Confirmed with Link: It's Started! (Management firings)

[Factorial]

Using PITT to abbreviate the city name Pittsburgh for baseball, hockey, football is like dropping the "h." Anyone from the area seeing it would instantly think that's wrong and as I said figures they don't know much about the city.

The Pitt Steelers
The Pitt Penguins
The Pitt Pirates

This is a typical kind of issue DK would be all up in arms over.

 

[Ulf5]

Jagr for GM

We’re really going to sign him and become the oldest team ever in league history…..

His analytics are off the chart....

 

[Factorial]

His analytics are off the chart....

Put him on Mario's, in his latter years, perch on the blue line for the PP.

 

[SEALBound]

The guy with the 3.13 playoff GAA and .898 SV%? I’m not sure that helps his case tbh.

Agreed, but still tough to justify throwing that kind of cash (and term) at awful goalies.

Yeah but his stats when he was signed pointed to it being a good signing. His regular season stats were good too. Hard to fault Dubad for him not performing. It's not like he was a career .850 sv% and Dubas signed him hoping to get more out of him.

Jagr for GM

Gotta think it's jersey retirement but man alive would I love for him to be involved with the team in some way again.

Jagr, at this point, has earned anything he wants in the hockey world.

 

[Turin]

Something I like about Dubas is how much Kypreos doesn’t like him

 

[FlightlessBird]

Sullivan has sucked all enjoyment out of watching the Pens for me, so I'd settle for just about anybody else, Keefe included. It would probably take at least a few years for me to get sick of a new coach...unless it's like Johnston level bad.

Instead, I'd just like to watch interesting (not even "good") Penguins hockey again. Sullivan's system is boring, ineffectual, and I will think less of people who watched this team this year and said "wow, great on-ice product, thanks, that's just what I wanted!" You people should be ashamed of yourselves.

Yep and yep (minus settling for Keefe. No thanks). There’s a difference between the Pens of this past season and the X Generation. At least back then we *knew* they sucked and were going to lose, and it was fun when they had a good game or upset once a month. But this season…playing like the X Gen but acting like they were Cup contenders. Yeah…no.

 

[Turin]

I think part of the reason why Sullivan's system is boring now is because the team is littered with players who can't play it. If you have a forecheck heavy team with a defense that isn't super mobile or quick thinking and a group of fwds who aren't good at forechecking.. well.. it's gonna look like this year. I never found the Penguins "style" to be boring until this year.

 

[Ulf5]

Yeah but his stats when he was signed pointed to it being a good signing. His regular season stats were good too. Hard to fault Dubad for him not performing. It's not like he was a career .850 sv% and Dubas signed him hoping to get more out of him.

Gotta think it's jersey retirement but man alive would I love for him to be involved with the team in some way again.

Jagr, at this point, has earned anything he wants in the hockey world.

Don't think it's a jersey retirement, just getting paid. FWIU, Coffey and Barrasso are also in town for a card show in Monroeville or something. At least that's what I saw posted somewhere.

 

[FlightlessBird]

I think part of the reason why Sullivan's system is boring now is because the team is littered with players who can't play it.

I think it’s a mixture of can’t and won’t, tbh. Phil Bourque said many times how there was no accountability at all, so why would they bother doing what they’re told?

 

[Andy99]

I think it’s a mixture of can’t and won’t, tbh. Phil Bourque said many times how there was no accountability at all, so why would they bother doing what they’re told?

That assumes what they’re being told to do is something they can do pretty consistently for 82 games…I don’t think Sullivan designed a way to play effectively and consistently for the players he had..either way it’s an indictment of the coach…no accountability held towards him either lol

 

[AuroraBorealis]

I think part of the reason why Sullivan's system is boring now is because the team is littered with players who can't play it. If you have a forecheck heavy team with a defense that isn't super mobile or quick thinking and a group of fwds who aren't good at forechecking.. well.. it's gonna look like this year. I never found the Penguins "style" to be boring until this year.

It's boring because the team isn't capitalizing on the chances it creates. Nobody was complaining about our playstyle in 2021 when they were #2 in GF/G and GFAx; Well, maybe apart from the people who already hated Sullivan and woulda said the same no matter how they performed.

People respond to goals. Everyone was having a great time here when the Pens were putting up 6-spots four times in the first five games in October. Similarly, people were enjoying the Rangers series, when they scored 29 goals throughout.
Same system. Different shooting.
The players feed off scoring just like the fans do as well. Better vibes throughout the team and that translates on screen.
On the flipside, when you watch a game expecting your team to be flaccid in front of the net, it's hard to get excited about scoring chances. You start expecting the worst, whether that's an inability to comeback or an inability to extend leads enough to win.

