Penguins Notebook: Trade Target Emerges; Devils Chased Sullivan

It seems there was more drama inside the Pittsburgh Penguins last summer than we knew. The New York Rangers hired former Penguins coach Mike Sullivan Friday, but it seems the New Jersey Devils made a run at him last summer. Rather than a Daily, we’ve got a few whoppers that merit attention.

It did not take long for Sullivan to move on, and it seems the Wednesday night reports from national reporters that John Tortorella was joining him were in error. Neither is David Quinn joining him, at least at this time (Quinn was the Rangers’ head coach several years ago, so that’s probably a bad fit anyway).

There’s plenty of conjecture that makes sense. Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas presented Sullivan with a plan, but Sullivan didn’t like the timeline, so they parted; that’s one quasi-report from Elliotte Friedman. Conversely, I tend to take Dubas at face value because he admitted he began thinking about making the move during the season based on the poor performances, nor did Dubas really affirm Sullivan with 100% conviction during his season-ending presser.

If Dubas didn’t cut Sullivan loose now, Sullivan would have been on the hot seat to start next season. And for all of Sullivan’s self-imposed distance from the media, he heard the criticisms. It would have been a bad situation, and when the drumbeat starts, it’s hard to stop it. The termination was best for all involved.

Read More: Kingerski: Credit Dubas, Reasons Said & Unsaid Why Sullivan Had to Go

It was time for Sullivan to move on, and one glaring schism within the Penguins will also be a challenge for Sullivan with the chaotic Rangers.

One inexplicable Penguins problem was the lack of fundamental play by veterans. One or two players might make more mistakes than the norm, but the Penguins’ roster seemed to make a game of it, and most players took turns.

The Penguins’ rookies, Ville Koivunen, Rutger McGroarty, and even Owen Pickering, were shockingly structured and played with fundamentals that shone with the megawatts of the Bat signal compared to the breakdowns of the pre-existing group.

The Rangers got a plethora of problematic play from veterans, and have a handful of young players in the lineup, including former first overall pick Alex Lafreniere, who were part of the mess.

Perhaps that’s the most telling reason that it was time for Mike Sullivan to ride into the sunset. And it might be the greatest challenge with the Rangers.

New Jersey Devils?

There were rumors and rumblings last summer that the New Jersey Devils wanted Sullivan to be their next coach. There was a slim possibility because meetings between Dubas and Sullivan extended beyond the normal postseason wrap-up. There were meetings and more until the team terminated associate head coach Todd Reirden in May.

However, we began to wonder about the outcome. Perhaps it was not a coincidence that the New Jersey rumors started during the process. Pittsburgh Hockey Now didn’t have any actionable intelligence other than the team’s meetings with Sullivan, but that’s hardly news in the wake of the disappointing season: The GM and coach are meeting!

Yeah, and?

However, we could feel the tension of the situation and took them seriously enough that there is a file on our server with the headline, “Penguins Fire Mike Sullivan.” We had it ready to go just in case.

Friday morning, after New York hired Sullivan, Pierre LeBrun tweeted,

“A year ago, the Devils made a play for Mike Sullivan, but he wasn’t ready to leave Pittsburgh yet. Timing is everything, as the rival Rangers get him a year later. Devils are happy with Sheldon Keefe, don’t get me wrong, but it’s still interesting how it played out,” the tweet read.

If LeBrun’s wording is accurate, perhaps those meetings last April and May were even more serious than we thought. However, as you’ve noticed in the last 24 hours, sometimes team sources talk loosely, but not accurately. Note the multiple credible reports from ESPN that John Tortorella was going to join Sullivan in New York.

Friday morning, TSN’s Darren Dreger called them rumors without much substance. By Friday afternoon, the Rangers confirmed that it was never part of the plan.

Side note 1: Sullivan would have needed permission from the Penguins organization to discuss anything with the Devils. We don’t know that Sullivan and the Devils spoke, but if New Jersey had “made a play” without permission, it would constitute tampering.

Side note 2: And that’s why I’ve stayed behind the lines on numerous stories over the last couple of years. It’s harder and harder to trust even firsthand sources. For example, a couple of years ago, we were given firsthand information that one team was scouting the Penguins because of trade talks. We reported. Within 15 minutes, a national reporter picked up the phone and got a quote from the other GM, who trashed the report.

What can I do? Pick up the phone and demand that the GM publicly admit what his people said to us? Instead, you may notice little nuggets sprinkled into PHN stories, unless the info is guaranteed and important. But I digress.

Isaac Howard, Trade Target

A few weeks ago, Howard landed on a lot of potential trade target lists when Tampa Bay was unable to sign him following the conclusion of Michigan State’s season.

Tampa Bay selected Howard 31st overall in 2022, so they retain his rights for one more year, but the left winger becomes a free agent next summer. Friday, Tampa Bay GM Julien Brisebois admitted the team is unlikely to sign him because he wants to choose his situation next summer.

Howard is everything the Penguins are looking for. He’s a young, dynamic skater with good stickhandling. With Dubas’s trade for McGroarty, who was essentially in the same situation with Winnipeg last summer, the Penguins should be considered front-runners.

Side note 3: The Winnipeg Jets called up Brayden Yager, whom the Penguins traded for McGroarty, from the Lethbridge Hurricanes Friday to be part of their “Black Aces” group.

The Penguins are an attractive situation for a player like Howard. They will have Sidney Crosby. They will have opportunities for young players to crack the NHL lineup. And the Penguins have shown a quality player development system.

Since Brisebois admitted they’re not going to sign Howard, the trade cost should be lighter than McGroarty, but if Dubas feels the need to spend like assets for like assets, he has a few. The Penguins also have plenty of draft picks to bundle.

Of course, any trade interest is not only pending the Penguins’ scouting on Howard but also on Howard’s willingness to choose the Penguins. The player gets the final say in this one, but perhaps watching McGroarty’s growth this season and eventual ice time with Crosby will be a pretty good selling point.

Perhaps a second and third-round pick will get it done. Or perhaps a prospect and pick.