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

[GilbertSeinfeld]

Mike Sullivan is such a great coach that the Pens would never hire someone who would question his tactics.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I mean, it doesn't *really* make a difference one way or another. Reirden -> Quinn is at worst a lateral move. It's just the predictably lame move that this dysfunctional organization's made a hundred times since the back to backs.

 

[BusinessGoose]

I mean, it doesn't *really* make a difference one way or another. Reirden -> Quinn is at worst a lateral move. It's just the predictably lame move that this dysfunctional organization's made a hundred times since the back to backs.

It's the lateralality of it
The org is just choosing to run garbage back with the same smelly banana peels

At least the Steelers try to get players. They're sinking themselves with staff, still.

But the pens are literally the pirates right now. So, enjoy the aggressive mediocrity.

 

[SomeDude]

I can’t wait until we finally fire Sully mid-season and then replace him with a much less successful and somehow worse version of himself.

This is 100% happening.

 

[Gurglesons]

I wish you guys could just be patient. Kyle Dubas has only been here one year. AND RON HEXTALL WAS THE GM BEFORE HIM. Impossible to not end up with Ryan Graves and Erik Karlsson's contracts while hiring Mike Sullivan's great american hope friend when Ron Hextall was the GM previously.

Please just be patient.

It's the lateralality of it
The org is just choosing to run garbage back with the same smelly banana peels

At least the Steelers try to get players. They're sinking themselves with staff, still.

But the pens are literally the pirates right now. So, enjoy the aggressive mediocrity.

I think with the Steelers there is at least some clear explanation behind their lack of success given the fact their roster has been largely mediocre for the last 4 years.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

It's the lateralality of it
The org is just choosing to run garbage back with the same smelly banana peels

At least the Steelers try to get players. They're sinking themselves with staff, still.

But the pens are literally the pirates right now. So, enjoy the aggressive mediocrity.

I don't know anything about the other Pittsburgh teams cuz baseball's trash and I'm a Bills fan (lol, lmao even).

But yeah, it's just the same shuffling of deck chairs as the Titanic continues to sink for more than half a decade.

I can't even be pissed. I'm just so bored of how lame and unlikable this team is. If you weren't gonna give a shit after the play-in, or after either of the Isles series that sandwiched the play-in, then just blow it up already. People constantly crow about "doing right by" Sid and Geno, but man, at this point (and for years now, probably) doing right by them means trading them out of this organization.

 

[Jacob]

I mean all we need is a guy that can get the PP to like middle-of-the-pack so if he can do that I won't complain.

He has 1 task and it’s not a difficult one.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Quinn getting hired was comically predictable, but the part that obviously doesn't sit well with me is that he has no proven experience of making a good powerplay. This is just purely a nepotism hire because he's buddies with Sullivan.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Quinn getting hired was comically predictable, but the part that obviously doesn't sit well with me is that he has no proven experience of making a good powerplay. This is just purely a nepotism hire because he's buddies with Sullivan.

Yeah looking over his respective teams' powerplays over the years the only time he turned in a decent one was NYR in 19-20 at 7th in the league. Other than that it's all varying levels of trash with a handful of middling years in there, as well.

 

[Trade]

Our fixation on signing any and every Pittsburgh-born player has evolved into signing anyone from New England to fill any possible role.

He has some pretty tiny shoes to fill, hope it works.

 

[Jacob]

I knew Sullivan and Quinn were teammates at BU but I didn’t realize John Cullen and Clark Donatelli were on the same squad. And Scott Young.

Sullivan was later a teammate of Shawn McEachern.

 

[Gurglesons]

Quinn getting hired was comically predictable, but the part that obviously doesn't sit well with me is that he has no proven experience of making a good powerplay. This is just purely a nepotism hire because he's buddies with Sullivan.

At least we will be acquiring more guys who played for Toronto because of Dubas too.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Yeah looking over his respective teams' powerplays over the years the only time he turned in a decent one was NYR in 19-20 at 7th in the league. Other than that it's all varying levels of trash with a handful of middling years in there, as well.

Yeah the Rangers were 13th and the Sharks were 22nd in PP% in his years as the coach there. Granted the talent on the Sharks was dogshit, but it's not really encouraging.

I think it's entirely possible Quinn can be a legitimately good assistant coach. But considering this team needs a PP coach more than anything, how does this solve that problem? This is just a nepo hire that doesn't seem to address any of the issues with the actual coaching staff.

They still need to go out and hire a PP coach because Quinn shouldn't be that.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Remember when it came out that Sullivan was part of the interview/hiring process for the new GM after Hextall got fired, and immediately all the media folks went into "Uh wait, no no, you see, he's just *present* during the hiring process, he's not making any decisions!"

FSG was conducting interviews for like two weeks by the time Dubas was made available iirc. The immediate cessation of those interviews and the candidates being tossed aside in an instant--it's impossible not to at least wonder if Sullivan was like "Hey I've met Kyle a handful of times and I've always been impressed with him" so the team shifted to an all out "We will get Kyle Dubas" approach.

