Can or will Sullivan be fired?

[OnMyOwn]

That random extension they signed him to years before the current contract was over pretty much solidified he’s not going anywhere. Too much dead money to owe him and then pay another coach. Plus he’s from Boston and ownership loves the guy.

They need to can all his assistants though.

 

[TooManyHumans]

Competent coaching would not have seen the power play be as bad as it was and this team would have absolutely made the playoffs. Sullivan has worn out his time here but he is going nowhere. This team is not worth following for several years at least, other than to admire the twilight years of Crosby. They are not serious about competing or winning.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

Just think, that lost OT point vs the Leafs with Eller and DOC instead of Sid or Geno is the difference right now.

Sully galaxy brained the Pens into missing the POs...again.

Loser

 

[molon labe]

Just think, that lost OT point vs the Leafs with Eller and DOC instead of Sid or Geno is the difference right now.

Sully galaxy brained the Pens into missing the POs...again.

Loser

There's honestly a lot of moments like this.

I appreciate your selection, though.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

There's honestly a lot of moments like this.

I appreciate your selection, though.

There are about 30 of them. The Leafs one was just the most recent.

 

[molon labe]

There are about 30 of them. The Leafs one was just the most recent.

Idea for a Summer thread.

We can all reminisce about the worst moments of Sully's tenure. I think you're being conservative with 30. I bet there were 30 from Sep-Dec of 2023.

I think what I've come to dislike most about him, which has become quite a bit, is the media's treatment of him. The fact that he's in our pre-season hype content, our in-season hype content, pre-game hype video, the questions he's asked are asked about how HE'S controlling things and it's all about him, etc.

In essence, the franchise has made it the Pittsburgh Sullivans and I don't feel that that take is all that hyperbolic.

 

[canadianguy77]

Dont know what Dubs says tbh. He gave Sullivan a good enough roster to get in. That Sullivan didn’t use the right guys and never fiddled enough to get the chemistry right isn't exactly his fault. It would be nice if he didn't fall on the sword. Someone needs to interject some reality into the press corps and break them from their Mike Sullivan fever dream. Might actually get FSG’s attention if there’s enough smoke in the media.

 

[canadianguy77]

Just think, that lost OT point vs the Leafs with Eller and DOC instead of Sid or Geno is the difference right now.

Sully galaxy brained the Pens into missing the POs...again.

Loser

Just overplaying Carter down the stretch was enough. He saw his line getting caved in every night and instead of benching him or giving him a night off, he decides to double shift him and completely sinks the entire bottom 6 in one fell swoop.

the man is a fraud.

 

[LOGiK]

For this organization (FSG) they accept missing the post-season with the biggest names in hockey the city (pittsburgh) will see for a looooong long time....

I mean, nothing about the team is even true blue pa/pittsburgh outside of they play in pa. The team is owned by a boston group of expletives. Too bad it wasn't group owned by pittsburgh residents pooling money. Eh... until Dictator HCMS, who will soon be knighted and be entered into saint-hood and whatever other felonious accolades this joker has, is gone far and away from 'coaching' in pittsburgh. I'll not watch the penguins in 2024-25 onward.

But I've been here so long and know so many posters from here that I'll stay here periodically.
end rant.

After the season ends I'll bump the pre-season poll where this team will finish.

 

[Hazed Yoshi]

We have a team with Sidney Crosby and a decent level of talent and missed the playoffs two years in a row.

He also managed to lose against Montreal in that 'qualifying round''

 

[Andy99]

 

[Sidgeni Malkby]

That winning run ending the season all but solidified Sully sticking around. Maybe the assistant coaches will be canned. Even that is questionable.

At this point I'd be happy taking PP coaching from Reardon/Sully and bring someone else in to manage that part of it.

