Speculation: Penguins off day talk thread: Yes, Sully is still the coach

[AuroraBorealis]

Guys like Sturm and Halpern would be coaches who I want around during the transition period, too. They're smart and well-regarded.

Hire the best candidate, not just who is within easy reach.

They don't have the option of flushing another year down the drain. Boudreau may be the best possible candidate for us right now anyway, even if those guys were available.
And if Boudreau sucks, you fire him in the summer and hire one of those guys you want at that time.

There is nothing to lose here. Sullivan's about to miss the playoffs for sure. Gotta at least try.

I don't get the concern over the transition period. It's gonna be like 4+ years after Sid's contract expires before they make the playoffs again. What's the coach supposed to achieve at a time where we want to bottom out?

 

[Andy99]

Lol..I do think we have a good chance against Arizona because itll be a b2b game for them and we have three days rest…

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Sullivan's owed a lotta money and NHL coaches live entire careers on less than half of what Sully has won (lucked into), so whatever. I think it's f***ing dumb but I can understand it.

But Reirden? An assistant? f*** outta here.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

Basically every Metro team keeps winning. The season's gonna be over before our next game. Sully absolutely f***ed us and has been f***ing us since 2018.

 

[66-30-33]

Sully still here? I guess we are keeping him. Woulda made sense to fire him quickly and have new coach hired fast (like bb) and give him a few games practice with the team. If we keep Sully this org is actively tanking.

 

[Andy99]

Flyers, Caps, Isles, NJD all won tonight…looking super bleak for the Pens..there is nothing they’ll be able to do to make up ground in the metro unless Dubas fires the damn coach already! Lol

 

[DesertedPenguin]

They don't have the option of flushing another year down the drain. Boudreau may be the best possible candidate for us right now anyway, even if those guys were available.
And if Boudreau sucks, you fire him in the summer and hire one of those guys you want at that time.

There is nothing to lose here. Sullivan's about to miss the playoffs for sure. Gotta at least try.

I don't get the concern over the transition period. It's gonna be like 4+ years after Sid's contract expires before they make the playoffs again. What's the coach supposed to achieve at a time where we want to bottom out?

FSG may have deep pockets, but they're not going to eat two coach contracts in a year.

And Boudreau is looking for his last coaching gig. He's not going to take something interim. He's going to want security, especially after the way Vancouver treated him.

Get the right guy, not the right now guy.

 

[66-30-33]

FSG may have deep pockets, but they're not going to eat two coach contracts in a year.

And Boudreau is looking for his last coaching gig. He's not going to take something interim. He's going to want security, especially after the way Vancouver treated him.

Get the right guy, not the right now guy.

Offer BB 3 years. I’m guessing Crosby re-signs for 1 more year and retires with Malkin.

 

[Darren McCord]

FSG may have deep pockets, but they're not going to eat two coach contracts in a year.

And Boudreau is looking for his last coaching gig. He's not going to take something interim. He's going to want security, especially after the way Vancouver treated him.

Get the right guy, not the right now guy.

Boudreau only gets what’s offered. He might be looking for his last gig but doesn’t mean he will get it.

You get the guy for now. In two years the teams done with the playoffs doesn’t matter who the coach is. The right guy and the guy now is anyone but Sullivan

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Team's been done. That's a point that so many people seem to fail to (refuse to) accept.

 

[Gurglesons]

Team's been done. That's a point that so many people seem to fail to (refuse to) accept.

I dunno. I think there are definitions of done.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

FSG may have deep pockets, but they're not going to eat two coach contracts in a year.

And Boudreau is looking for his last coaching gig. He's not going to take something interim. He's going to want security, especially after the way Vancouver treated him.

Get the right guy, not the right now guy.

He's 69 in December. I think it's fairly likely he takes a 1 year deal and sees how he feels after.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Basically every Metro team keeps winning. The season's gonna be over before our next game. Sully absolutely f***ed us and has been f***ing us since 2018.

Watching the Metro standings is pointless . There's a certain point total the Pens need to reach or they miss. It's as simple as that.
It's probably gonna be 94+.

