What I'm hearing about the Penguins' coaching search, offseason plans

New York Times

15-05-2025

STOCKHOLM — Kyle Dubas is a busy man these days.
The Pittsburgh Penguins president and general manager is also Canada's GM at the ongoing World Championship in Sweden.
Dubas is pulling double duty, guiding Canada in the tournament while conducting Penguins coaching interviews from Stockholm.
I sense that the Penguins probably won't have a new coach until late this month for two reasons: the logistics of Dubas being in Sweden, and Dubas not entering the process with one coach in mind. He wants to take his time getting to know candidates before he makes up his mind.
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One candidate to watch is Washington Capitals assistant coach Mitch Love.
Penguins team sources have told me that Love, who was a very successful junior and AHL coach, was impressive during his interview.
He seems to be on the short list of favorites for the job. Love was a tough player in his minor-league playing days, and Dubas has concerns about the Penguins' lack of size and toughness.
Drew Bannister, the former coach of the St. Louis Blues, is another coach who has drawn interest from the Penguins.
Rick Tocchet is one of the few people with mutual affection for the Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers. He was named the Flyers' new coach on Wednesday, which did not come as a surprise.
Tocchet knew all along during this offseason that the Flyers opening was his if he wanted it.
That doesn't mean Tocchet didn't consider the Penguins job, but the timing and circumstances didn't work out. Dubas and Tocchet have mutual respect, but nothing more than a casual conversation took place between the two.
Tocchet's concern about the job echoed Mike Sullivan's departure. Tocchet wants to win, and he wants to win now. You can argue about how close the Flyers are to winning, of course. But the Flyers are further along in their rebuild than the Penguins are. Tocchet didn't want to find himself in a situation where struggling in the first couple of seasons was OK because the franchise is building. He wants to win now and wasn't certain that the Penguins are ready for that.
Dubas considers getting the Penguins back to championship contention to be urgent. However, it's clear Dubas thinks the proper plan is to build through the draft and by acquiring young players. While those might be the recipes for long-term success, they require time. That just wasn't the job Tocchet was looking for. So, he made up his mind.
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Other teams were interested in Tocchet, including the Boston Bruins and the Seattle Kraken.
The Kraken, in fact, were hot after Tocchet, and it made some sense. Seattle's president is Ron Francis, one of Tocchet's teammates during the Penguins' 1992 Stanley Cup run. Tocchet's son lives in the Seattle area, too, and Tocchet had already familiarized himself with the Pacific Northwest, having spent parts of the past three seasons as head coach of the Vancouver Canucks.
Tocchet, however, is a former Flyers captain and retains a soft spot for Philadelphia. He is close friends with Keith Jones, the Flyers' president. And mny people, including Canucks president Jim Rutherford, have stated that Tocchet prefers to coach in the Eastern Conference.
I think Tocchet was sincere about talking with other teams and gauging his situation. In the back of his mind, though, I think the Flyers were always the favorite.
Speaking of teams in the Metropolitan Division, the Penguins will be waiting to hear from the New York Rangers at some point in the next six weeks regarding the 12th selection in the NHL Draft.
The Rangers have the right to retain that pick. Doing so would mean the Penguins would instead receive the Rangers' first-round pick in the loaded 2026 NHL Draft.
No one I've spoken to in the Penguins organization has even an inkling of what the Rangers will do. The Penguins essentially have two different plans, depending on what New York president and GM Chris Drury decides. Drury has until 48 hours before the June 27 draft to let the Penguins know.
The Penguins' draft strategy obviously will change depending on New York's decision.
Some have suggested that, if they have picks 11 and 12, the Penguins could make a splash by trading up.
Anything is possible. This draft is pretty top-heavy. However, it's unlikely that Dubas would pair those two picks to move up into the top five. Possible, sure. Unlikely, yes.
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Dubas would be more likely to keep both picks and add two blue-chip prospects to the Penguins' system. If indeed he did trade one of those picks, it would more than likely be for a very good, young player already in the NHL. The problem is that those players aren't often available. It remains most likely that Dubas simply would hold onto both picks if the Rangers indeed give the Penguins the 12th choice.
Much like moving way up the draft, some people have suggested the Penguins will use offer sheets to their advantage this summer. Dubas has acknowledged it's a possibility.
Yes, it's conceivable, but it's not likely. Giving a player an offer sheet comes at a price, and I don't know that the Penguins deem anyone out there to be worth the price it would take.
Sidney Crosby was totally polite, as usual, when I asked him about having a role in the current coaching search. But there was an edge to his tone.
He doesn't seem to love that people think he would flex his muscles to bring in a specific coach. Crosby is not a diva and doesn't like people thinking he is.
More than anything, I sense Crosby is getting very tired of losing. He wants things to turn around for the Penguins, and sooner rather than later.
(Photo of Mitch Love: Jess Rapfogel / NHLI via Getty Images)