Before I begin my ramble, I need to be crystal clear. I am not connected to the Penguins’ organization in any way and have absolutely no insider information. What I’m about to write is strictly a case of me attempting to read between the lines, or the tea leaves if you prefer.
While it may be an exaggeration to call it a rift, I am beginning to sense a gap or separation developing between coach Mike Sullivan and GM/POHO Kyle Dubas. One that suggests they might not be in step.
Exhibit A?
Bokondji “Boko” Imama.
I confess, when the Pens recalled the 28-year-old heavyweight forward last Saturday, I was absolutely stunned. One only has to look at Sullivan’s track record to know how he feels about employing tough guys or even players with a semi-aggressive bent. Tom Sestito, Ryan Reaves, Jamie Oleksiak, Erik Gudbranson, Mark Friedman and, most recently, John Ludvig all came and went in relatively short order. Nearly all lasted less than a season.
By comparison, more benign players like Chad Ruhwedel and Dominik Simon made a career playing under Sullivan.
Back to Boko.
When I read Sullivan’s comments about him on Pens Inside Scoop, I had to do a double-take.
“He’s a great addition to the organization. He’s been really good for WBS, a great leader down there, just a good person. I think guys will gravitate to him because of his energy. So, we were excited to have him.”
Given Sully’s history with tough guys? It’s almost as if those comments were scripted by someone else.
As they say, the proof is in the pudding. Or in this case, playing time.
Following a solid debut against the Kraken (three hits, a blocked shot, a shot on goal) while skating nearly nine minutes, Boko’s received the “Sully treatment.” His ice time dwindled to 5:27 against the Sharks (presumably for making a mistake) before plummeting to 3:41 on Tuesday. In fact, according to early reports Boko was expected to be a healthy scratch for the Utah game but wound up dressing.
Actions speak louder than words. They indicate Imama might have been in the lineup for reasons other than coach’s choice.
During his tenure in Toronto, Dubas employed a host of rugged players, including Kyle Clifford, Nick Foligno, Nick Ritchie, Luke Schenn and Wayne Simmonds, to ride shotgun for his talented core. The fact that Imama’s promotion came on the heels of a cross-checking incident involving the Kraken’s Adam Larsson and Sidney Crosby tells me Dubas got fed up watching his stars used for target practice without a hint of retribution.
I think he’s mandating that Imama play, with (or without) Sully’s approval.
Exhibit B: Kevin Hayes
One of Dubas’s bigger (literally) off-season acquisitions, Hayes is in many ways the anti-Sully guy (i.e.: large and slow afoot). He does, however, possess redeeming qualities, including vision, a scoring touch and playmaking skills. Yet the Dorchester, Massachusetts native was mothballed by Sullivan for a nine-game stretch pretty much spanning the entire month of December.
Since being granted a reprieve early in the New Year, Hayes has scored four goals and arguably been our most effective middle-sixer.
Exhibit C: Ryan Graves
It’s no secret the rangy defenseman has been a calamitous free-agent bust. Which is really odd considering he was at least decent before he got here, actually leading the NHL in plus-minus in 2019-20.
Are his woes a direct result of Sully’s system or of his own accord?
Likely a bit of both.
However, after being a healthy scratch for 17 of our first 50 games (in the process no doubt rubbing more than a little egg in Dubas’s face) Graves has mysteriously returned to the lineup the past three games.
Again mandated from above?
It kind of feels that way.
I’m going to take things a step further and do some prognosticating. Dubas is no dummy. I think he realizes the team is underperforming under Sullivan. The rampant, Peewee level mistakes that go uncorrected. The lack of consistent effort and intensity. And, perhaps most critical, Sully’s quick hook with kids.
I think Dubas knows Sullivan with his win-now bent isn’t the man to develop the prospects in the pipeline. Kind of the way he knew another inherited coaching legend and Cup-winner, Mike Babcock, wasn’t the answer in Toronto.
For now, he’s biding his time. He obviously won’t replace Sullivan (coach of Team USA) ahead of the 4 Nations Faceoff. That would be an embarrassment to all involved.
I don’t think Dubas will make a change following the tournament, either. For better or worse, he’ll ride out the season with Sully.
This summer?
