Mike Sullivan's genuine ambition is to guide the Penguins through their next great wave.
Kyle Dubas' genuine ambition is precisely the same, including the part where Sullivan's behind the bench.
A series of conversations over the past week, all conducted toward this all-hockey edition of Insider, has me wholly convinced of the accuracy of those two statements. And that's because everything I was told -- and it was a ton -- has me convinced that the bond, the mutual trust, the communication between Sullivan and Dubas ... it's all become stronger than ever.
Rather than spell all this out in storyboard form, I'll share a bunch of related bullets on this subject:
• Yes, these two really did reach an agreement on the firing of Todd Reirden. And I'm not just saying that because of Dubas' wording in the team's press release that both he and Sullivan "agree that this change was in the best interest of the team moving forward.” Emotions were sky-high on Long Island the night the season ended -- I was there and felt it -- and Dubas made the decision soon thereafter that it was no time to react rashly on any front. Reirden, the associate head coach, and the rest of Sullivan's staff were told it'd take a few days to determine their fate. That came at the two-week mark, only slightly longer than it takes most teams, and it came as the direct result of meetings between Dubas and Sullivan. Right to the end.
• Never at any stage of those meetings did any discussions become difficult, according to not one, not two but three individuals with direct knowledge, one of whom would have nothing to gain by saying so.
• Sullivan really won over Dubas through ... not so much the final-month surge but far more his relentless work ethic, his commitment to the team and the players and, yeah, his willingness to adapt/change as needed. The latter isn't to suggest that adaptation/change was imposed upon him, either. He just did that. And he did, as I've been writing for months, way more of that than might've been evident to the casual observer.
• Chief among those was to alter strategy and/or personnel choices with late leads, including the final minute of a period. Those didn't always work, of course, as was painfully obvious. But the seemingly common stance that Sullivan's too stubborn with his system was never accepted internally or, for that matter, by anyone peripherally familiar with hockey Xs and Os. Powerful case in point: Review film of any game over the final month and watch the Penguins' centers -- even Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin -- backpedaling to clog the neutral zone upon a clear loss of possession in the attacking zone. They might as well have blared on the big board 'STRATEGY CHANGE' to let everyone know.
• Sullivan had virtually no relationship with Dubas' predecessor, Ron Hextall. Nor was his input sought on significant moves. No one on the inside can put forth this example out loud, but I can and will: Anyone who thinks for a split-second that Sullivan would've wanted a player in the mold of Mikael Granlund would be out of their freaking minds. Sullivan and his staff were as floored as anyone at the Granlund acquisition. There are enough examples like this to fill a month's worth of Insiders.
• In the starkest possible contrast, by all accounts, Dubas has consistently sought Sullivan's input, even on the most minor moves. The communication's been constant and healthy, to the extent that Sullivan's often told Dubas he simply trusts him to get the move right.
• Both men are embracing the challenge not only of elevating the team back into contention through Crosby's remaining years but also beyond. It's openly talked about, that period of molding a group of young players into the next era of Pittsburgh hockey, concurrently with the rest. And again by all accounts, they're on the same page with how this can unfold, as well.
• Sullivan's three-year, $15.5 million extension that starts with the coming season is among the NHL's most lucrative and, while there might be a suitor somewhere who'd outpay it, no approach has been made from any other team, and none would be considered by Dubas and, more importantly, Sullivan. The latter's made his loyalty known to all concerned. He wants to win again here.
Not sure what out of this subject I wouldn't have covered, but hey, any other questions?
On to other material:
• The awful power play was, predictably, the predominant factor in Reirden's firing, but it didn't help that he couldn't come close to succeeding in getting good play out of Ryan Graves. Working with the defensemen has long been a Reirden ... not just specialty but a strength. Not with this one.
• No timetable on a replacement.
• No doors have been slammed by either the Penguins or Jake Guentzel regarding a return, but neither side ever seems to express any optimism in my conversations. Might be because his price can only continue to go up and up and up as he keeps performing as well as he already has in these Stanley Cup playoffs.
• The Pirates are entering a significant weekend, with the debut of Paul Skenes. I'll be at PNC Park for that, eager for anything to document that isn't the Andy Haines offense. I haven't been over there for a few days. No fun sharing the same stance over and over.
• The Steelers are entering a pretty cool weekend of their own, with rookie minicamp opening today. I'll be on the South Side for that, as well. All the way looking forward to this one.
• Thanks for reading Insider.
• And for listening:
