The Pittsburgh Penguins haven't gotten success from Mike Sullivan since the 2018 postseason.

PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Penguins have one game left of their 2023-24 season, but they have already been eliminated from playoff contention. For the second straight year, the Penguins will not compete for the franchise’s sixth Stanley Cup.

It didn’t take long for fans and analysts to start pointing fingers at what or who was to blame for another disappointing season. While the power play and bottom six forwards took a lot of heat, many call for head coach Mike Sullivan to lose his job.

Sullivan has been the head coach of the Penguins since the 2015-16 season and won back-to-back championships in his first two seasons with the group. Despite the hot start to his Penguins tenure, Sullivan hasn’t been able to lead the team out of the first round of the postseason since 2018.

When the 2024-25 season kicks off, Sullivan will be starting a new three-year contract that he signed two years ago. That new deal makes it unlikely he will be relieved of his duties, but analysts aren’t counting out the possibility.

“I would reshuffle his staff for sure, and I would have a short list ready to go early next season,” Joe Starkey said on 93.7 the Fan. “I wouldn’t rip them if they did. The problems that have emerged aren’t getting fixed. They’re getting worse.”

The Penguins' power play was mediocre in 2022-23, finishing 14th in the NHL with a 21.72% success rate. By December 2023-24, the Penguins' power play was a lost cause, and they will finish 31^st in the NHL with a 14.62% success rate.

Associate coach Todd Reirden ran the power play, but he will likely see his contract expire without a new deal in Pittsburgh this summer. Even if the power play was under Reirden’s watch, what did Sullivan do to help it?

Pittsburgh understands that Sullivan is a good coach, and a pair of Cup rings affords him some leeway, but that has to be gone heading into the 2024-25 season. Kyle Dubas is still building the Penguins in his image, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see Sullivan have a short leash after this offseason.

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