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Top Coaching Candidate Penguins Must Target if Sullivan Moves On
Photo credit: Edit from Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Should Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan move on and not be the coach of the team next season, Kyle Dubas must absolutely target Rick Tocchet to take over.
Rick Tocchet's return to Vancouver is uncertain, and if he comes back, it'll be on a multi-year deal.
Canucks president Jim Rutherford indicated that the team won't exercise Tocchet's one-year option, saying any potential comeback would hinge on a new, multi-year contract.
In a disappointing campaign, Rutherford strongly supports Tocchet and his players, crediting them with steady leadership and addressing tough issues, notably the locker room battle between J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson that derailed team morale.
"Here's my take on the situation. Vancouver, led by team president Jim Rutherford, very much wants Tocchet to stay. I know this for a fact. So extreme is Rutherford's respect for Tocchet, however, that he didn't want to force him into signing an option year if indeed he doesn't wish to coach the Canucks. Rutherford, therefore, is simply giving Tocchet the power here."
- Josh Yohe
- Josh Yohe
Tocchet returned to Las Vegas over the weekend to consider his future. Rutherford indicated he anticipates a decision shortly and confirmed that negotiations are ongoing with Tocchet's agent, Steve Mountain.
Vancouver's offer is said to be the most generous ever made to a coach in franchise history.
Tocchet played for the Penguins and even helped coached them in the past
But if Tocchet is to leave Vancouver, and if Mike Sullivan leaves the Penguins, Pittsburgh needs to aggressively seek his return. Tocchet is familiar with the Penguins' organization.
"I sense that Tocchet is probably going to walk. That Canucks roster is a mess and I imagine Tocchet would like to head back east."
- Josh Yohe
- Josh Yohe
He was a member of the 1992 Stanley Cup team when he played for the Penguins as a player, and he assisted in bringing two more Stanley Cups there as an assistant coach in the Penguins' championship years of 2016 and 2017.
He understands the city, the culture, and winning in black and gold. If the Pens are headed for a coaching change, Tocchet would be an excellent choice to restore identity and accountability behind the bench.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 23 | 152 ANSWERS Top Coaching Candidate Penguins Must Target if Sullivan Moves On Should the Penguins bring in Rick Tocchet as the team's head coach? | ||
| Yes | 102 | 67.1 % |
| No | 50 | 32.9 % |
| List of polls | ||