Penguins Update: Where Do We Go from Here? (Part I)

Now that the Alexis Lafreniere lottery (otherwise known as Phase 2 of the NHL Entry Draft) is past, it’s time for the Penguins to set a course for the coming offseason. (Seems weird to say that in August, but then again there’s nothing normal about these times or this hockey season).

Unfortunately, the Rangers landed the No. 1 pick and the right to draft the Rimouski phenom, denying us the chance to add yet another franchise-type player. Still, it’s hard to cry too much given our extreme good fortune in the past with a couple of guys named Sid and Mario (Geno, too). And we do have the 15th overall pick in the upcoming draft—provided we don’t send it to Minnesota as part of the compensation in the Jason Zucker trade.

So now that the dust has settled a bit from our disappointing loss to Montreal, where do we go from here? Maybe the first question to ask is who’s going to lead us there?

Front Office

It’s hard to imagine given the magnitude of the disappointment surrounding our embarrassing postseason exit that GM Jim Rutherford and coach Mike Sullivan are on especially solid ground. Following back-to-back Cups, they were the toast of the town. But three-straight early postseason exits have dulled their luster. What have you done for me lately?

One of our sage commenters, 55 on Point, observed that this feels a lot like 2014, when we blew a 3-1 second-round series lead to the Rangers, which led to the stunning dual dismissals of Ray Shero and Dan Bylsma (on the heels of a 51-win season).

I agree. There’s something about the way the current group lost that leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

Of the two, I think Rutherford is a little less vulnerable. Over the past 17 months, starting with the second Brassard trade, he did some decent work—up to the trade deadline. We’ll come to rue the Dominik Kahun-to-Buffalo deal. And if JR hadn’t acquired a waaaay-over-the-hill Patrick Marleau in a failed attempt to provide leadership and inspiration, perhaps a younger, hungrier player might have filled his slot and contributed during the recent series.

We know GMJR is adept at plugging gaps and swinging deals that benefit the team in the short run…sometimes dramatically so. And he’s pretty good at fixing his mistakes. Those are his strengths.

What we don’t know, because he’s dealt away so many picks, is how well he drafts and develops young talent. And that may well be the key factor in determining his job security going forward.

For the record, his most notable black-and-gold draft picks include present Pens Anthony Angello, Sam Lafferty and Dominik Simon, along with Kasperi Kapanen and Daniel Sprong. Forwards Samuel Poulin and Nathan Legare and defenseman Will Reilly flash NHL potential.

At age 71, does ownership feel he’s the man to restock a prospect cupboard that’s mostly bare?

For now, the jury’s still out.

Behind the Bench

Sullivan did yeoman’s work through the first four months of the season by keeping a team crippled by injuries (over 300-man games lost) humming and on track. The very fact that the Pens were in first place in the ultra-competitive Metropolitan Division as late as February 18 is a testament to his fine work. At the time, I thought he deserved Jack Adams consideration.

Then the bottom fell out. Actually, fell out is putting it mildly…it Chernobyled. Save for a strong effort against New Jersey in what turned out to be the regular-season finale and Game Two of the qualifying round some 21 weeks later, the Pens were mostly MIA while losing 11 of their final 15 games. A shocking reversal of form. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team lose it as quickly and thoroughly as this bunch did. One minute we’re in first place. And the next…

Perhaps the most disturbing aspect was how listless we were in Game Four. With our playoff lives on the line, we looked tentative and uninspired if not downright timid at times. Part of a coach’s job is to make sure his team’s ready to play, and the Pens most assuredly weren’t.

Sullivan’s in-game performance wasn’t so hot, either. He made precious few adjustments, tactical or otherwise, to try and give his sagging team a boost. Needless to say, the loss didn’t look good on him…or the organization.

If anybody’s counting, we’ve now dropped 11 of our last 13 playoff games under Sully dating back to 2018.

His strengths are his ability to communicate, motivate and hold players accountable. Yet for the second-straight postseason his message seems to have fallen on deaf ears. Could he be reaching the end of his shelf life?

My take? I think he’ll remain coach for now, but with very little rope should the team stumble out of the blocks next season. If Rutherford decides to make a change? Former Flyers and Predators coach Peter Laviolette could be an option. Same with Baby Pens coach Mike Vellucci, a former Calder Cup winner in the AHL. Both have ties to JR.

In Part II of my write-up, I’ll attempt to evaluate the players. Who stays, who goes.

Stay tuned.