The Pittsburgh Penguins can't afford to miss the playoffs for a third consecutive season, and the team's performance out of the gate will determine head coach Mike Sullivan's future.

The Pittsburgh Penguins qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for 16 seasons from 2007 to 2022. During that time, they employed four coaches:

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Interestingly, Therrien replaced Ed Olczyk midway through a season, and both Bylsma and Sullivan were mid-season hires. The last two replacements went on to win the Stanley Cup in the same year.

When we dig deeper, we will notice that Rick Kehoe replaced Ivan Hlinka in 2002, and Herb Brooke replaced Kevin Constantine in 1999-2000.

In this century, the Penguins have had five in-season head coach changes. 

Will the Penguins Make a Coaching Change in 2024-25?

Sullivan has been at the helm since 2016. In his first two seasons, he guided Pittsburgh to two consecutive Stanley Cup titles while becoming the franchise leader in wins with 375 and counting.

However, after two seasons without a playoff appearance, at what point do General Manager Kyle Dubas and the ownership group decide to pull the plug?

Yes, Sullivan has earned the opportunity to start another season, but if the Sidney Crosby era is ending, it might be time for a new voice to lead the next chapter in the Penguins' history.

If management opts to relieve Sullivan of his duties in the first year of his new extension, we calculated how quickly the Penguins have fired their past five head coaches in the middle of a season.

Here's a breakdown of how long those coaches lasted in those campaigns:

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Overall, the average number of games for this group is 29. 

For perspective, Sullivan has led the Penguins to these records in 29 in each of the past two seasons:

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Now, these numbers present two interesting situations. If Sullivan gets the boys going in the season's first quarter and produces a similar record to the 2022-23 season, the leash would be extended deeper into the season.

Yet, if Pittsburgh stumbles, especially with a bunch of new players in the lineup and an aging core, then Dubas and the higher-ups will need to pull the chord and try to salvage the remaining 50+ games.

No matter what happens in the weeks and months leading up to the 2024-25 season, Sullivan and his associates will be under tremendous pressure to get results immediately, or changes will be in store. 

Could it be before 29 games or after? Only time will tell. 

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