 

[Phil68]

Here is a thought. Once we traded Guentzel, why didn't the coaching Staff did not use Crosby and Malking together. Once thing that is for sure, when either of the two players are slumping, when the play together they push each other, and rightfully so. Why why why were they not used a lot more often to squeeze out more wins.. SMH

 

[chethejet]

FSG will not fire Sullivan. Dubas knew coming in he was untouchable for at least next year. But FSG has to know a stupid extension was just so poor that they have to eat 11 million after next year or trade him now if possible. But Dubas has to insure the transition from the keep the band together to a new approach is now the priority.

 

[eXile3]

We give the media way too much of a pass on not calling this out. I don’t know who this is but I’m glad someone is actually saying something.

 

[Andy99]

 

[wgknestrick]

Just overplaying Carter down the stretch was enough. He saw his line getting caved in every night and instead of benching him or giving him a night off, he decides to double shift him and completely sinks the entire bottom 6 in one fell swoop.

the man is a fraud.

Using Carter on the PP, using Carter on the PK, using Carter at 5v5.

There is NOT 1 circumstance where PIT is a better team with him on the ice vs him OFF the ice. When a team is better without you, yet you still get minutes, that says a lot about the quality of decision making from the staff. Carter is FN brutal, and made worse that the idiot coach doesn't know it and uses him in all situations.

This is by far my favorite chart comparison, but his PP and PK aren't much better:

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

Just overplaying Carter down the stretch was enough. He saw his line getting caved in every night and instead of benching him or giving him a night off, he decides to double shift him and completely sinks the entire bottom 6 in one fell swoop.

the man is a fraud.

It's not an overdramatic statement to say "Bad things happened when JC was on the ice"

He was at JJ levels of bad play. But this coach can't recognize problems

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

Strucky has loxed again.

 

[Slick Arnold]

FSG will not fire Sullivan. Dubas knew coming in he was untouchable for at least next year. But FSG has to know a stupid extension was just so poor that they have to eat 11 million after next year or trade him now if possible. But Dubas has to insure the transition from the keep the band together to a new approach is now the priority.

The 'sunk cost' perspective is a fallacy, FSG could fire him at any time, eat the cost, and no one would notice.

FSG is worth nearly $10 billion dollars, even if the Penguins are consistently cash flow negative (which apparently they are not), FSG can cover with cash or get financing/investment to cover the shortfall. $11 million is not even a rounding error to a company this size.

Why? The enterprise value is increasing exponentially. The team was reportedly sold for $900 million in 2021 and is valued at $1.18 Billion at the end of 2023 with Operating Income of $49 Million. The value of this organization has increased 30% in two years.

What hurts enterprise value? Sucking. They'll lose ticket sales, sponsors, merch sales, ad revenue, TV ad revenue etc... One or two years? nbd, Five plus years? this is the start of a problem.

Oh and none of us on here know for sure but that loss most likely goes away if he signs with another team. The sooner they cut bait the better, someone else will sign him and the bugaboo of an $11 MM loss which is 20% of operating income or 1% of enterprise value goes away.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

Also, there's no chance Sully won't get hired by someone else this summer so FSG wouldn't be paying anyway.

 

[Goalie_Bob]

Also, there's no chance Sully won't get hired by someone else this summer so FSG wouldn't be paying anyway.

This x million.

 

[Sideline]

Also, there's no chance Sully won't get hired by someone else this summer so FSG wouldn't be paying anyway.

I'm not entirely sure that's true. He's got 3 years of guaranteed money at elite coach level. He's not taking a job without new money added. If you're the Buffalo Sabres are you really going to offer 5x5 or 6x5 for Mike Sullivan? If you are Mike Sullivan why would you take anything less when you could just hang out at home for 3 years and get 16MM?

 

[Malkinstheman]

There's always too many excuses to shield Sullivan. Would take a season where all the stars are healthy and producing, goaltending is good, the roster is built to Sullivan's liking and the roster still falters

 

[BusinessGoose]

There's always too many excuses to shield Sullivan. Would take a season where all the stars are healthy and producing, goaltending is good, the roster is built to Sullivan's liking and the roster still falters

Didn't set jus----ooooooh