3 Thoughts: Karlsson vs. Head Coaches; It’s Dubas’s Team

This Pittsburgh Penguins offseason will begin like none since 2014.

The last time the Penguins embarked upon a summer coaching search, it went about as poorly as one could possibly go. No coach wanted any part of the gaggle of coach killers and underachievers that led the Penguins roster. Before the team finally found Mike Johnston, one candidate flew into Pittsburgh, took the interview, and skipped town while the team prepared an offer.

This time, the organization is not the gong show that it was when upper management chased off a bevy of qualified general manager and coaching candidates by inserting itself into hockey operations.

There’s no guarantee that Penguins president of hockey operations/GM Kyle Dubas will get his top choice, especially if that choice becomes University of Denver coach David Carle, who was already at the top of several teams’ lists before Dubas parted with Mike Sullivan. Still, the Penguins should not have a problem attracting quality candidates this time.

It’s a different time, and instead of the desperation to fix a breaking franchise, there is optimism for the future.

3 Penguins Thoughts

1. Erik Karlsson, Coach Killer?

Sullivan becomes the third coach Karlsson has seen fired since 2018. Months into his San Jose Sharks tenure, Pete DeBoer got the boot. Two seasons later, San Jose kicked Bob Boughner to the curb.

Karlsson also saw the Ottawa Senators fire three coaches (Cory Clouston, 2009-2011; Paul MacLean, 2011-2014; and Dave Cameron, 2014-2016) in his first six years.

Six firings in 14 years is quite a bit. Karlsson has not had one head coach for more than three seasons and a few months (MacLean).

Karlsson’s play with the Penguins has been a fraction of his capability, and he’s dodged or downplayed questions about his comfort with the system. When PHN complimented his electric play at the Four Nations Face-Off, he replied with a little smirk, “I can still get around when I need to.”

Had he said such to coaches, they may have reacted a little differently than I did. Then again, after his long meeting with Dubas on clean-out day, maybe he did?

Now, imagine a general manager broaching the subject of acquiring Karlsson this summer. Sure, a head coach, even Rod Brind’Amour of the Carolina Hurricanes, might run screaming while creating a cartoon-like hole in the wall.

2.  Kris Letang, Kyle Dubas 

Letang dealt with numerous but unspecified injuries this season. It obviously affected his play. Not only were his offensive totals well below expectations, but his defensive zone work was uncharacteristically soft.

There have been few Penguins players as misunderstood or undervalued by the local fanbase, but Letang’s hampered play lived down to critics’ evaluations for the first time.

It’s probably not possible for even the player to know how much the injuries limited him. It’s probably impossible for anyone to know how much his more serious issue (repairing a small hole in his heart to prevent future strokes) decreased his output.

Letang is a warrior. When he’s healthy, what is overlooked is gritty defense. He can be a scrappy net-front battler, as well as a risky offensive blue liner.

I will also believe that he should have been the member of the championship core to leave, for his own benefit. A new fanbase to sing his praises, rather than the sometimes snarling evaluations from Pittsburgh, would have pushed his public standing–much like the growing legend of Marc-Andre Fleury.

However, if Letang isn’t better next season, Dubas is showing a willingness to make difficult or unpopular decisions. It could be a salary cap nightmare, but one that Dubas endures to create space for a young defender, such as Jack St. Ivany or Harrison Brunicke.

3. Dubas

The Penguins are Dubas’s organization now. There are few front office holdovers. There will be no more rumors that Sullivan has Fenway Sports Group’s ear, or that Sullivan dictates roster decisions, or any of the other fingers that have been pointed.

From Karlsson to trading Jake Guentzel and now firing Sullivan, the results are now exclusively on Dubas.

The next coach will be Dubas’s. The next roster will almost exclusively be Dubas’s. And the next coach won’t have nearly the gravitas or autonomy that Sullivan had. Recall Dubas double-checking with Sullivan before acquiring Philip Tomasino–Dubas wanted to make sure Sullivan could “give him enough runway.”

The next coach probably won’t have the same type of conversation.

For his part, Dubas will need to select better projects, too. Tomasino was given ample opportunity in Nashville. It shouldn’t be a surprise that he was a non-factor for long stretches. Tomasino played in 51 games for the Penguins, but scored slightly more than 33% of his points in an eight-game stretch in February.

Kevin Hayes spent plenty of time in the press box and didn’t seem to impress Sullivan, who answered questions about Hayes with more challenges and some backhanded compliments. Dubas didn’t mention Conor Timmins in his end-of-season presser, and Timmins’s play was a bit problematic (in keeping with the Penguins’ season theme).

Even Tommy Novak is more question mark than optimism after he suffered what became a season-ending injury the team originally termed day-to-day just two games into his Penguins tenure.

It appears Dubas’s best work has been with prospects. Not only did Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen sparkle when recalled to the NHL, but others are on the way. The team’s player development staff did a good job with Owen Pickering, too.

The Dubas Penguins are here.