Penguins Coach on Hot Seat After Rough Start

The Pittsburgh Penguins have the longest tenured head coach in the NHL, but he should be on the hot seat due to his team's poor start.

Dec 16, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan (middle) looks on from the bench during the second period against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images / John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been under the guidance of Mike Sullivan since December of 2015. In those nine years since, Sully has become the winningest coach in organization history, including two Stanley Cup victories in 2016 and 2017.

The Penguins now have the longest tenured coach in the NHL, but many believe that time is coming to an end. Sullivan certainly isn't doing any favors with his recent performance.

Yes, there's the past two seasons. The 2022-2023 season ended in complete disappointment, as losses in the final week of the regular season ended their playoff appearance streak at 16 seasons. They followed that up with another failure of a regular season in 2023-2024, and missed the postseason for the second consecutive year.

This year, it's only getting worse for Sullivan's team. The Pens are 3-5-1 through their first nine games and the team looks in disarray. Their captain Sidney Crosby doesn't look totally engaged. Last year's trade deadline acquisition, Michael Bunting, had his ice time reduced with just a lone point to begin the season. The supposed starting goalie, Tristan Jarry, has been so awful that he didn't even join the team during their recent road trip.

For most NHL teams, at least ones that consider themselves to be championship contenders, back-to-back missed postseasons would be grounds for removal. But Sullivan has avoided that fate, and even received more support and backing from the Penguins' ownership group.

But the Penguins' front office won't be able to ignore this for much longer. The Pens aren't going to be a real contender for the immediate future regardless of who is behind the bench, but that doesn't mean Sullivan deserves to be the one there. The poor start is only solidifying Sullivan's place on the hot seat, and it's only heating up with passing loss.

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