NYR close to naming Mike Sullivan as new Head Coach UPD: Named

[5cotland]

UPDATE:

 

[Clint Eastwood]

Caught me off guard with this one!

What's next? Rick Tocchet to the Flyers? Haha

 

[Mr Kot]

 

[The Crypto Guy]

 

[BHD]

Rangers fans can go back and watch the series from 2016 if they want a crash course on his system. Yes, the Pens remade their roster during the season, but Sullivan set the blueprint.

 

[Mr Nogatco]

Worst kept secret in the league

 

[wonton15]

Legitimate question - would Sullivan be massively different than Laviolette for this current Rangers group?

 

[eojsmada]

Legitimate question - would Sullivan be massively different than Laviolette for this current Rangers group?

Nothing helps this current group because Drury is the problem. Not sure what Sullivan thinks he can accomplish there with no ability to move players.

 

[Bleedred]

Shocked! I tell you!

 

[Nikolajs Sillers]

Big upgrade if truth.

 

[Summer Rose]

Legitimate question - would Sullivan be massively different than Laviolette for this current Rangers group?

I'm not "in the know" enough to comment on the tactics and systems between the two coaches, but sometimes you just need to get rid of the old guy and bring in a fresh face. Sullivan is still a good coach, he's just kind of the wrong fit for where Pittsburgh is headed, so him being a good coach as well as a fresh face might be just what the Rangers needed.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I'm not "in the know" enough to comment on the tactics and systems between the two coaches, but sometimes you just need to get rid of the old guy and bring in a fresh face. Sullivan is still a good coach, he's just kind of the wrong fit for where Pittsburgh is headed, so him being a good coach as well as a fresh face might be just what the Rangers needed.

I'm not sure he's a "good" coach because a hallmark of being a good coach is making adjustments when what you're trying to do isn't working. Sullivan has one "system" and will ram it down your throat even if the other team is countering it.

The other issue (and it kind of goes with the first) is he doesn't adjust his system based on his roster. One of the issues with his last 7 years with the Pens was he wanted them to play an incredibly fast paced, dump the puck and beat the opposition to the puck style. It worked when they had the wheels to do that in 2016, but he never changed that when it was clear the Pens didn't have the roster to run a "fast" system and should have opted for a more puck possession style, methodical approach.

If the Rangers have the skaters to play like the fastest forechecking team in the league and all their players buy in to a lot of chip and chase and not holding on for possession, then they might be fine. But if they're not one of the fastest teams in the league, good luck. Shesterkin's going to have to be Vezina caliber to offset the nightly shitshow.

 

[NYRKing]

Yea but can he play D??

 

[failure]

I'm not sure he's a "good" coach because a hallmark of being a good coach is making adjustments when what you're trying to do isn't working. Sullivan has one "system" and will ram it down your throat even if the other team is countering it.

The other issue (and it kind of goes with the first) is he doesn't adjust his system based on his roster. One of the issues with his last 7 years with the Pens was he wanted them to play an incredibly fast paced, dump the puck and beat the opposition to the puck style. It worked when they had the wheels to do that in 2016, but he never changed that when it was clear the Pens didn't have the roster to run a "fast" system and should have opted for a more puck possession style, methodical approach.

If the Rangers have the skaters to play like the fastest forechecking team in the league and all their players buy in to a lot of chip and chase and not holding on for possession, then they might be fine. But if they're not one of the fastest teams in the league, good luck. Shesterkin's going to have to be Vezina caliber to offset the nightly shitshow.

I really love this organization.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

Shockerrrr

NHL teams just keep recycling

Tocchet will be in Philly next

 

[Turin]

He’ll make them better but very likely not enough to actually make them contenders. We’ll see.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

Rangers fans can go back and watch the series from 2016 if they want a crash course on his system. Yes, the Pens remade their roster during the season, but Sullivan set the blueprint.

I don't think they have the horses to play that system. Kind of like how the Penguins no longer do either.

 

[BHD]

I don't think they have the horses to play that system. Kind of like how the Penguins no longer do either.

That was my initial reaction. Drury would have to overhaul the forward group in the offseason.

 

[Mr Nogatco]

Legitimate question - would Sullivan be massively different than Laviolette for this current Rangers group?

Laviolette more of a rah rah guy, doesn’t have much of a system and delegates the X’s and O’s to his assistants

Sullivan is more systems oriented, PGH just didn’t have the horses to effectively play his way anymore

I think bringing in a fresh face was important, GM needs to do some shopping this summer too though

 

[The don godfather]

Laviolette more of a rah rah guy, doesn’t have much of a system and delegates the X’s and O’s to his assistants

Sullivan is more systems oriented, PGH just didn’t have the horses to effectively play his way anymore

I think bringing in a fresh face was important, GM needs to do some shopping this summer too though

As long mr implode Drury is up in the press box I'm a happy camper. Bruins fan.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Everyone knew this was going to happen as soon as he was fired. Drury apparently tried to get Sullivan in 2021 as well but he wasn't interested in leaving the Penguins.

I think he'll give the Rangers a short term boost and they'll definitely rebound next year. That said, who knows how long it will last. He overstayed his welcome in Pittsburgh by like 4 years so I don't know how long his actual "shelf life" is.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Laviolette more of a rah rah guy, doesn’t have much of a system and delegates the X’s and O’s to his assistants

Sullivan is more systems oriented, PGH just didn’t have the horses to effectively play his way anymore

I think bringing in a fresh face was important, GM needs to do some shopping this summer too though

If the Penguins don't have it, I don't think the Rangers have it either. The Penguins lost the horses to play Sullivan's system when Ron Hextall took a hammer to their defense in 2022. Their defense before the moves was:

Dumoulin-Letang
Pettersson-Marino
Matheson-Ceci

Which you can argue is a more middling D group overall, but there is a ton of puck moving talent there for sure. Do the Rangers really have that? Sure, Fox has it but that's about it. Sullivan's system is based on fast paced forwards and smooth puck moving defensemen, I don't think the Rangers really have the roster to do that either.

 

[CarolinaBlueJacket]

Typical Rangers MO...Big name your way to victory and it rarely works.

Serious question: If there is no Crosby, Malkin, Letang, would Sullivan be considered a good coach?

 

[Blitzkrug]

One of the richest contracts for a coach in league history and yet he hasn't done shit in 7 seasons.

God i wish i could be an NHL coach. I could have two good seasons and make generational wealth without even doing anything for the next 20 years because god forbid you don't hire a retread.

 

[kerrabria]

Legitimate question - would Sullivan be massively different than Laviolette for this current Rangers group?

I’m skeptical. Sullivan runs a run-and-gun, North-South system that depends on forward speed and defensemen’s ability to move the puck up ice. He wants to play the whole game on the rush.

Not exactly something that plays to the strength of this Rangers’ roster.