Let's say the Pens shot like gods in 2023-24 and ended up the #1 scoring team in the league, using Sullivan's system. Nobody's whining about playstyle at that point. Nobody.

 

[66-30-33]

I think it’s a mixture of can’t and won’t, tbh. Phil Bourque said many times how there was no accountability at all, so why would they bother doing what they’re told?

"I'll trade your ass!!!"
"Don't threaten me with a good time!"

 

[Turin]

It's boring because the team isn't capitalizing on the chances it creates. Nobody was complaining about our playstyle in 2021 when they were #2 in GF/G and GFAx; Well, maybe apart from the people who already hated Sullivan and woulda said the same no matter how they performed.

People respond to goals. Everyone was having a great time here when the Pens were putting up 6-spots four times in the first five games in October. Similarly, people were enjoying the Rangers series, when they scored 29 goals throughout.
Same system. Different shooting.
The players feed off scoring just like the fans do as well. Better vibes throughout the team and that translates on screen.
On the flipside, when you watch a game expecting your team to be flaccid in front of the net, it's hard to get excited about scoring chances. You start expecting the worst, whether that's an inability to comeback or an inability to extend leads enough to win.

Let's say the Pens shot like gods in 2023-24 and ended up the #1 scoring team in the league, using Sullivan's system. Nobody's whining about playstyle at that point. Nobody.

I agree. Forecheck and finishing.. hey it's the Florida Panthers.

 

[Andy99]

Gotta think it's jersey retirement but man alive would I love for him to be involved with the team in some way again.

Jagr, at this point, has earned anything he wants in the hockey world.

Trade Granlund to Kladno for Jagr’s rights…

 

[AuroraBorealis]

I agree. Forecheck and finishing.. hey it's the Florida Panthers.

If the inability to forecheck was such a problem, the Pens wouldn't have been #2 team in high danger shots in the league. People often are just looking for answers in the wrong places, ignoring the core issues. Hextall did the same thing, failing to identify what's really hurting the team. He figured changing the D-corps was the solution, after they were 5th in the league in GA/G.
He ignored - or was unaware - of the fact that the Pens were 24th in shooting in 2021-22. He did nothing to address this, and didn't calculate what would happen if goaltending and team defense hit it's inevitable regression. The shooting only got worse (31st) and the natural result followed, missing the playoffs.

This is why I want Tulsky. He will understand pattern recognition and what generates wins and losses. He will target the bush, not beat around it.
If they simply shot like Washington, the median finishing team in the league, that's a 32 goal swing. You have to get the team to a point where they can do that.
Lots of philosophies on how to accomplish this. Mine is bringing Boudreau, an offensive-minded coach that has a proven track record of getting a lot out of his shooters.
Of course you should be making roster adjustments as well, but replacing the coach will change the whole vibe around this team and is what can help most imo. I see a very real confidence issue in front of goal the last 2 years. There's no swagger, and there's a reluctance to tap into their creativity.

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[Turin]

If the inability to forecheck was such a problem, the Pens wouldn't have been #2 team in high danger shots in the league. People often are just looking for answers in the wrong places, ignoring the core issues. Hextall did the same thing, failing to identify what's really hurting the team. He figured changing the D-corps was the solution, after they were 5th in the league in GA/G.
He ignored - or was unaware - of the fact that the Pens were 24th in shooting in 2021-22. He did nothing to address this, and didn't calculate what would happen if goaltending and team defense hit it's inevitable regression. The shooting only got worse (31st) and the natural result followed, missing the playoffs.

This is why I want Tulsky. He will understand pattern recognition and what generates wins and losses. He will target the bush, not beat around it.
If they simply shot like Washington, the median finishing team in the league, that's a 32 goal swing. You have to get the team to a point where they can do that.
Lots of philosophies on how to accomplish this. Mine is bringing Boudreau, an offensive-minded coach that has a proven track record of getting a lot out of his shooters.
Of course you should be making roster adjustments as well, but replacing the coach will change the whole vibe around this team and is what can help most imo. I see a very real confidence issue in front of goal the last 2 years. There's no swagger, and there's a reluctance to tap into their creativity.

From the eye test I don’t believe the Pens chances generated were necessarily because they were forecheck devils.

 

[Andy99]

If the inability to forecheck was such a problem, the Pens wouldn't have been #2 team in high danger shots in the league. People often are just looking for answers in the wrong places, ignoring the core issues. Hextall did the same thing, failing to identify what's really hurting the team. He figured changing the D-corps was the solution, after they were 5th in the league in GA/G.
He ignored - or was unaware - of the fact that the Pens were 24th in shooting in 2021-22. He did nothing to address this, and didn't calculate what would happen if goaltending and team defense hit it's inevitable regression. The shooting only got worse (31st) and the natural result followed, missing the playoffs.

