Confirmed with Link: Penguins and Mike Sullivan part ways

[edog37]

Privet! Ya tozhe iz Rossii. Really big chunk of us, Pens fans, (the smart ones hehe), are got tired of him years ago..

I wish he wold go to the West, so we'd just see him less.
He's a coach with a lot of flaws - stubbornness, bias towards some players, bad at adjusting,just to name a few.
A fresh start would benefit him, but I wouldn't expect miracles. A leopard can't change it spots. Some Sully traits are default.

Not that I’m comparing the two, but it would’ve been hilarious reading these boards when Scotty Bowman was around. It was often said about him from the players… “you hated him for 364 days & on the 365th, you received your Stanley Cup ring”

 

[DesertedPenguin]

I didn't like that pick from the get going. As far as I can remember, there were better prospects available, but JR was fixated on him. Trading a 1st for Kap was even dumber.

That said, I think lots of players didn't really get a fair chance under Sullivan. Bias..just one of Sully's many flaws.

Rutherford had Kappy's dad, Sami, in Hartford and Carolina.

Every GM has "his guys" and Rutherford was no different.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Apparently Sully got a hole in one the day he took the Rangers job

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Just had to come back to this thread to make sure it was real and not a dream.

Mate it still doesn’t feel real. Like a lot of us gave up on hope years ago, the direction they were heading where he had a lot to do with how he used the players and just destroyed any chance of hope for certain players etc.

It’s weird to say this but I finally felt proud to be a fan of the Pens, which like who gives a f***, it’s just a team, but it made me not dread keeping track again.

 

[metalan2]

Given what's happened with the last few Rangers' coaches, I could see Sullivan taking them to the ECF next year, then disappointing in 2027.

I've done a full 180 on Dubas the last year.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I've done a full 180 on Dubas the last year.

My only issue with Dubas was the Sullivan stuff and he sorted that and it was refreshing to hear that he had thought about it during the season and that likely planted the seed of doubt in his mind to finally just move on from Sullivan.

Otherwise what has he done wrong? The following are things he did:

• He has hired a lot of very good people in all areas of management and etc to bring the Penguins back up to date, they were severely lacking and it was needed.
• He used cap space to add picks and really didn’t hurt the team with the cap while doing it.
• Traded away Jake to get back some very good prospects and a pick, some were whiny about it when it happened, but they should be happy to see the progress of those players and especially more so now that the team will hire a coach that will utilize them correctly.
• He didn’t wait until year 4 of more Sullivan, he shitcanned the Masshole wanker literally in his 2nd year as Pens GM and Dir of Hockey Ops.

In 2yrs of work, he got this franchise back on the right path that JR absolutely shit all over by allowing Sullivan to dictate moves and Hextall just fell into the trap of the same shit and also was punted for it. Dubas luckily was someone that FSG had a raging boner for, thank goodness for that, because I don’t think they’d let anyone else do it this early into their tenure as a GM.

 

[plaidchuck]

The move was long overdue but I'm not getting excited over anything since it's going to be a process. People really need to temper themselves and prepare for when the team is in the basement in December with no end in sight and the new coach invevitably does something unpopular.

 

[SomeDude]

The move was long overdue but I'm not getting excited over anything since it's going to be a process. People really need to temper themselves and prepare for when the team is in the basement in December with no end in sight and the new coach invevitably does something unpopular.

In that scenario, the most unpopular thing this new coach could do is start winning.

 

[GilbertSeinfeld]

The move was long overdue but I'm not getting excited over anything since it's going to be a process. People really need to temper themselves and prepare for when the team is in the basement in December with no end in sight and the new coach invevitably does something unpopular.

I fully expect this team to suck again in 2025-26, and maybe even 26-27, but I'm excited because I am fully expecting the likes of McGroarty and Koivunen to actually play in the NHL and be put in positions to succeed.

 

[Slaaapshuter]

In that scenario, the most unpopular thing this new coach could do is start winning.

This was worthy of a LMAO

 

[HFBS]

With our luck he gonna go to NYR and turn them around. we getting pick 32

If you insist.

Even the longest journey starts with the first step.

I didn't want him because I know you guys hate him.

 

[HandshakeLine]

I hope you hate him too, and the sooner the better, you suburb of New Jersey.

