The Pittsburgh Penguins made headlines on Monday by announcing they and coach Mike Sullivan agreed to part ways.
Sullivan had been in the role since December 2015, guiding the Penguins to consecutive Stanley Cup titles in 2016 and 2017.
Despite the decline in the Penguins' fortunes, Sullivan remained a well-respected bench boss as GM Kyle Dubas attempted to remake the roster. He's unlikely to be unemployed as an NHL coach for long.
Larry Brooks of the New York Post believes the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers will be among Sullivan's suitors. He also wondered if the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars might get into the bidding.
Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh media are speculating over who will become Sullivan's successor behind the bench.
The Hockey News' Kelsey Surmacz listed tiers of coaches who could be Sullivan's replacement, such as the "best-case scenario" of David Carle and Todd Nelson, potential retreats Jay Woodcroft, David Quinn, Jay Woodcroft and others.
Bill Hartlep of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review included former NHL coaches Joel Quenneville, Peter Laviolette and John Tortorella on his list of candidates. Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette mentioned former bench bosses Jeff Blashill and Jay Woodcroft among his list.
Surmacz, Hartlep and Vensel included Vancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet on their lists. He's reportedly in contract extension talks with the Canucks but knows the Penguins well, having spent three seasons as an assistant coach there.
Until Sullivan's departure, most of the Penguins' speculation centered on potential off-season roster moves. Some of that conjecture focused on defenseman Erik Karlsson's future with the Penguins.
On April 20, Josh Yohe of The Athletic made the case for Dubas to trade Karlsson, listing his expensive contract, poor defensive play and ineffectiveness on the power play among the reasons. Yohe cited multiple league sources claiming some teams might be interested in the 34-year-old blueliner if the Penguins retained around $2.5 million of his cap hit.
Karlsson carries an average annual value of $11.5 million through 2026-27. The Penguins carry nearly $10 million, with the San Jose Sharks retaining the rest.
Mark Madden of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review predicted Karlsson would be traded this summer, with the Penguins retaining $3 million of his cap hit. However, Pittsburgh Hockey Now's Dan Kingerski was skeptical, claiming few suitors have emerged in the trade market.
Kingerski noted that Dubas wasn't happy with Karlsson's end-of-season comments about his disappointment with the club's performance this season. The Penguins GM called out the blueliner's play, suggesting he needs to be better prepared for next season.
Dubas' remarks suggest he expects Karlsson will still be in their lineup next season. Kingerski believes they also indicate trade possibilities for the three-time Norris Trophy winner have “greatly diminished.”
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