Dubas wasn't hired to be Sullivan's lackey. Dubas was hired because he and Sullivan are on the exact same page about everything, and I imagine the hiring process of Dubas where Sullivan was directly involved, made sure of that.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Yeah the Rangers were 13th and the Sharks were 22nd in PP% in his years as the coach there. Granted the talent on the Sharks was dogshit, but it's not really encouraging.

I think it's entirely possible Quinn can be a legitimately good assistant coach. But considering this team needs a PP coach more than anything, how does this solve that problem? This is just a nepo hire that doesn't seem to address any of the issues with the actual coaching staff.

They still need to go out and hire a PP coach because Quinn shouldn't be that.

Yeah but hey... at least it looks like they are going to hire Sullivan's buddy. And that has to make you feel good, right? Lord knows Sullivan deserves to be even MORE comfortable, after all.

 

[Darren McCord]

Dubas wasn't hired to be Sullivan's lackey. Dubas was hired because he and Sullivan are on the exact same page about everything, and I imagine the hiring process of Dubas where Sullivan was directly involved, made sure of that.

Meh Dubas was hired because he took a 7 year deal and would listen to Sullivan, the real GM and President.

Why wouldn’t Dubas do it? He gets to be a placeholder and not do much. If he gets in a fight with Sullivan he would just get fired.

they should have just promoted Sullivan to GM/coach/president and saved money

 

[Jacob]

Actually not a deleted scene from The Departed.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Meh Dubas was hired because he took a 7 year deal and would listen to Sullivan, the real GM and President.

Why wouldn’t Dubas do it? He gets to be a placeholder and not so much. If he gets in a fight with Sullivan he would just get fired.

I do think FSG was blown away by Dubas' ability to bullshit in interviews fwiw. Billionaires are f***ing morons, and it doesn't take a master manipulator to figure out the "tell them what they want to hear" approach to success there.

If push came to shove, I think they'd fire Sullivan before Dubas pretty easily. I just don't think push will ever come to shove. If/when Sullivan leaves, it'll be because he steps away imo.

I'm just saying I think it's not a subservient thing. It's that both these morons' ideas line up perfectly, and it's a match made in heaven--and Sullivan had a big part in making sure the person running the FO would be of a like mind. Arguably worse than if Dubas was just a dork ass nerd who constantly bent the knee to Sullivan. Two schmuck peas in a schmuck pod.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

I will start by saying I despise David Quinn the head coach. I think he was awful in NYR and never should have gotten a second chance that quickly. I feel he is a classic hockey hire...looks good (caucasian, of course), "even a better person than a player/coach..." bullshit, looks good in a suit, etc. etc. etc. This is nepotism 101. This is the continuation of this Boston-centric situation with this franchise that drives me batty!

HOWEVER, as a coach for the defense, I think he might be a good hire. He presided over Karlsson's great offensive season. He did do good things for Adam Fox and K'Andre Miller in NYR, and also Mario Ferraro in SJ to a lesser degree.

So, if he is strictly the guy who works the defense, I'm good. Now, let's fire/reassign Mike Vellucci and hire a true power-play guy.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

On the surface, Quinn would be a pretty underwhelming and frustrating hire.

However, it would be much more palatable if other changes are happening or there is a reshuffling of duties. If Quinn is coming on to run the defense and PK, that could work as long as there is someone else coming in to run the power play.

So I'll wait to see the full staff...but this would be a disappointing start.

 

[Gurglesons]

I do think FSG was blown away by Dubas' ability to bullshit in interviews fwiw. Billionaires are f***ing morons, and it doesn't take a master manipulator to figure out the "tell them what they want to hear" approach to success there.

If push came to shove, I think they'd fire Sullivan before Dubas pretty easily. I just don't think push will ever come to shove. If/when Sullivan leaves, it'll be because he steps away imo.

I'm just saying I think it's not a subservient thing. It's that both these morons' ideas line up perfectly, and it's a match made in heaven--and Sullivan had a big part in making sure the person running the FO would be of a like mind. Arguably worse than if Dubas was just a dork ass nerd who constantly bent the knee to Sullivan. Two schmuck peas in a schmuck pod.

I always wanted Darche or Tulsky over Dubas.

We are seeing why right now. Dubas is a through and through hockey guy. He's just Burke with glasses and in his 30s.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I always wanted Darche or Tulsky over Dubas.

We are seeing why right now. Dubas is a through and through hockey guy. He's just Burke with glasses and in his 30s.

Yeah I was really interested in Tlusky.

 

[Turin]

I always wanted Darche or Tulsky over Dubas.

We are seeing why right now. Dubas is a through and through hockey guy. He's just Burke with glasses and in his 30s.

While that’s a goofy comparison, you should love Dubas then because you love Burke and were branding yourself as an old school hockey fan just a few months ago.

 

[Gurglesons]

While that’s a goofy comparison, you should love Dubas then because you love Burke and were branding yourself as an old school hockey fan just a few months ago.

I liked the addition of Burke to clean up the operations.

Also, Burke has actually had success in the league.

 

[canadianguy77]

I knew Sullivan and Quinn were teammates at BU but I didn’t realize John Cullen and Clark Donatelli were on the same squad. And Scott Young.

Sullivan was later a teammate of Shawn McEachern.

And Todd Harkins. lol.