When could Mike Sullivan be on the hot seat with the Pittsburgh Penguins?

Mike Sullivan is one of, if not the best coach, in the history of the Pittsburgh Penguins franchise. His resume speaks for itself. Sullivan holds the franchise record for wins in both the regular season and postseason and has two Stanley Cup Championships. But as we've seen in this league, no coach is ever completely safe.

However, relatively new Penguins ownership Fenway Sports Group has been outspoken about their fondness of Sullivan. With a three-year contract extension from last offseason, the Penguins bench boss is likely safe from dismissal this summer.

The fact remains that Sullivan is coming off his worst season as head coach, missing the playoffs and finishing with a record of 40-31-11. Add on the knowledge that the Penguins have failed to win a playoff series in the past five seasons under Sullivan, and you could make the case that he should at least be standing on shaky ground heading into next season.

Questions arose about Sullivan's decision making more often this season than in the past. Whether it be his continued faith in Jeff Carter late in games or his repeated deployment of a struggling Brian Dumoulin on the top defense pairing, Sullivan's stubbornness drew the ire of the Penguins fan base more than ever in 2022.

Sullivan remains one of the best coaches in the NHL today, but as we've seen, that doesn't always lead to ironclad job security. Last season some of the best coaches in the NHL were given their walking papers because they failed to meet expectations despite having a proven track record as a top head coach in the years beforehand. 

Coaches like Barry Trotz and Bruce Cassidy were let go, despite winning the Jack Adams Award as the league's best coach in 2019 and 2020, respectively. While Sullivan's position is safe now, a lot can change in one season. Without a return to playoff success in 2024, Sullivan could be on the hunt for a new job by this time next year.

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