Several weeks prior to the Penguins hiring Kyle Dubas as their president of hockey operations, a report came out from AHL reporter Tony Androckitis that said, at the behest of Mike Sullivan, Fenway Sports Group would require the team's new leader of the front office to make Wilkes-Barre/Scranton highly competitive going forward.
This requirement, Androckitis said, is to ensure "the organization's top prospects are developing in a winning environment." Both Sullivan and assistant coach Mike Vellucci served as Wilkes-Barre/Scranton's head coach prior to joining the Penguins in the NHL and are well aware of the value that comes with developing and promoting from within.