They got 25. So they need like 70 out of the remaining 112.

.625 hockey. NOT HAPPENING. At least give me a coach that will make the rest of the season more enjoyable to watch.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Maybe the Pens and Canes can trade coaching staffs.

 

[Pancakes]

Maybe the Pens and Canes can trade coaching staffs.

Wild that the Canes are only 4 points ahead of us

 

[HandshakeLine]

Short term bump. We'll see what happens long term. I sure as hell don't have faith in Hynes in Minnesota.

What long term do you expect from a team that has a maximum of say, 2 years, as a competitor?

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Wild that the Canes are only 4 points ahead of us

Their defense is what shocks me. 90 goals against in 27 games? Idk these Hurricanes.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I dunno. I think there are definitions of done.

I guess. This team's gonna be real hard pressed to win another round in the playoffs before Sid's done. Hell, unless they fire Sullivan and his coaching staff, they might be hard pressed to make the playoffs again.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

What long term do you expect from a team that has a maximum of say, 2 years, as a competitor?

Long term referring to the rest of the season for the Oilers and Wild. They've got a bump now, but I guarantee you the Wild will get sick of Hynes in due time. We'll see what Knoblauch does in EDM.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Long term referring to the rest of the season for the Oilers and Wild. They've got a bump now, but I guarantee you the Wild will get sick of Hynes in due time. We'll see what Knoblauch does in EDM.

I do not care about the Oilers or the Wild. How much of a window do you think we have to do anything?

 

[DesertedPenguin]

I do not care about the Oilers or the Wild. How much of a window do you think we have to do anything?

As long as Crosby is on this team, I think you go for it. It'd be threading the needle, but it was always going to be that way.

Will they be a favorite to win anything in the next few years? No way. But I think if you get them to the dance with some support, they at least have a chance to surprise.

Fix the power play. Get Rakell healthy and then flip him for a similarly priced forward who plays a netfront/physical style, and see what happens.

 

[HandshakeLine]

As long as Crosby is on this team, I think you go for it. It'd be threading the needle, but it was always going to be that way.

Will they be a favorite to win anything in the next few years? No way. But I think if you get them to the dance with some support, they at least have a chance to surprise.

Fix the power play. Get Rakell healthy and then flip him for a similarly priced forward who plays a netfront/physical style, and see what happens.

So why are you still clinging to a coach that hasn't surprised anyone with anything except a first round loss in nearly 8 years?

 

[AuroraBorealis]

They simply should have burned it down in summer 2022, before signing those 4 deals. By the time this season is over, we'd have made 2 years worth of progress already. Could have traded Sid, Jake and Jarry, and weaponized the cap space of Malkin, Letang, Rust and Rakell, by taking on bad contracts to accumulate more picks.
Now we have to watch this pretender until summer 2025, at minimum. After that, good luck making the playoffs again by 2030. Who are we gonna have of value to trade to accelerate it? Maybe Karlsson at 50% retained. Don't think they'll retain on Jake for 7 years lol. Tanger will be 38, Malkin 39, Sid UFA while considering retirement.
I guess there's a chance that Rust and Rakell play well enough to have value still at that time.
Graves possibly, if things improve. Petts will be UFA. Maybe Jarry...

 

[HandshakeLine]

I mean, if the logic is gamble now on a Cinderella story, clinging to Mike Sullivan’s leg like a frightened toddler is the dumbest thing we can possibly do.

So, why even pretend it’s about winning and not just embrace the fact that some people like the coach more than the actual product he produces?

Otherwise, let the heads roll and shake everything up because in 18 months it’s not going to matter anyway.

 

[PaulD]

Pretty much. And I'm not even sure they'd fire Sullivan if they miss the playoffs again tbh.

At some point it'll shift from "Sully's one of the best in the business and we're lucky to have him despite the results" to "Not even Sullivan can win with a team at the end of an era" and they'll just keep shrugging like they always do.

then why change anything ?
Why bring in Karlsson. Eler. Dubas? New back goalie. Graves?
Could have just went with Petry, Granlund,, Hextall, DeSmith, Dumolin.