Speculation: Offseason coaching thread: Should they stay or should they go?

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I posted stats of Coach A and Coach B earlier in this thread…Bylsma’s record is comparable to Sullivan’s and he had a better playoff record

Totally glad to come into this thread after the Weekes tweet and see nothing has happened Lol yet there is five pages of discussion

If anything happens, there will be a "confirmed with link" thread that'll be at about 300 pages in the first hour after the news dropping that Sully's been fired.

 

[KrisLetAngry]

That seems more like a lawyer answer from Dubas than anything. New Jersey may have not asked permission to talk with Sullivan about a job, but that doesn't mean that Sullivan and Dubas have not had discussions about Sullivan's future with the Penguins.

That's not even me coping, it's just that the Dubas quote doesn't really seem to kill what is being suggested out there. No one was saying that New Jersey was asking for permission to talk with Sullivan, what was being discussed is that Sullivan is interested in coaching for New Jersey and the team and him may mutually agree to part ways.

Dubas does a lot of lawyer speak where he answers but doesn't at the same time. Smart like that.

There's also a rumor the Kraken are interested in getting Bylsma to be their head coach. God damn, man, imagine going from Hakstol to Bylsma. That's time to find a new team to root for.

Going after a players coach could be a decent route after a bunch of players complained.

2013 was a failure by Bylsma but I think 2014 he would have done something different. Still happy we changed coaches but that's my thoughts.

 

[66-30-33]

Hurry up and throw the kitchen sink at Sullivan NJ Devils so he can resign from the Pens and sign with the Devils. Pens can hire Cooper.

 

[Gurglesons]

Bylsma has done well with Coachella Valley and had success with their young players. Makes some sense to bring him up given how Hakstol was handling them.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Permissions and conversations can change quickly, so I think the more instructive information is from Seravalli, although given his track record of late I think it should be viewed skeptically.

But he piggybacked off of Rossi's comments from Dubas by saying there have been "discussions internally with varying levels of intensity about future of the coaching staff as a whole (relating to assistants) that has contributed to the noise."

I wonder if Sullivan and Dubas don't see eye-to-eye on the make-up of the staff moving forward and that's led to some friction. It could explain why we haven't had any movement on Reirden/Vellucci in one direction or the other, yet we had quick decisions about the WBS staff.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

The only way Sullivan leaves is if he wants to leave, or if Sid makes it known behind closed doors that he doesn't think Sullivan should be the coach anymore. I think it's just that simple. He won't be fired regardless of team performance. Whether that happens now or in three years (or whenever his new deal is over) doesn't matter. I don't think FSG has the attention span to remember they have a hockey team for long enough to evaluate Sullivan's recent results. I don't think Dubas is anything but adoring of Sullivan as a coach.

It's Sullivan's decision, or Sid's. And we all know Sid isn't the guy to speak up after being programmed to be the consummate professional for the vast majority of his life.

 

[Lustaf]

Devils fan popping in. Sorry if this is not allowed and the mods can feel free to delete this post. Every once in a while I get a scoop. This might mean absolutely nothing, but I had a friend text me this morning "sully and the pens mutually part. sully and the devils by the end of the week".

maybe it's useless and my friend is a dolt. maybe it's maybelline. he tipped me off on the meier trade, he tipped me off on the bratt extension, and he tipped me off on severson being traded, which was a surprise. had one big swing and a miss in there too (said that gaudreau was done to NJ), but it eventually came out that Johnny told the Devils "ok, I like this number" before the last second pivot to Ohio.

anyway, feel free to delete if baseless speculation from a random residential architect in florida is not a welcomed post on the forum.

I will hold your name in prestige and think fondly of you till the end of my days if this is true.

 

[molon labe]

On the outside maybe. Inside, I can't imagine he's THAT unaware of the totality of his failures since 2017.

His failures? HIS failures?

Well I just think, I just think if the [puck had gone our way, bounces had gone our way, goaltending, health, team over there wasn't good, competed hard, defended well, got to our game] thing happened, we'd be in a better spot after these six years of consistently doing the same exact thing with the same exact shit roster makeup.

Right? We throw around the whole "how much worse could it get" thing pretty freely, but in this case; genuinely, how much worse can it get than not winning a playoff round since 2018 and now missing the playoffs twice in a row? Do people really buy into this organization's PR bullshit speak of "Well we're confident in this group and believe they can still compete for Cups"? That's insanity.

If you spectacularly bomb the next coaching hire and end up with a Mike Johnston, what exactly is the difference here? You've gone from being a complete afterthought relative to competing to... being a complete afterthought relative to competing. But at least you f***ing tried to change things, y'know?

This organization's so f***ing inept and dysfunctional it's maddening. So instead of being annoyed, which is entirely appropriate, I've chosen to be scathingly apathetic for about four years now. They're spineless, idiotic losers who, somehow, are also aggravatingly arrogant. Terrible combo.

Solid analysis. The quiet quitting of sports entertainment / hobbies.

 

[SEALBound]

If anything happens, there will be a "confirmed with link" thread that'll be at about 300 pages in the first hour after the news dropping that Sully's been fired.

200 of those pages will just be me posting various iterations of "thank god, thank f***ing god!"

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

His failures? HIS failures?

Well I just think, I just think if the [puck had gone our way, bounces had gone our way, goaltending, health, team over there wasn't good, competed hard, defended well, got to our game] thing happened, we'd be in a better spot after these six years of consistently doing the same exact thing with the same exact shit roster makeup.



Solid analysis. The quiet quitting of sports entertainment / hobbies.

