and maybe even Sergei Murashov, who turned 21 earlier this month.
“If you look at every metric measuring performance, we also conceded a lot defensively in terms of what was expected to be given up, but we also allowed more than expected,” Dubas said. “So that’s a really poor combination. Both need to be rectified.”
Better play in front of them would help. Pittsburgh's defensemen struggled to make any sort of impact. Three-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson would mix flashes of brilliance with extended periods of play where he too frequently gambled and lost, symbolic of a unit often left whoever was in net in a tough spot.
Dubas described the team's approach to defense an “organizational” matter, one that he will sort out with longtime head coach Mike Sullivan and his staff in the coming weeks.
Sullivan, the second longest-tenured coach in the NHL behind Tampa Bay's Jon Cooper, is expected to return for what would be his 10th full season with Pittsburgh. Many coaches, no matter their resume, don't stick around after three straight playoff misses. Yet Sullivan remains committed to trying to help the club navigate its retooling to the finish.
“There’s always the point that very few coaches who are in (Sullivan's) realm often want to see a team through this," Dubas said. "But he’s been very open about this (as) what he wants to do so we’ll just continue to reaffirm that and as long as he’s on that side of it, we will roll with that.”
Dubas declined to offer any sort of timeline on when he expects the Penguins to return to the NHL's elite, only that he remains committed to building Pittsburgh into a long-term winner rather than try to patch the roster together in hopes of sneaking into the postseason.
There are no plans to add any more 30-somethings to a roster that began the season as the NHL's oldest. The Penguins do have more salary cap space than they've enjoyed in quite some times, and there's a very real chance Dubas turns some of that draft capital into NHL players in their early-to-mid 20s who currently work elsewhere.
The only real concession Dubas has made in terms of when he sees Pittsburgh becoming a legitimate Stanley Cup threat is before Crosby retires. The future Hall of Famer turns 38 in August, though he shows little signs of slowing down and has two years left on the extension he signed last September.
Crosby has admitted it's been difficult at times to endure the franchise's roughest patch since the early 2000s. Dubas expects Crosby to be “grumpy” until the Penguins get back to where they have been for most of Crosby's career.
“(We're) trying to build something that can contain itself for a long time,” he said. “Getting those younger players who are going to be a part of that core around Sid (is important). Him helping them and them helping him is really what the focus is.”
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Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan talks with referee Brandon Schrader during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals in Pittsburgh, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby (87), and Evgeni Malkin sit on the bench during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins in Pittsburgh, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Pittsburgh Penguins' Bryan Rust (17), Sidney Crosby (87), and Evgeni Malkin (71) sit on the bench in front of head coach Mike Sullivan, left rear, and assistant coach Mike Vellucci during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins in Pittsburgh, Sunday, April 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Drones attacked a vessel carrying aid to Gaza on Friday in international waters off Malta, the group organizing the shipment said, in the latest confrontation over efforts to send assistance to the Palestinian territory devastated by nearly 19 months of war.
A nearby tugboat responded to a distress call from the Conscience, which authorities said experienced a fire that was brought under control. The vessel was carrying 12 crew members and four civilians, the Maltese government said, adding that those aboard refused to leave the ship. The group was safe and no serious injuries were reported, it said.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition accused Israel of attacking its ship. The group did not provide evidence for that claim or to show that the fire was caused by drones, but in a video it shared an explosion could be heard. Another video showed a fire blazing.
The Israeli army did not respond to a request for comment. Israel has cut off Gaza from all imports, including food and medicine, since the beginning of March, leading to what is believed to be the worst humanitarian crisis in the war with Hamas, the Palestinian militant group.
Mecid Bagcivan, an activist from Turkey who was aboard the Conscience, was getting ready for bed when two explosions rocked the ship about two minutes apart, he said. At first it seemed there had been a collision. Then the crew saw fire and realized it was an attack, Bagcivan told The Associated Press.
As the crew radioed Malta for help, Bagcivan said someone impersonated them on the same channel saying help was no longer needed. Those on board scrambled to fight the fire on their own, leaving some with minor injuries, he said. Help later arrived, and after hours the fire was extinguished.
The ship was trying to reenter Maltese waters amid fears of a second attack, according to a statement from the crew.
“We feel like right now we’re safe, but we don’t know what Israel is going to do,” Bagcivan said. “We can’t trust no one in this situation after we get bombed in the middle of the night.”
Video taken after the explosions showed two large holes in the ship's deck, with thick smoke surrounding the vessel. The person recording the footage said the ship had been hit twice and was on fire about 14 miles from Malta. The video was provided by Codepink, a grassroots peace and social justice movement.
