When it comes to the Penguins' personnel decisions regarding individual players and their futures, Kyle Dubas isn't locking himself into any too early.

One example: When I spoke with Dubas earlier this month while I was at the NHL's scouting combine in Buffalo, N.Y., they had yet to make any decisions at all regarding their pending restricted free agents and most of their unrestricted ones too, with Boko Imama being the lone guy they'd committed to wanting back for sure. But as recently as late in the regular season, Dubas had indicated he was sure they'd extend a qualifying offer to at least Conor Timmins. Things change.

Another one: Last year at the combine, Dubas told me P.O Joseph would "definitely be somebody that we'll qualify" ... and then, a few weeks later, they didn't. Other factors changed in the meantime, and then Joseph's potential arbitration case proved to be too much of a threat, so plans changed. 

The Penguins aren't yet close to contending, and aren't even putting a rough estimate on a timeline for when they'll start to be close to contending. Shaping the roster will look a lot like this as a result, with nothing being planned too far in advance.

• Dubas was waiting for the scouting meetings last week to decide on what to do with any of their restricted free agents. As of now, the Penguins definitely haven't had any contact with Connor Dewar about an extension. Not going to guess about the others.

• A note regarding Fenway: They were still very much present and involved last year. Teddy Werner was the regular in-person representative, but the higher-ups back in Boston were still involved, too. John Henry watches the games and would regularly call Dubas to talk about them.

• When I reached out to Fenway last week regarding the Canadian report that Mario Lemieux, Ron Burkle and David Morehouse wanted to buy back the Penguins, they reiterated their stance that they're looking for only a "small, passive" minority partner. They're not putting the majority stake in the team up for sale. But based on talks with people last season, it sounded like they'd for sure consider selling if the offer was good.

• I wouldn't pay attention at all to what Fenway's other teams like the Red Sox or Liverpool are doing. They're known to treat each one individually and, within that, they'll insist that what happens with one doesn't affect the other. They won't sell a Red Sox player to pay for something in Liverpool, or avoid spending to the cap in Pittsburgh to help the Red Sox, anything like that. Dubas still pretty much has a blank check in Pittsburgh for the roster and to build out his staff.

• With the NHL doing a decentralized draft this summer, teams and their front offices will remain in their home cities, while the top prospects converge in Los Angeles. But it sounds like one won't have to hear Gary Bettman announce all the picks himself -- the league is encouraging teams to find representatives in the form of former players or celebrities to go to Los Angeles and announce the picks. 

• At the combine, the Penguins took at least Roger McQueen, Keshawn Aitcheson, Radim Mrtka and Jackson Smith out to dinner or lunch for additional meetings at some point, and Dubas met with Anton Frondell and Victor Eklund back in Sweden during the year. Dubas also traveled to Moncton during the year to watch Caleb Desnoyers play, but stayed back and didn't speak with him in-person until the combine.

• You can't read too heavily into the dinner lists at these things, but they're usually a pretty good hint. Two years ago, Brayden Yager was one of the few they took out to dinner, and there was good reason for that. 

• Mrtka had a good time at the dinner but didn't remember Dubas' name after. Wouldn't read into that at all, though, since he didn't remember anyone from any team's name that he talked to all year. Kind of funny.

• A smaller RFA note: Nothing on Taylor Gauthier, who is too good for the ECHL but is behind a lot of goaltenders in the Penguins' system. He seemed genuine about wanting to come back, even if it meant a stint in Wheeling again. And someone in the organization told me that they believe it's important to Gauthier that he becomes the Nailers' all-time wins leader, a record he's 11 wins away from taking. Hey, if he wants to be back, capitalize on that and keep that depth.

• AHL defenseman Dan Renouf's departure to play in Germany won't get much attention, given his limited role in Wilkes-Barre last season. But Renouf was huge for Owen Pickering's rookie year and helping him get acclimated. Funny story: Pickering called up Renouf early in the season and asked if he could borrow the bag he uses for travel, because he was embarrassed by his own. Renouf said sure and asked why he needed it now, and Pickering casually mentioned that he was on his way to Pittsburgh for his NHL debut. Renouf didn't get his bag back for at least the rest of the year. Wouldn't be surprised, actually, if Pickering still has it.

• One day during the combine, I was sitting in the media area late in the day, the last one there. This was the night before the fitness testing, and workers were in the process of setting it all up below. A pack of prospects sneaked in to get a peek at the setup, and based on their chatter were clearly a little nervous about the next day .. until one said, "Well, Sam Bennett couldn't do one pull-up in his year," and then they all seemed reassured. Bennett seemed to turn out pretty OK.