I think I shifted from hobby to habit when it comes to this team somewhere around the time Mario shrugged following the Habs play-in loss. It just kinda dawned on me that "Oh yeah, they're satisfied. Guess it's time for the death by attrition of this era."

 

[Empoleon8771]

Permissions and conversations can change quickly, so I think the more instructive information is from Seravalli, although given his track record of late I think it should be viewed skeptically.

But he piggybacked off of Rossi's comments from Dubas by saying there have been "discussions internally with varying levels of intensity about future of the coaching staff as a whole (relating to assistants) that has contributed to the noise."

I wonder if Sullivan and Dubas don't see eye-to-eye on the make-up of the staff moving forward and that's led to some friction. It could explain why we haven't had any movement on Reirden/Vellucci in one direction or the other, yet we had quick decisions about the WBS staff.

Rossi or Yohe reported that Sullivan doesn't want to get rid of his assistants. Which is reason enough to get rid of him.

 

[molon labe]

I think I shifted from hobby to habit when it comes to this team somewhere around the time Mario shrugged following the Habs play-in loss. It just kinda dawned on me that "Oh yeah, they're satisfied. Guess it's time for the death by attrition of this era."

Pens hockey is one of the few TV indulgences I actually care for - so it's been a tough go for a while now having almost zero interest in tuning in. I think it's absolutely fixable it's just the maddening bit of your previous post at how horrendously idiotic they've been since the cups that turns everything to aggravation. And, as you said, it ain't worth it. Apathy it is. Like any good habit though - keep coming back to argue-for changing it/things.

Looking back on this season I caught 35 games. 50 the season before. 70ish every season before that (blackout games or I'd have caught all 82). Been a pointless and fruitless endeavor lately and Sullivan / his rosters have been an absolute massive part of that.

 

[HandshakeLine]

My interest in watching a losing Pens team is so much lower since we hired the worst PBP and color duo in the league. And I happily watched or listened every game from those awful pre-Crosby teams because Lange was calling (or I could mute Steigy and put Lange on).

 

[ThosePuckingPenguins]

If it’s true that Sullivan wants to retain the assistants still and Dubas doesn’t and there’s still all of these “does Sullivan want to leave?” rumors that continue to build, I think there’s a small window — very small — that Dubas might say “okay well then Mike, here’s the door too.”

Ultimately Sullivan will probably give in and they’ll get new assistants but let me dream.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

It's not even really the losing. My name's not going on the Cup, the difference between winning and losing doesn't really matter to me--of course I'd prefer the team to be successful, but yeah.

It's just the way they're going about things. Terrified to upset little ol' Sid so they're petrified into inaction. Loyal to a self destructive degree to a coach who hasn't done jack shit in years. They're seemingly hemming and hawing over firing Todd f***ing Reirden, man. It's bonkers how dysfunctional and ass backwards this organization is anymore, and from ownership on down. FSG was touted as this cold, calculated, results-driven, emotionally detached entity and yet all they've done is embarrassingly throw themselves prostrate at the feet of Sullivan and Dubas with all the emotional adoration of shameless fans.

 

[66-30-33]

If sully wants his assistants back I’ll never uppercase his name again! Keep his name small, like his brain.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

It's a little odd to think that Sullivan would be SO fiercely loyal to his staff. Wasn't he just kinda... stuck with them? Or is my memory failing me, here? I don't think he picked them.

 

[Malkinstheman]

Imagine if FSG/Dubas got wind of the Devils wanting Sullivan and are scrambling to offer him an even bigger contract and an AGM position. Wouldn't that be fun

 

[SEALBound]

Imagine if FSG/Dubas got wind of the Devils wanting Sullivan and are scrambling to offer him an even bigger contract and an AGM position. Wouldn't that be fun

I wouldn't hate if they promoted Sullivan to AGM. It gets him out from behind the bench.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I wouldn't hate if they promoted Sullivan to AGM. It gets him out from behind the bench.

I mean he's basically already the GM as-is based on what I've seen.

 

[Anya6687]

You ppl don't understand Dubas yet...if he parts with Sullivan...he will make himself intern coach till he finds a suitable replacement...then Dubas will add head coach to his title for the rest of years in pittsburgh

 

[Gurglesons]

It's a little odd to think that Sullivan would be SO fiercely loyal to his staff. Wasn't he just kinda... stuck with them? Or is my memory failing me, here? I don't think he picked them.

No, that was just one of the many excuses @DesertedPenguin gave Mike Sullivan for his lack of success and the stupidity of our management.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Instead of simply getting Sullivan out from behind the bench and putting him in another decision making role (FO), how about we just kick that f***ing loser to the curb cuz he sucks shit?

 

[SEALBound]

If the Penguins MUST keep Sully and Sully INSISTS on keeping his coaches, the only concession that should be made is that Dubas gets to hire an additional associate coach of his choosing.

Someone, ANYONE, needs to be able to challenge Sullivan when needed. A big issue has been a guy like Tocchet who will nut up and speak up no longer being here.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

No, that was just one of the many excuses @DesertedPenguin gave Mike Sullivan for his lack of success and the stupidity of our management.

I dunno. I think it's probably pretty simple. I think management and ownership are largely just shrugging their way through all of this. At worst Dubas maybe went to Sullivan and was like "So I was thinking in regards to your staff..." before he was interrupted with a flat "NO" and then just tucked tail, said "yes sir please don't tell ownership sir" and went back to burning hundred dollar bills and laughing or whatever it is Dubas does.