Mike Sullivan Wants the Penguins to Focus On Speed

The Pittsburgh Penguins have a few different areas of concern, but Mike Sullivan will focus heavily on gaining speed.

It was clear during the 2022-23 season that not only were they an aging team, but they struggled to keep up in a number of different areas of the game.

A massive sticking point was how the Penguins lacked in the speed department in comparison to other teams around the NHL.

For a majority of the season, it was clear the Penguins just weren’t fast enough to keep up and head coach Mike Sullivan hopes to see improvements in that area.

Not only does he hope things can improve, but he believes that new president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas will bolster the lineup.

Sullivan spoke highly of Dubas, noting that he should push the team in the right direction and that the two share a similar outlook of the team.

“I think Kyle is very much aligned with the identity of the Penguins,” Sullivan said. “We share similar ideas and philosophies.”

One of those philosophies is adding an edge to the Penguins’ speed game and it’s an area the two will focus on this offseason.

“Speed has always been an important element,” Sullivan said. “I think that’s an aspect that we can look to improve.”

Dubas noted in his introduction press conference that there is a great opportunity this summer to surround Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang with an improved depth on the ice.

Sullivan is on the same page as Dubas in bringing in not just a better group of depth players, but a faster roster that can gain a step against other teams.

With aligning philosophies and a focus on building a better group around the core, the Penguins should see great magic between Sullivan and Dubas.

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