Penguins Live Chat: Pros and Cons of Head Coach Candidates

It is time to start analyzing and getting serious about the favorites in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ search for a new head coach.

Not since 2014 have the Penguins spent the summer months balancing free agent pursuits with a coaching change, and not since 2015 have the Penguins had a coach other than Mike Sullivan, but 2025 might well be marked as a significant year in the Penguins’ transition.

We’re joined by coach Francis Anzalone, who has returned from Sweden and the World Championships, to break down the five leading contenders for the Penguins’ job, including Mitch Love and D.J. Smith.

As a side note, PHN was the first to tout Smith’s bonafides, hopefully you’ve come to expect that level of industry insight from us.

As a note, here is the tip jar for the live chats as we offset the increasing travel costs for all 82 games.

The chat begins at 1:05. Join in, comment and have fun. We’ll also release the chat in podcast form.