CharasLazyWrister
Registered User
The Penguins have been milking the old core of Letang, Crosby, and Malkin for everything it is worth for years now. Despite the repeated pleas from fans and analysts to accumulate future assets for a rebuild, there has been a palpable resistance for years by ownership and through multiple GM's. When Brian Burke came on board as President in early 2021, he was told by ownership that the franchise was still committed to pursuing another Cup run despite the aging of the team's stars. When no progress was made toward this goal, he was let go along with GM Ron Hextall.
Since they won their last Cup in 2017, the Penguins have won a single playoff series. They also missed the playoffs for the first time in 16 years in 2023. Despite "revamping" the FO with the hiring of Kyle Dubas, who was clearly apt to forward ownership's vision of bypassing a rebuild with the addition of yet another aging piece in Erik Karlsson, Coach Mike Sullivan has remained safe regardless of results. Pens ownership has repeatedly expressed full confidence despite years of floundering. About a year ago, "new" GM Kyle Dubas proclaimed, "if you don't have Sully, you're looking for Sully", suggesting as close to a lifetime contract as one could ever realistically promote in professional sports.
My question is...why? In an industry in which coaches often teeter on the brink of getting fired for even brief spirts of poor play, why is Sullivan permanently baked into the franchise? Given the resistance to a rebuild, and the burning desire for another Cup run despite significant headwinds, how has a coaching change not been tried considering years upon years of coming nowhere close to the stated goal? It is a mystery that truly baffles me and I'm looking of any insight as to a legitimate reason for it.
Since they won their last Cup in 2017, the Penguins have won a single playoff series. They also missed the playoffs for the first time in 16 years in 2023. Despite "revamping" the FO with the hiring of Kyle Dubas, who was clearly apt to forward ownership's vision of bypassing a rebuild with the addition of yet another aging piece in Erik Karlsson, Coach Mike Sullivan has remained safe regardless of results. Pens ownership has repeatedly expressed full confidence despite years of floundering. About a year ago, "new" GM Kyle Dubas proclaimed, "if you don't have Sully, you're looking for Sully", suggesting as close to a lifetime contract as one could ever realistically promote in professional sports.
My question is...why? In an industry in which coaches often teeter on the brink of getting fired for even brief spirts of poor play, why is Sullivan permanently baked into the franchise? Given the resistance to a rebuild, and the burning desire for another Cup run despite significant headwinds, how has a coaching change not been tried considering years upon years of coming nowhere close to the stated goal? It is a mystery that truly baffles me and I'm looking of any insight as to a legitimate reason for it.
