PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Coaching change talk is all the rage in Pittsburgh with the two professional teams in town struggling despite higher expectations. We won't hear from the Steelers brass for at least another month, but the Pens were clear on their position at head coach.
"I'm certain that Sully is the best person to help us in that regard," said Pens GM Kyle Dubas Monday about head coach Mike Sullivan and coming back from a slow start.
The Pens are currently seventh in the Metropolitan Division and closer to last place Columbus than the sixth-place Hurricanes. On the season through 26 games, the Pens have 25 points, 11 wins, 15 losses (three in overtime). They are 14 points behind the division-leading Rangers and they've played the same number of games. The Pens are seven points behind the Flyers and six behind the Capitals and Washington has played one fewer game. In the entire Eastern Conference, only the Blue Jackets have fewer wins than the Pens.
Dubas says many NHL teams are having conversations about improving. They aren't he only ones dealing with struggles. He said the responsibility falls on him to stop what he called the number one rule of being in a hole, 'stop digging'.
He's not sure where the narrative started that when a team is struggling that it's the coach's fault. He said it might be a social media thing, although history over recent decades in the NHL shows firing a coach normally leads to an immediate improvement in the results. The Pens did so twice in-season and it led to raising a Stanley Cup.
Dubas thoughts, at least right now, are he believes he has the right man as head coach.
"I had my impression of him coming in and my respect for him coming in," Dubas said of Sullivan. "Being with him every day and not only seeing his attention to detail on the systems and his attention to detail with the players and coaching them individually and personally. I think we are very fortunate to have Mike."
"Do I think he's the right person for this job now and far into the future? I do."
Dubas said Sullivan is not stuck in his ways. He says, contrary to criticism, that he is adaptable and he's trying to figure out what system or game plan will work best with this team. Dubas said it's on him to continue to help support the coaching staff the best way he can and get them going in the right direction.
Like many NHL teams, the Pens have zero dollars in cap availability, actually over four million dollars in the hole according to spotrac.com. So, the idea of a blockbuster trade is tricky, adding into the equation many of the big-name players have no-trade clauses and their best, young trade chip is Jake Guentzel and he's in the final year of his contract.
Their team is pretty much on the ice, with a few players potentially coming back from injury. And Mike Sullivan will be leading this group.