 

[plaidchuck]

In that scenario, the most unpopular thing this new coach could do is start winning.

Now that you said that "March of the Penguins" will happen again and they'll go from 32nd to 17th place in the league

 

[HFBS]

I hope you hate him too, and the sooner the better, you suburb of New Jersey.

OK, I can take all the other shit, but being called a suburb of shmevil land is too much.

I have a document in my safe that proves Bettman fixed it so you got Lemieux. Read the papers tomorrow. You're team's being disbanded.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Could be worse, you could be a suburb of Boston.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I fully expect this team to suck again in 2025-26, and maybe even 26-27, but I'm excited because I am fully expecting the likes of McGroarty and Koivunen to actually play in the NHL and be put in positions to succeed.

That's allowed? You can play youngsters in prominent roles? But then how are these journeymen 30+ year olds going to make a living if they can't soak up a top nine role and score 1 point in 50 games?

 

[chethejet]

After this draft things will begin to focus on the timeline of the eventual makeup of the Pens after Sid is done. Sullivan had to go and that is a big step in bringing much better structure to the team. Dubas and Spezza and others know that the transition is happening but to suggest Pens will tank is not the case. A lot depends on Dubas ability to get value back for Karlsson, one of the forwards and who is added in free agency. what he can't do is sign marginal talent that blocks potential growth in players in WB. I am not in the Jarry has to go camp as he may find his game and be that top 10 goalie. Graves was one of the casualties of Sullivans crap system and Dubas was not happy with his use by sullivan. Graves with a better partner and stay at home and making the simple pass is where he best serves the D.

 

[OtherThingsILike]

After this draft things will begin to focus on the timeline of the eventual makeup of the Pens after Sid is done. Sullivan had to go and that is a big step in bringing much better structure to the team. Dubas and Spezza and others know that the transition is happening but to suggest Pens will tank is not the case. A lot depends on Dubas ability to get value back for Karlsson, one of the forwards and who is added in free agency. what he can't do is sign marginal talent that blocks potential growth in players in WB. I am not in the Jarry has to go camp as he may find his game and be that top 10 goalie. Graves was one of the casualties of Sullivans crap system and Dubas was not happy with his use by sullivan. Graves with a better partner and stay at home and making the simple pass is where he best serves the D.

Ryan Graves does seem like the player who would benefit the most from having not-Sullivan. A different coach might give the team more structure, which seems like something that Graves needs to thrive.

 

[Duffy13]

Soooooo this still really happened right?

 

[Turin]

Friedman is being so annoying about this. Pretty much guarantee he’s wrong about his insistence that Sullivan wanted to compete and Dubas wanted to rebuild.

Pretty sure the main reason is that he hasn’t done anything in almost a decade

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I think it's entirely plausible that Sullivan wanted the team to markedly improve in the here and now, which meant trading picks and potentially guys like McG or Koivunen or Pickering, and Dubas didn't feel the same. It's not as bold as "compete vs tank" as far as headlines go, but more or less the same thing. Sullivan probably had no real interest in his final couple years being with a team that's gonna be focused on the future.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Friedman is being so annoying about this. Pretty much guarantee he’s wrong about his insistence that Sullivan wanted to compete and Dubas wanted to rebuild.

Pretty sure the main reason is that he hasn’t done anything in almost a decade

No, I think he - and others who have said the same thing - are correct about the final reason for the split. I think Dubas did question some other things and Sullivan's overall effectiveness, but those can potentially be worked through. A difference of opinion on how quickly the team will be competitive again is pretty difficult to work through.

 

[Turin]

No, I think he - and others who have said the same thing - are correct about the final reason for the split. I think Dubas did question some other things and Sullivan's overall effectiveness, but those can potentially be worked through. A difference of opinion on how quickly the team will be competitive again is pretty difficult to work through.

I don't think it was nearly that mutual. I think Dubas wanted to fire him and this is a nice way to spin it

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

A mutual parting of ways is almost ways "side A or side B wanted things to end and this is PR-speak to smooth things over".

I do think Dubas just fired him, and it makes sense to me that it's because Sullivan probably said "I'm not interested in coaching a bottom feeder until my deal runs out" knowing that he'd have to be coaching a ton of youth, and not good youth.

 

[BusinessGoose]

"mike i don't want you here"

"well then i do want to be here"

"good, it's mutually agreed"