Penguins and Head Coach Mike Sullivan Agree to Part Ways

[pekkasteele]

I would not be against a promising, but unexperienced coach now (at NHL level), Like Carle or Hallam, give them next season to adjust no matter the result, since it would be quite good to get a good draft position next draft to. Let him come in, learn this year, adjust and then for 2026/27 go for it!

[Sigwolf]

Looks like Mike Sullivan is running for judge.
https://www.mikesullivanforjudge.com/about

Pittsburgh's loss of two Mike Sullivans in a single day created a void that must be filled...

[Gunnerfan]

I think it's gonna be Tocchet to Philly, Sullivan to New York. Official prediction.

A name I'd keep an eye on for Pittsburgh: Bruce Boudreau.

I like the names Taylor threw out:

-Sam Hallam, David Carle, Mitch Love and Todd Nelson. Would not want to see Quinn (who was also mentioned).
-If Dubas is serious about not wanting a retread, than that would tend to eliminate Boudreau.

Boudreau might be a good bridge coach. Doubt Carle does this, but what if Dubas hires Boudreau as HC for 2 years then Carle is coach after that?

Or Carle as HC and Boudreau as assistant.

I think Boudreau is done as an NHL coach. He's just too old at this point.

I think he'd be like Jacques Martin, comes in to help an inexperienced coach for a couple of years. If he's a HC, it's just to end Crosby's career.

Does anyone want John Tortorella? He might be going back to NYR, not as a HC, but it'd at least be hilarious.

Has Mike Babcock learned his lesson regarding cell phone privacy?

Man I don’t think Babcock ever coaches in the NHL again. More than a few players have outed him as a creepy POS. He can stay retired.

[IntangibleBeer]

Apologies if this was covered somewhere in this thread, but does anyone know what Sullivan’s supposedly “non-negotiable demands” were?

[KG]

Apologies if this was covered somewhere in this thread, but does anyone know what Sullivan’s supposedly “non-negotiable demands” were?

KD flatly denied there were any demands ever by Sully. I'm also sure he also would never tell us if Sully did make any demands. I'm sure Sully wants to win now and KD wants to continue to be better in the near future.

[IntangibleBeer]

Thanks KG.

If Sullivan wanted out, making nonnegotiable demands would be a face saving way to do it. Much better than having his outdated and inflexible system fail with younger and faster players two years down the road. And he stands to collect a big payday with his stock at its highest.

[Puck-Lurker]

Apologies if this was covered somewhere in this thread, but does anyone know what Sullivan’s supposedly “non-negotiable demands” were?

KD flatly denied there were any demands ever by Sully. I'm also sure he also would never tell us if Sully did make any demands. I'm sure Sully wants to win now and KD wants to continue to be better in the near future.

Dubas would tell if Sullivan made no demands. Had there been any, GMKD wouldn't tell the press, but he wouldn't say there hadn't been any.

He'd have found a graceful way to back out of that. For instance: "I won't speak for Mike, the specifics of our conversation aren't for me to divulge" redirecting them to Sully. He would probably not want to mention any demands he made, reasonable or otherwise, so that ends that.

Whatever else you think about Dubas, he's got a deft touch with this kind of thing.

[Gunnerfan]

I believe GMKD that there were no non-negotiable demands. The people who reported it have no insight into the team or hockey-related information. Typical 93.7 BS. (as reported by TH at DKS). It logically sounds like GMKD laid out the plan for this year, and it probably didn't include ramping up the time frame.

I think it's as simple as two people who respect each other just couldn't agree on what the immediate future would look like. And that's okay.

[EndO FanEra]

If anything, I wouldn't be surprised if Sullivan wanted some sort of assurances that he wouldn't be let go mid-season. He had to know that his days are numbered, whether it be this upcoming season or the next.

I could understand Sully not wanting to fully invest in this offseason and rebuild process, only to be let go as soon as things aren't going well (and they probably wouldn't if he were still the voice in the room).

Maybe it leaked that Sully asked for some assurances and Dubas just wasn't willing to commit to it.

I could see that interpreted as a reporter saying that Sully had demands. And I could see Dubas viewing it more as an open conversation and not Sully demanding anything.

Or, maybe Dubas just finally had enough, like the rest of us.

[penscup]

Amazing the such an incredible coach who knew so much did a **** job in Boston. Let's not forget he was a HC before this and was a failure. Whatever. The guy is gone finally and about 7 years too late. Go build your **** unjustified legend somewhere else Mikey.

