This is the Kyle Dubas “fork-in-the-road” segment. Dan lays out the big-picture decision the Penguins GM is facing right now:

• The Eastern Conference is wide open and winnable (“absolute mush” outside Carolina/New Jersey, Florida falling apart).
• The Penguins have shown enough promise that doing nothing is a real choice — but it risks burning out Crosby and Malkin with no middle-six support.
• Dubas should actively fortify the roster now, not wait until January or the deadline.
• Specific focus: add a proven, solid middle-six forward
• Cost would be modest (roughly a 2nd-round pick level), and the difference between picking 15th vs. 22nd isn’t huge.
• Explicitly rules out blockbusters or expensive stars; this is about smart, under-the-radar depth that Dubas excels at finding.