This is why I want Tulsky. He will understand pattern recognition and what generates wins and losses. He will target the bush, not beat around it.
If they simply shot like Washington, the median finishing team in the league, that's a 32 goal swing. You have to get the team to a point where they can do that.
Lots of philosophies on how to accomplish this. Mine is bringing Boudreau, an offensive-minded coach that has a proven track record of getting a lot out of his shooters.
Of course you should be making roster adjustments as well, but replacing the coach will change the whole vibe around this team and is what can help most imo. I see a very real confidence issue in front of goal the last 2 years. There's no swagger, and there's a reluctance to tap into their creativity.

Agree …you also can’t hide the fact that our best shooters are ages 35-36 this season and our only other good shooter, Jake, had a down year scoring from his last two seasons and is getting at the tail edge of his prime…getting a player whos still young and has a quick release and very good accuracy is paramount for our top six and PP…also you can’t underrate the fact that none of our D man are that great at shooting the puck, other than Letang

 

[AuroraBorealis]

From the eye test I don’t believe the Pens chances generated were necessarily because they were forecheck devils.

I think we just feel they're worse at it than they are because they don't generate enough scoring off it. Goals are what people remember, like how Zucker's forechecking led to some.
I'm not gonna say they're a high end forechecking team or anything, but they do quite well with zone time relative to the rest of the league. Something's generating that, and we know it's not skillful, controlled zone entries. The Pens are awful at that.
Basically every team I watch dumps and chases, just like us. There's no huge variance in attacking schematics anymore. There's some outliers, like Carolina, but it's mostly pretty streamlined now.

 

[SEALBound]

Hire Dubas, sign Matthews.

Pretty nice way to augment the roster.

 

[hockeywiz542]

MAPLE LEAF NOTES: Kyle Dubas to Pittsburgh could be back on

Kyle Dubas could wind up getting an interview as GM of the Pittsburgh Penguins after all, a week after he said it was Leafs or bust.

torontosun.com

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas speaks about his family and his future with the organization at the podium on locker clean-up day in Toronto on Monday May 15, 2023. Photo by Jack Boland /Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network

A week after he assured the media he wouldn’t suddenly pop up somewhere else in the NHL if the Maple Leafs fired him, Kyle Dubas could be on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ radar.

That was the team he was immediately linked to after calls for change in Toronto increased with its meek playoff exit against Florida. The Penguins were well into the search to replace Brian Burke (another one-time Leaf exec) and Ron Hextall in their front office, when Dubas said last Monday he’d either remain in place or accept his pink slip and take time off with his family after what he described as an emotionally difficult season.

But his surprise dismissal by club president Brendan Shanahan after Dubas dithered about terms of his extension, raised questions if he’d really turn down an offer to get right back in the game.

While Dubas has yet to speak publicly about his convoluted departure – Shanahan shared his version with the media on Friday – Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Saturday night that the Pens will likely approach the Leafs for permission to speak to Dubas prior to his official contract expiration on June 30.

That has not been confirmed on the Pittsburgh side yet. Led by David Beeston of the Fenway Sports Group, that club was well into the process of looking into leading candidates Dan MacKinnon (senior vice-president of the Devils), Eric Tulsky (assistant GM of the Hurricanes), Steve Greeley (director of scouting and hockey strategy in Dallas) and Jason Karmanos (Buffalo’s associate GM).

If Dubas intends a quick return somewhere, it would be worth the phone call by Beeston to Shanahan for due diligence. Dubas has some name recognition which has excited fans in the Steel City who are unfamiliar with the other candidates and it would be an instant conference rivalry.

But should he even get to the interview stage, Dubas would have to walk back a portion of Monday’s emotional address.

 

[ChaosAgent]

I always agreed with "t8ke Your mEds" guy that this Dubas sabbatical wasn't real, as much as it pained me to do so

 

[Turin]

I always agreed with "t8ke Your mEds" guy that this Dubas sabbatical wasn't real, as much as it pained me to do so

I think it was real until the Leafs fired him after he determined he wanted to stay. Now he has no reason not to look for work elsewhere.

 

[ChaosAgent]

I think it was real until the Leafs fired him after he determined he wanted to stay. Now he has no reason not to look for work elsewhere.

I got it, but it's also classical posturing. If you are in a phase of your life to command a $4m salary, you suck it up and do it. You never know when those days will come to an end

 

[The GM]

Hire Dubas, sign Matthews.

Pretty nice way to augment the roster.

Only issue is no one going forward can possibly win the moustache boy comps