Sully went 41-19-15-7 for 104 pts. and 1st place in division his first season in Boston before losing in first round of playoffs and then getting fired after his GM traded away his MVP center for a bunch of mediocre talent the following season.

Would hardly call that a total failure. Pretty much exactly what Tocchet did in Vancouver the past 2 years except Tocchet left by choice.

[rgj]

Not happy with this at all. Sully was dealt a losing hand by DubASS. Yeah, he had the aging trio of Crosby, Letang, and Malkin. But DubASS FAILED in the supporting team. Pens have no playoff appearances for 3 years. DubASS is the reason. Sully had no power in the hand he was dealt. Good luck in your future Sully. DubASS this is ALL on you. Time for you to be unemployed.

[FLPensFan]

Not happy with this at all. Sully was dealt a losing hand by DubASS. Yeah, he had the aging trio of Crosby, Letang, and Malkin. But DubASS FAILED in the supporting team. Pens have no playoff appearances for 3 years. DubASS is the reason. Sully had no power in the hand he was dealt. Good luck in your future Sully. DubASS this is ALL on you. Time for you to be unemployed.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but, not sure how you blame Dubas for this. First, Kyle Dubas has been on the job for 2 seasons....so, how would he be responsible for 3 years of missed playoffs?

Biggest mistake Dubas likely made is still trying to do the impossible Hextall task of not giving up assets but still trying to compete. He listened to the noise from FSG, Sullivan, and others, instead of focusing on the job he needed to do, which he did start doing last summer.

Nobody has an endless string of assets. You can't applaud the work and success of Sullivan under Rutherford as GMJR gutted our picks and left our prospect pool barren, then turn around and dump all the failure on the incoming GM for the sins of his predecessors. FGMJR built up no prospect pool and Hextall made numerous gaffes with the NHL roster that Dubas was left to clean up.

Dubas gets high marks from me for doing something that was likely a year or two too late.

[Puck-Lurker]

Not happy with this at all. Sully was dealt a losing hand by DubASS. Yeah, he had the aging trio of Crosby, Letang, and Malkin. But DubASS FAILED in the supporting team. Pens have no playoff appearances for 3 years. DubASS is the reason. Sully had no power in the hand he was dealt. Good luck in your future Sully. DubASS this is ALL on you. Time for you to be unemployed.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but, not sure how you blame Dubas for this. First, Kyle Dubas has been on the job for 2 seasons....so, how would he be responsible for 3 years of missed playoffs?

Biggest mistake Dubas likely made is still trying to do the impossible Hextall task of not giving up assets but still trying to compete. He listened to the noise from FSG, Sullivan, and others, instead of focusing on the job he needed to do, which he did start doing last summer.

Nobody has an endless string of assets. You can't applaud the work and success of Sullivan under Rutherford as GMJR gutted our picks and left our prospect pool barren, then turn around and dump all the failure on the incoming GM for the sins of his predecessors. FGMJR built up no prospect pool and Hextall made numerous gaffes with the NHL roster that Dubas was left to clean up.

Dubas gets high marks from me for doing something that was likely a year or two too late.

I'm inclined to agree. Rutherford went all in on winning. That was correct and we did win.

Hextall was in we can still win mode, made poor decisions and we did not win.

Dubas was in the first year in a last chance mode and swung for the fences. Didn't pan out. Didn't have any assets to speak of left and started a soft, and increasingly harder rebuild. It's been okay so far. We are not to win for now. If that's your metric he sucks, it isn't my metric.

[Pens4Life]

Not happy with this at all. Sully was dealt a losing hand by DubASS. Yeah, he had the aging trio of Crosby, Letang, and Malkin. But DubASS FAILED in the supporting team. Pens have no playoff appearances for 3 years. DubASS is the reason. Sully had no power in the hand he was dealt. Good luck in your future Sully. DubASS this is ALL on you. Time for you to be unemployed.

What a biased bs.. dig deeper and re-think and comeback a bit smarter and less offensive to KD because he didnt deserve that.

Sullivan meanwhile last 7 years - we changed multiple GMs, we changed 90% of roster, results still bad and got even worse and still everyone else fault but not coach? Ok,gotcha..

Dubas at least filled our pool with some talent again and huge bag of draft picks. It was time for some soft rebuild.