The ship's generator was badly damaged and will need to be repaired before continuing, said Charlie Andreasson, who has been involved with the Freedom Flotilla for more than a decade.
It's unclear where the ship will be able to stop for repairs, said Tighe Barry, a Codepink member who was among a group of activists who took speedboats to the Conscience after the attack. The boats were turned away by Maltese authorities, he said, but one person made it aboard and spoke to the captain.
Barry said the nation of Palau revoked its flag from the Conscience prior to the attack, and authorities in Malta, Greece and Turkey have threatened to confiscate the ship if it comes to port. Barry said the ship is loaded with medicine and food supplies.
“To get a new flag will take months, so they're just stuck out there,” Barry said of the crew.
Israel says the blockade is an attempt to pressure Hamas to release hostages it took during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the conflict. Hamas-led militants assaulted southern Israel that day, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Hamas is still holding 59 hostages, 24 of whom are believed to be alive.
In response, Israel launched an offensive that has killed over 52,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians. Israel’s bombardment and ground operations have destroyed vast areas of the territory and left most of its population homeless.
When an aid flotilla attempted to break a blockade of Gaza in 2010, Israeli forces stormed a Turkish ship, the Mavi Marmara, killing nine people on board.
On Friday, the Conscience was hit about 16 miles (26 kilometers) from Malta, according to the Freedom Flotilla.
Photos provided by Cypriot authorities showed the ship with damage to its side.
According to the ship-monitoring website Marine Traffic, the Conscience left the Tunisian port of Bizerte on Tuesday and arrived Thursday morning in the area where it reported being attacked.
Volunteers who had traveled to Malta were meant to board the ship to go to Gaza, the group said. Andreasson said climate activist Greta Thunberg was supposed to have participated. The organization said Thunberg did not board and was safe.
The ship's 12 crew members are from Turkey and Azerbaijan, said Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Codepink.
Turkey condemned the attack and pledged to hold the perpetrators accountable.
The assault “threatens freedom of navigation and maritime security in international waters,” Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Oncu Keceli said in a statement posted on the X social media platform.
The attack happened as aid groups have warned that the humanitarian response in Gaza is on the verge of collapse.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said Friday that it will not have access to food, medicine and life-saving supplies needed for many of its Gaza programs if aid deliveries don’t resume immediately.
Programs at risk include “common kitchens” that often give residents the only meal they receive each day and could be forced to halt operations in a few weeks, the ICRC said.
“Aid must be allowed to enter Gaza. Hostages must be released. Civilians must be protected,” the committee said. “Without immediate action, Gaza will descend further into chaos that humanitarian efforts will not be able to mitigate.”
Brito contributed from Barcelona, Spain. Associated Press writers Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel; Giada Zampano in Rome; Kevin Schembri Orland in St. Julian’s, Malta; Colleen Barry in Soave, Italy; Elena Becatoros and Julia Frankel in Jerusalem; Jamey Keaten in Geneva; Menelaos Hadjicostis in Nicosia, Cyprus; Jon Gambrell in Dubai; and Collin Binkley in Washington contributed to this report.
Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
FILE.- Palestinians wait for donated food at a distribution center in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana,File)
FILE.- A Palestinian girl struggles as she and others try to get donated food at a distribution center in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, Sunday, March 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana,File)
Palestinians wait to get food at a community kitchen in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza Strip, Thursday April 24, 2025.(AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinian children struggle to get donated food at a community kitchen in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Thursday April 24, 2025.(AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
People protest against an Israeli drone attack on a vessel carrying aid to Gaza in international waters off Malta, outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
People protest against an Israeli drone attack on a vessel carrying aid to Gaza in international waters off Malta, outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
People protest against an Israeli drone attack on a vessel carrying aid to Gaza in international waters off Malta, outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
People protest against an Israeli drone attack on a vessel carrying aid to Gaza in international waters off Malta, outside the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
In this photo provided by the Government of Cyprus, a fire burns on the ship The Conscience, after a drone struck the vessel carrying aid to Gaza off the coast of Malta, Friday, May 2, 2025. (Government of Cyprus via AP)
This photo provided by the Goverment of Cyprus and taken from the EDT ship AEOLUS shows The Conscience, after a drone struck the vessel carrying aid to Gaza off the coast of Malta, Friday, May 2, 2025. (Government of Cyprus via AP)
A firefighting-equipped tug boat, left, contacted by the Malta Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) helps controlling a fire occurred on the bow of the Conscience vessel in international waters of the Mediterranean Sea, Friday, May 2, 2025. (Malta Vessel Traffic Services via AP)
