Can or will Sullivan be fired?

[molon labe]

"If you don't have a Sully you're looking for a Sully."

No, in fact a Sully is on my list of things I don't want anywhere near this team. When I have bonafide proof of a guy who has represented failure at all levels for roughly six straight years all while being given keys to the GM kingdom and every single toy he wanted.....I don't want anyone / anything like that near my team.

Without a Sully I'm looking for whatever the hell represents the OPPOSITE. Maybe I settle somewhere in the middle.

Sometimes I wonder if his downfall was being given too much of what he wanted. But we have time for that hindsight when he's gone. Right now it's annoyance and frustration of wanting the dude gone yesteryear.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

Welcome to the board Mike Sullivan.

With his whopping 1 post. Haha...

 

[cookthebooks]

it would take a real power play from dubas and we all know our power play is an affront to god

 

[edog37]

Here’s the thing. His extension kicks in next season. FSG will be loathe to pay that out. Also, the worse the team gets, the higher the draft pick. That’s how we built the Cup teams.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

They aren't going to fire Sullivan but if they did... does anyone have any notion of how the contract situation would work? This seems to be a somewhat surprisingly grey area with little in the way of solid information.

 

[Rudy Russo]

Sullivan shouldn't be fired. He's the one who got us 2 cups. With a little better luck we'd be in the playoffs instead of Craps.

That's such a rookie post.

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

Sullivan shouldn't be fired. He's the one who got us 2 cups. With a little better luck we'd be in the playoffs instead of Craps.

 

[BusinessGoose]

They aren't going to fire Sullivan but if they did... does anyone have any notion of how the contract situation would work? This seems to be a somewhat surprisingly grey area with little in the way of solid information.

No idea

Appears to be what the two parties agreed upon when first signing contract?

It's possible we pay fully, don't pay if he gets a job, or don't pay at all

There's no rule

 

[HellOnIce]

Well the rule is - if the contract is signed then he gets paid out no matter what. But - and Devils fan here to say this - is if the Pens want to move on (and Sully agrees) that another team could just pick up the contract. And i think the Devils would be very much interested. So I don't think the contract thing is much issue for the Pens, it's more do they want to part ways. He'd be picked up rather quickly.

 

[vikingGoalie]

So if we win tonight we will be one point less then last season.
That's an abject failure when last season was considered a failure.

 

[Bishop7979]

The only way Sullivan isn't behind that bench next year is if he dies at home in the off-season.

He's so entrenched that if he died in the building they would stuff him and prop him up behind the bench and guys like nieto and Harkins will still get ten minutes a night somehow

 

[Pens1566]

If he didn't get fired after the play-in meltdown, then he's not going to get fired.

 

[BusinessGoose]

If he didn't get fired after the play-in meltdown, then he's not going to get fired.

Play in meltdown

Three in a row to lose to NYR

The isles fiasco

Missing two straight years

 

[GilbertSeinfeld]

The Islanders sweep in 2019.

 

[Empoleon8771]

In terms of "most deserving of getting fired", I'd say the times that happened were:

1. After the play-in loss to the Habs, especially after being swept by the Islanders the year before.
2. After the end of season collapse in 2022-2023 that caused them to miss the playoffs.

I think them finishing the year on a hot run and barely missing the playoffs probably saves him for next year, but it's asinine that he survived not being fired in 2020 and 2023.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Yeah, when Mario just kinda said "meh" after the Penguins got swept by the Isles and then lost the play-in against the Habs, I just kinda checked out. Knew the era was over for all intents and purposes at that point. Sullivan's inability or refusal to deal with the Isles' forecheck then his overuse of JJ-Schultz against the Habs were the nail in the coffin for me, and if ownership and the FO didn't care enough to change things at that point, then f*** it.

I still think it's f***ing insane that Sully has avoided any legitimate, let alone harsh criticism during the last six-ish years. Baffling. Spanning multiple ownership groups, FO execs, etc. Sully's just cruised along without a care in the world for his job security.

 

[HandshakeLine]

With his whopping 1 post. Haha...

You should see his career points totals!

The only way Sullivan isn't behind that bench next year is if he dies at home in the off-season.

