Who should be the next Head Coach?

Zbynek

Jarry friggin sucks dude
Jun 6, 2011
3,706
3,449
Madrid, Spain
As long as it's a departure from Sullivan hockey - I don't care who the new guy is. Just need someone who isn't rooted in this "Jansen Harkins deserves a spot on this team" bullshit that we're all sick of.

Don't mind Boudreau.
 
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Maninthebox87

Registered User
Dec 5, 2014
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Not very familiar with all the rules of paying a fired coach but if they take on a head coaching gig with another team is the team that fired that coach off the hook of paying them? If money is the issue of keeping Sullivan I can’t imagine a team not taking him on in the next three years.
 

Maninthebox87

Registered User
Dec 5, 2014
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Probably not a popular choice but what about Guy Boucher? Has had success making it to a couple conference finals and there’s the Sid connection. Currently is an assistant coach with Toronto. Just looking up his coaching career it seems like he was always fired when the teams went into rebuild modes.
 

Maninthebox87

Registered User
Dec 5, 2014
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For those that need it. The last time we were THIS dead. Let's go Sid. Let's go coaching change.

Man I miss Kunitz and Hornqvist.

I remember second half Sid was a legit MVP candidate after the firing of Johnston… god I can still see his face whenever a goal was scored against the Pens…
 

pistolpete11

Registered User
Apr 27, 2013
11,594
10,402
Not very familiar with all the rules of paying a fired coach but if they take on a head coaching gig with another team is the team that fired that coach off the hook of paying them? If money is the issue of keeping Sullivan I can’t imagine a team not taking him on in the next three years.
Even if they fire him, he's still under contract. So teams would have to get permission from the Pens to hire him. The Pens could decide to not let him go unless the new team takes on his contract or Sullivan agrees to terminate his contract or whatever.

I don't think it's an official rule that because he got a new job that the Pens are off the hook, but he wouldn't get a new job unless the Pens agree to it and why would they agree to it unless they are let off the hook?

That's how I understand it anyway.

Probably not a popular choice but what about Guy Boucher? Has had success making it to a couple conference finals and there’s the Sid connection. Currently is an assistant coach with Toronto. Just looking up his coaching career it seems like he was always fired when the teams went into rebuild modes.
A team isn't going to give permission to their assistants to interview for another job mid-season.
 

Andy99

Registered User
Jun 26, 2017
50,806
32,880
who i want to finish this season, is not the guy i want for next year.
Fair…I think we need someone now who can get us to score goals and stop the third period collapses, hopefully get us in a playoff spot…next season, we want someone who can successfully incorporate young people and help shepard a rebuild…
 
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BHD

Vejmelka for Vezina
Dec 27, 2009
38,218
16,660
Moncton, NB
Elliotte made it sound like Woodcroft - who's similar to Keefe, who Dubas hired in Toronto - was going to be the next coach hired. He's the only 'young' coach worth a shot IMO. Hard pass on retreads like Julien, Boudreau, or Gallant.
 

Big Friggin Dummy

Registered User
Feb 22, 2019
24,524
23,145
Don't really care, tbh. Firing a guy who hasn't seen the 2nd round since 2018 and is facing his second consecutive playoff miss is good enough.

Gimme somebody who is gonna be able to work with younger guys in a couple years. I don't know or care if that's a recognizable name like Woodcroft or Bruce, or some person nobody's heard of from overseas, college, juniors, or the AHL. /shrug
 
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pistolpete11

Registered User
Apr 27, 2013
11,594
10,402
Don't really care, tbh. Firing a guy who hasn't seen the 2nd round since 2018 and is facing his second consecutive playoff miss is good enough.

Gimme somebody who is gonna be able to work with younger guys in a couple years. I don't know or care if that's a recognizable name like Woodcroft or Bruce, or some person nobody's heard of from overseas, college, juniors, or the AHL. /shrug
I don't think the guy they hire now should be here for the rebuild. Coaching the oldest team in the NHL with a bunch of future HoF'ers and coaching a young, rebuilding team are 2 different skillsets.

Hire whoever now and then start completely fresh whenever Crosby and Malkin hang them up.
 
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Big Friggin Dummy

Registered User
Feb 22, 2019
24,524
23,145
I don't think the guy they hire now should be here for the rebuild. Coaching the oldest team in the NHL with a bunch of future HoF'ers and coaching a young, rebuilding team are 2 different skillsets.

Hire whoever now and then start completely fresh whenever Crosby and Malkin hang them up.
The problem is they're like two years away from hanging them up. Maybe three. :laugh:

I don't think anybody's gonna sign up for 2-3 years knowing it's see ya later as soon as Sid retires.
 

pistolpete11

Registered User
Apr 27, 2013
11,594
10,402
The problem is they're like two years away from hanging them up. Maybe three. :laugh:

I don't think anybody's gonna sign up for 2-3 years knowing it's see ya later as soon as Sid retires.
Most NHL coaching gigs end up only being 3-4 years and if they get an established guy like BBQ Bruce, he's probably not going to want to stick around for a rebuild anyway.
 

Harvey Birdman

…Need some law books, with pictures this time…
Oct 21, 2008
9,146
2,241
Penguins Legal Office
Pens are 6th in the league in GAA and 3rd in the league in SV%.
Pure eye test my man. You can’t just look at stats. This team is HORRIBLE with defensive brain farts. There is no consistency with the defensive play of the team. They will play sound positioning for 20, 30, 40 mins at a time and then act like to read a play or hold a defensive posture is a mortal sin. This team is capable of playing correctly to keep the puck out of their net, they just seem incapable of mentally doing it for entire games.
 

DesertedPenguin

Registered User
Mar 11, 2007
6,976
7,774
Mentioned this in another thread, but if they move on from Sullivan, my shortlist is:

Jeff Halpern, Tampa assistant - former NHL player, been with Cooper in Tampa since 2018. He's in charge of the Lightning power play.

Marco Sturm, Ontario Reign head coach - Former NHL player has international head coaching experience as former coach of German national team, led them to silver medal in 2018 Olympics. Was a Kings assistant until he shifted to AHL to get professional head coaching experience

Joe Sacco, Boston assistant - Keeps our Boston quota even. In all seriousness, he's been a fixture with the Bruins for a decade, staying on even after Claude Julien and then Bruce Cassidy were fired. In all honesty, he's probably content to stay in his hometown, but I think he's worth a call as part of the process. Former Avs coach, too.

Jay Leach, Seattle assistant - Former NHL defenseman actually began his coaching career under Sullivan at WBS, was interim coach after Sullivan was promoted until Donatelli took over. Was Providence Bruins head coach for a stretch before Seattle added him to its first coaching staff.
 

DesertedPenguin

Registered User
Mar 11, 2007
6,976
7,774
Actually, this makes a lot of sense. He's taken both the Canucks and the Rangers to the SCF's so there's no lack of experience.

Who you go for the assistants is key.

Who replaces Reirden? PP Coach
Who does the defensive coaching?
@Randy Butternubs Vigneault retired.

 

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