By Yardbarker,Zac Wassink

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“I didn’t take from Pat’s comments that he necessarily disagrees with where we’re at,” Dubas explained, as shared by Josh Yohe of The Athletic. “I talk with Pat daily. Twice daily, about all of our clients on our team and other goings on around the league. He’s entitled to make the comments that he wishes. We can’t alter the course we’re on. We have to focus on doing what’s right for the Pittsburgh Penguins. I knew when I signed up for this job that this likely was going to be a part of it. It doesn’t deter us from the task at hand.”

“We want a team that can contend for the Stanley Cup year in and year out, regardless of what different media members want or where they want to see Sid play,” Dubas said in an apparent reference to stories routinely linking Crosby with the Montreal Canadiens. “We have to do what’s right for the Pittsburgh Penguins regardless of any sort of commentary or things that are said in the media. It doesn’t deter us.”

“I wouldn’t put any timeline on Sid to stop being himself,” Dubas added during his comments. “…I’ll borrow Pat’s example of Tom Brady. That’s the one that caused things to go on an off-ramp that no one wants it really to go on. He’s a player that, if he plays until that age and at that level, it wouldn’t be surprising. He would downplay it. But I don’t think anybody else would be surprised if, years from now, he’s still playing at an elite level. No one puts into it more than he does.”