It’s time for another round of NHL rumours. We’re deep into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, the teams that didn’t make the post-season are still being talked about. These clubs have designs to return to the big tournament. However, changes need to be made in order to start the turnaround. We’ll likely see players being moved around, but we’ll also see some coaching changes. There are a number of openings that have come open. This edition of NHL rumours deals with the recent opening behind the Pittsburgh Penguins.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
A Look at the Pittsburgh Penguins Coaching Search
Rumour: Josh Yohe of The Athletic took a look at some of the candidates for the vacant head coach position for the Penguins.
Analysis: Pittsburgh General Manager Kyle Dubas and longtime bench boss Mike Sullivan parted ways and that has made added another coveted opening. It seemed like the time was right for Sullivan and the Penguins to split. However, there’s now some uncertainty about who will be at the helm for Pittsburgh.
The post is one of right vacant posts as of press time. We’ve already discussed the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins vacancies, but we now shift towards the Penguins opening. This opening has some pros and some cons to it. However, the Penguins are one of the more high-profile teams in the league.
Dubas has been trying to retool the roster on the fly to keep them a contender. However, Pittsburgh has missed the playoffs the last three years and it wants to give veterans like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malin, Kris Letang and others one more honest run at a Stanley Cup in the latter stages of their respective careers.
What It Means
Former Vancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet was the first name that Yohe mentions in list of candidates. Tocchet did some good work with Vancouver, but the two sides couldn’t come to a deal. The 61-year-old did win a Stanley Cup in 1992 with the Penguins. However, there’s are other teams interested in Tocchet.
The decorated veteran also has a connection with the rival Philadelphia Flyers, who may be interested in his services. Big name teams like the New York Rangers and the Blackhawks could also come calling if they are interested as well.
Another name that has been mentioned in previous rumours is David Carle, who took himself out of the running for the Blackhawks job. However, could the Penguins ask about Carle, who is head coach at Denver University.
Todd Nelson‘s name also came up after being one of the top coaches in the American Hockey League. David Quinn is an assistant that Yohe mentioned in his list of candidates. He has previous head coaching experience with the San Jose Sharks and the Rangers.
Longtime assistant Mike Vellucci was also mentioned. However, he has ties to Sullivan and management may want to go into a different direction. Dubas has plenty of choices this off-season and he’ll take his time before settling on a new bench boss.
Main photo by: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images
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