Penguins Q&A: The Sullivan Question, Worries over Collapse

The Pittsburgh Penguins have a Mike Sullivan question, though it’s being framed in the wrong way by my many passionate members of the paying public. This fanbase can rival the Toronto folks when it comes time to get a good foot-stomping, fist-pounding furor going. After a winless roadie in which the Penguins badly blew a pair of 2-0 leads and were mud-stomped by the Carolina Hurricanes before leaving, and the Winnipeg Jets and Edmonton Oilers on the road, there is plenty of emotion, and none of it is good.

This Q&A is being written on Sunday from a multitude of airports. My bosom buddies at WestJet, in conjunction with their BFFs at Delta Airlines, had a computer malfunction regarding my flight. Their computers logged me in as present but not as verified, even though their main system shows my paperwork as verified. The vicious cycle of customer service people calling each other to figure it out continued while my connection out of Calgary took off without me.

In the end, they determined it wasn’t either of their faults, but Hal, the computer that controls their companies and a space station, was naughty.

Eventually, an enterprising, though a bit haughty, agent figured out a way to get me home by flying me back to Edmonton later Sunday night, then catching a redeye connector to Atlanta in the morning and then to Pittsburgh. It was that or get stuck in the Chicago airport for most of Monday.

So, today and tomorrow I’m flying from Vancouver to Calgary…to Edmonton, to Atlanta, to Pittsburgh. The Canadian airline industry is straight out of Ayn Rand’s dystopia, but I digress.

With a Chili’s shaker of Patron margaritas in front of me (OK, maybe it’s my second shaker already), let’s do the Penguins Q&A, including the Sullivan question.

Penguins Q&A

When are we gonna fire Sully? Isn’t it a bit overdue?

— Kurri Carter (@KCarter8771) October 27, 2024

Answer: All right, let’s take a swing at the first pitch fastball.

This situation is far more complicated than, “They stink, fire the coach!” The premise is sound—the Penguins have struggled to show up for far too many games over the past season and a half. They’re making ghastly mistakes, making boneheaded rookie moves, and otherwise beating themselves like a pinata.

In an ordinary situation, the coach would have been gone after last season. However, Fenway Sports Group committed a lot of money to Sullivan, and they’re not fools. They run a tight ship–they’re not cheap, but they’re not into tossing Benjamins at problems, either. That’s one factor.

The hockey world widely regards Sullivan as one of the best. He’s an excellent coach who prepares his team well. I’ve had several players tell me how much more Sullivan prepares them than past coaches, and they love it.

So, the short answer is that it’s a bit complicated. A new coach could come in and get a bump, but show me a coach who could scold Evgeni Malkin as Sullivan did in 2016–but do it now when Malkin is 38. Yeah, the players would bounce that couch onto Fifth Avenue like half-eaten slice of pizza.

Try to find a person behind the bench who could get this sated group of well-meaning but aging veterans to be raw-meat-eating animals like they were. It’s just not happening at the coaching level.

So, if FSG doesn’t see a return on the investment of firing Sullivan, it’s not happening. At least not until there’s no other choice. However, I understand Penguins fans who feel that we’re there at the point of no return. I’ve had the same ponderances, and last March, I wrote a 1000-word column calling for it, and I had unanimous staff approval (but I didn’t hit publish because I had a bad feeling it wouldn’t age well. Newsflash. They went on a run).

The solution to get more intensity and a team capable of a cleaner game is higher than the coach. Still, Sullivan indeed has to make some fundamental changes in several areas. A form of a more positional defensive scheme might be all that’s left to do.

The point of his big contract was that FSG trusted him to make necessary changes, and some big ones, too.

Any market/realistic opportunity to move Karlsson?

— Matty (@MeestaPeemp) October 27, 2024

I have to think, yes, but they will not recoup the first and second-round picks they gave up. They’ll take a hit on the swap. Karlsson has been a problem with the D-zone coverage this season. Sullivan is playing the odds that he’ll get more offense from Karlsson than Karlsson gives up, but it’s not been the case. Two of the goals Saturday were on him.

I don’t know what GM Kyle Dubas and Karlsson are thinking. They will need to agree. I feel like there are few fits out there, but Karlsson is a name to watch later this season.

Alright, here goes! These were the ones I didn’t see an answer to. Would love your thoughts and knowledge on. pic.twitter.com/AFGKcrelDb

— Jen Anderson (@jennabeee22) October 27, 2024

Jen invoked subscriber privilege with the triple dip. So, here goes.

Yes. There was talk that Barclay Goodrow would fire a grievance against the Rangers over the summer because they waived him, knowing that San Jose would claim him–and San Jose was on his no-trade list. But it can be done. Carefully.

2. No. The organization doesn’t need to, either. Blomqvist’s development will be fine if he takes on a well-used backup role. Also, realize that the Penguins are not simply going through a Tristan Jarry charade. They want to salvage this, or he would have been on waivers already. So, if Jarry puts it back together, Blomqvist will be sent back to the AHL.

3. It’s impossible to know how Sullivan would perform in a different situation. He was good with the players coming up from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2015, but the world and game were much different then. Could he? Yes. But it might take a reset and a new situation for him to adapt to that type of environment again.

I do believe we’ll get a first-hand look sooner rather than later, especially if the team’s downward spiral continues.

With the season looking suspect already, how likely is it that Dubas will be selling off pieces in March…

— Peter Kadar (@PeteKadar) October 27, 2024

If this nonsense continues, it will happen long before March. Marcus Pettersson and Lars Eller are prime candidates because of their expiring contracts.

Read More: Give ‘Em Eller; Penguins Dish on Eller on the Ice & In Locker Room (+)

An off-the-map player to watch in that scenario would be Bryan Rust. His no-trade protection expires on July 1. Rust is a proud family man, and I don’t see him agreeing to a deal just anywhere, but imagine in him in copper and blue. Or blue and white? There are a dozen teams that he would take from very good to Stanley Cup favorites.

Rust was injured Saturday night, and it didn’t look minor. So, that might create more decisions, too.

Last call!

Do you think McGroaty’s skating is a problem and could hinder a call up?

— Mikey Graf (@mikey_graf) October 27, 2024

I really don’t know. McGroarty’s game is perfectly borderline right now. He didn’t record a point in four AHL games and is a minus-4. He’s got more adjusting and learning to do.

If Rust is injured longer term, Sam Poulin has seven points (2-5-7) in six games with WBS. Just saying…

And there goes the second shaker with salt.

This Q&A was shot in 3B.
Three beers and it looks good, eh.

Take off ya hoser! pic.twitter.com/fI9McFkYyX

— Dan Kingerski (@TheDanKingerski) October 25, 2024