Fenway Sports Group wasn’t perfect, but it left the Penguins in a very good position

PITTSBURGH — Following a volatile day around the NHL, the Pittsburgh Penguins find themselves eagerly wanting to enter the trade party.But in the bigger picture, whether Kyle Dubas is able to strike franchise-altering deals or not this week, the Penguins are in a pretty stable place. Their departing owners deserve some credit.It’s not fashionable in these parts to be complimentary of the Fenway Sports Group. I’ve been critical of the group a time or two myself.• Their leaders are from Boston, and we prefer our own.

• They always felt a little corporate, and really, who likes that?

• The Penguins didn’t win a playoff series on their watch.

• They didn’t have a good relationship with Mario Lemieux, which is always fighting words in Pittsburgh.Upon reflection, however, I think we can acknowledge that the FSG chapter wasn’t so bad.The group took control of the Penguins in 2021, when the economy was staggering from the COVID-19 pandemic and during a time when the Penguins’ stars were beginning to age. I can’t emphasize strongly enough that old teams don’t win Stanley Cups. Had Lemieux remained as owner during the past five seasons, I don’t believe the Penguins would have added to their championship total. They had very few young assets and simply were a great team beginning to erode. The greatness of their biggest names helped keep them relevant, but the writing was on the wall. Blaming FSG for the Penguins’ on-ice failings during the past few years is senseless.Do you remember the Ron Hextall/Brian Burke era? Unfortunately, you do. Those two were not the right people to guide the Penguins in the aftermath of Jim Rutherford’s stunning resignation in 2021. Lemieux and Burke made the decision to hire Hextall. For all of the magnificent things they did as owners of the Penguins, their final big decision was a disaster.FSG made the decision to pull the plug in 2023. Even more importantly, FSG hired Dubas.This was no easy sell; Dubas was already perfectly wealthy and hinted after his divorce from the Maple Leafs that he would very possibly take some time away from the game. The end in Toronto must have fried him mentally. Some time away from the sport seemed prudent.But FSG wouldn’t take no for an answer, throwing massive money at Dubas. Years later it’s very clear Dubas is excellent at his job and is the driving force behind the team’s recent resurgence. He realized the Penguins front office required a serious modernization, wanting to implement an analytics team and a significant number of support staff who he believed would make a difference. Dubas was given the green light to hire who he pleased while also having full power to guide the Penguins.Dubas was also always given the green light to spend to the salary cap if he believed it was appropriate.Behind the scenes, FSG poured $20 million into PPG Paints Arena. A new scoreboard and a new suite area, among many other upgrades to the 16-year-old building, were implemented. FSG worked diligently to bring everything and everyone from the NCAA Tournament, to Paul McCartney, to Sabrina Carpenter, to PPG Paints Arena.Speaking of venues, Citizens Live at the Wylie, which opens across the street from PPG Paints Arena in September, exists because of FSG. Live Nation and FSG are 50/50 partners on this venue. Half of FSG’s 50 percent ownership of the venue belongs to the Penguins, something that will continue even after the Hoffmann Family has officially taken over the team.FSG also included the rights to Pittsburgh Sports Net in the sale, and NESN, which operates Pittsburgh Sportsnet, will continue to do so. The Penguins Foundation, which does outstanding work in the community in many avenues, rolled on during FSG’s five years in charge and received considerable financial backing.Does FSG really sound like a villain? I don’t think so.No, the Penguins weren’t FSG’s baby. They weren’t the Red Sox. They weren’t Fenway Park. They weren’t Liverpool. They weren’t Anfield. At times, the Penguins felt like an investment because of it.That does not mean, however, that FSG did wrong by Pittsburgh or that this group provided poor ownership for the Penguins. None of that would be accurate.The Penguins have been an utterly remarkable franchise over the years. They’ve filed for bankruptcy twice. They’ve nearly left Pittsburgh for different cities on numerous occasions. They’ve seen the lowest of the low as a franchise. Truth be told, the Penguins have had some horrible owners in their 59-year existence. FSG doesn’t belong in that group.It just wasn’t necessarily the right fit. It happens. It’s business.The Hoffmann Family era has arrived and this group is largely a mystery to Pittsburgh. Some are excited about the new ownership because it means FSG is gone. Others are frightened because the Hoffmann Family doesn’t boast as much money as FSG, and even if FSG was a little impersonal with the Penguins, at least money was never a problem.In many ways, the Hoffmann Family can learn from previous Penguins owners. Lemieux understood that a family atmosphere was what Penguins employees crave, and he gave it to them. He also understood that Pittsburgh likes a winner, and likes its hockey complete with star power. Maybe he got a little lucky during his time as owner, but he also is the Penguins and always understood what made them tick.The Hoffmann Family can learn from FSG, too. The family isn’t replacing the bad guy, nor is it replacing a group that wronged Pittsburgh. FSG alienated Lemieux and didn’t show its face publicly. Those, in the end, were the only two mistakes it made. If you’re the Hoffmann Family, you can surpass FSG in those two ways simply by doing the opposite.One way or the other, the Hoffmann Family inherits an organization that’s in a good place. There is young talent on the way. Dubas is on a roll. The coach he selected, Dan Muse, very much appears to be the right choice. PPG Paints Arena remains an elite venue. The season ticket base started to grow last season after years of sagging numbers. Sidney Crosby is still here. So are Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.The Penguins aren’t in a bad place at all right now.You can thank FSG for that.