He's so entrenched that if he died in the building they would stuff him and prop him up behind the bench and guys like nieto and Harkins will still get ten minutes a night somehow

Cadaver synodshift management

 

[EliteGoaltending]

It amazes me how some people (on other platforms mostly) will blame anyone and anything, but not Sullivan. That's some serious brainwashing/propaganda done by this organization/media.

 

[HandshakeLine]

It’s not really brainwashing when said people are just lying to themselves because they can’t handle the idea that a coach isn’t some big wise daddy figure.

Like it’s not stealing if you willingly give your money to the snake oil salesman, it’s just dumb and sad.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

It amazes me how some people (on other platforms mostly) will blame anyone and anything, but not Sullivan. That's some serious brainwashing/propaganda done by this organization/media.

It's easier to trick people than to convince them that they've been tricked

 

[Jag68Sid87]

In terms of "most deserving of getting fired", I'd say the times that happened were:

1. After the play-in loss to the Habs, especially after being swept by the Islanders the year before.
2. After the end of season collapse in 2022-2023 that caused them to miss the playoffs.

I think them finishing the year on a hot run and barely missing the playoffs probably saves him for next year, but it's asinine that he survived not being fired in 2020 and 2023.

Yup, I cannot agree more. That Habs series still pisses me off. The Habs were so mediocre that season. It was a joke that they were even that play-in game...the Sabres and Devils had games in hand on them and could have easily caught them.

You can accept them losing to the Caps in 2018, since the Caps went on to win it all. You can accept one debacle in the first round against the Islanders. But not two. And not that Habs series. And how they played against that Chicago team last season that WANTED to lose might have been the ultimate embarrassment.

But I will believe it (a firing) when I see it when it comes to a Boston-based corporation firing a Boston guy. I don't think it is ever going to happen. For this poll, I voted a DUI/etc. because it would take the woke crowd to come down on him publicly for anything to change. He needs to basically Harvey Weinstein the situation. And even then, I am sure Sean McDonagh would find something nice to say about his precious Mike Sullivan on ABC/ESPN.

I am resigned to the fact that I will be seeing the coach behind the bench next season and beyond. And, if it is true that the big four core guys all love him (Karlsson we don't know for sure, but it does not really matter), well then at least they stepped up their game down the stretch. Where was this earlier? I don't know. But I truly believe that the Guentzel trade shook the team up, shook up the room and woke them out of their slump. More of this is required. It is up to Kyle Dubas to do as much as the ownership lets him. Changes on the coaching staff are essential at this point. Changes to roster are coming for sure. We need to continue down this path of retooling and getting younger because that helped down the stretch. More tough decisions must be made, starting in goal in all likelihood.

I find it interesting that it seems Devils fans want Sullivan. I mean, it makes sense. They have former Pens in the organization. Oh, dare to dream. If only Sullivan was from Paramus, not Massachusetts.

 

[Malkinstheman]

Lose the play-in
Blow 3-1 series lead
Get Swept
Miss playoffs by 1 point
Miss playoffs by 3 points

Sullivan putting together the infinity stones of team collapses. He just need to add that 3-0 series collapse to his resume now.

 

[ColePens]

Lose the play-in
Blow 3-1 series lead
Get Swept
Miss playoffs by 1 point
Miss playoffs by 3 points

Sullivan putting together the infinity stones of team collapses. He just need to add that 3-0 series collapse to his resume now.

Yeah this... absolutely this.

 

[Sideline]

Lose the play-in
Blow 3-1 series lead
Get Swept
Miss playoffs by 1 point
Miss playoffs by 3 points

Sullivan putting together the infinity stones of team collapses. He just need to add that 3-0 series collapse to his resume now.

I get back to back Cups buys a ton of runway, but eventually you just need to make a change if the results are this consistently underwhelming. Even if ownership loves him they should have the good sense to "promote" him to head of hockey operations so they can get a fresh voice and a new set of ideas on the bench.

 

[M4lk1n71]

I think that with a little bit of patience we can achieve great things. Sullivan brought us a couple of cups and I'm positive he can repeat it with help of Dubas. Rutherford made a couple of mistakes but we're righting the ship as we speak. Sid and Malkin are aging like fine wine and the future is bright.