I fully expect a change. And it just might involve Baby Pens coach Kirk MacDonald.
What FSG is doing is obvious. It’s about dollars and cents, not hockey. The increase salary cap means that franchise values are skyrocketing. FSG is selling a chunk to realize some of that gain and probably pay down any debt that they took out to buy for the team. It’s a common strategic move. This is what people did during the housing boom by taking out second mortgages to pocket gains from the increased house evaluations.
As far as the Dubas-Sullivan rift is concerned, this discussion reminds me of the old saying:
“When facts are few, experts are many.”
Outsider,
In case you neglected to read the opening paragraph, I explained that this was a case of me thinking out loud.
I will, however, stand by what I wrote. There’s no way promoting Imama (and playing him) was Sullivan’s idea, certainly not given his track record. Ditto last night’s acquisition of Desharnais.
It appears Dubas is asserting himself in a way that previous GMs didn’t do when it comes to personnel matters, Sullivan’s preferences be darned.
Rick
Hey Rick,
Vincent Desharnais (6’7″, 227lbs, 28yrs), Melvin Fernstrom (6’2″, 190lbs, 18yrs), Danton Heinen (6’1″, 180lbs, 29yrs), and a 1st Rnd Pick for Pettersson and O’Connor. Out go 2-SUlly guys, in come 3 non Sully guys and a 1st rnd pick. Hmmm. Is this more evidence that Sully’s image is more than tarnished now? I truly hope so.
Hey Rick,
Let me throw this out there (like you with no tangible evidence to back it up but simple attempts to understand some of the news coming out of the Organization), it was suggested to me the other day by a casual fan that perhaps the news about FSG entertaining the idea of selling some minority shares, that they too are losing faith in their HC. When FSG bought the team they acknowledge no hockey sense and thought that Sullivan could be their man to bridge the novice gap for them. Thinking that because Sullivan was part of a team that won back-to-back Cups that meant he was a hockey genius. They never considered that the team won back-to-back Cups with 2-Generational Talents, at least 2 more future HOFers,, a coupe more All Stars, a rookie phenom, and a host of supporting characters that would have starred on other teams.
Now with 2 missed playoff seasons and the 3rd straight absence looming, the argument made to me was that FSG may be looking for a Hockey Guy to come in and be part of the team to help make it viable again; give ownership another perspective other than Sullivan’s losing system – only 99 wins in the last 2 seasons (217gp) with only 77 of those wins in regulation time. Over the last 3 seasons, where Sullivan has been pretty much calling the shots. The Pens’ 3 season total has the club rank 21st in Pts% over that span.
I wouldn’t bet the house on it yet, but as the seats empty with each loss Sullivan generates, someone has to be sobering up in the front office.
Hi TOR!
As I suggested in an article Rick wrote a few days ago, I wonder if FSG considers selling the team on the sly. The team underperforms, there have been lots of empty seats at PPG for the last four years, especially the lower sections and a rebuild will take many years to achieve. Are the FSG owners losing patience or hope because their business is not as profitable as it should be? Was it a mistake to rely on the core from hockey and business standpoints?
When FSG bought the Pens in 2021, I didn’t see it as a good thing. To me, it didn’t make any sense. When Burkle and Lemieux were owners, you could feel this team spirit, that it was a meaningful team for the community. But with FSG, it is more corporate and the old spirit is all gone.
Another thing, superstars generate a lot of money. But with only Crosby (who is aging as anybody else) as an attraction, FSG finds itself in a situation where the team is in decline and doesn’t really have any assets that could generate substantial revenues.
That was my two cents…
Hi Jorenz,
I did see your reply from a couple of days back. Your reply was the first I had read on it – busy schedule. You may be right, FSG may be looking to piecemeal themselves out of Pgh, but I also don’t discount an attempt to simply get in a guy that knows hockey, particularly in light of the trade last night, shipping out to Sully favorites and and bringing in 3 guys over 6′ and younger than 30.
If it is just FSG slowly backing out of Pgh, I am ok with that. FSG certainly hasn’t made the hockey experience at the arena any better. They do not seem to have done their homework on the demographics.. However, if it is just FSG trying to get better Hockey understanding, I am still ok with it.