Insider reveals coach could be moved in rare coach trade
The Pittsburgh Penguins missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the second year in a row, which is the first time that's occurred in the Sidney Crosby era. Changes could be coming this summer as the Penguins look to get back to the post-season next spring.
This past week, the Penguins made their first move as President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas announced the firing of Associate Coach Todd Reirden.
Other changes could be coming off the ice for the Penguins, potentially involving Head Coach Mike Sullivan. In a post on X on Friday, ESPN's Kevin Weekes said that if the Penguins are able to mutually agree to Sullivan's departure, it could be through a trade.
Trades involving a coach in the National Hockey League never happen. In fact, the most notable coaching trade came in 1987 when the Quebec Nordiques dealt Michel Bergeron to the New York Rangers in exchanged for a first-round pick.
The 56-year-old is currently the second-longest tenured Head Coach in the National Hockey League and has plenty of success behind the bench in Pittsburgh. In his first two seasons with the team, he led the team to back-to-back Stanley Cups.
In 671 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Mike Sullivan has led the team to a record of 375 wins, 219 losses and 77 overtime/shootout losses, as well as seven appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
There's no doubt that Mike Sullivan will draw interest from other teams, if trading him and his contract is an option Kyle Dubas is willing to consider this summer. It'll be interesting to see which direction they go in and if Dubas gets rid of Sullivan, who their replacement could be.
| POLL | ||
Will Mike Sullivan be behind the bench for Pittsburgh on opening night next season? | ||
| Yes | 133 | 33.8 % |
| No | 260 | 66.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
