Through the first 23 games of the 2024-25 regular season, the Pittsburgh Penguins look anything but a contending team. They currently sit at a record of 7-12-4 and are dead last in the Metropolitan Division. The team seems to be out of sync for the most part, which has led to many calling for a change in the head coaching position. But if general manager (GM) Kyle Dubas decides to move on from long-time head coach Mike Sullivan, who could be the potential replacement?
Gerard Gallant
A name that seems to always find its way into a discussion regarding a coaching position opening up, Gerard Gallant could be an option for the Penguins if they want to hire an established NHL head coach. Gallant has spent 11 seasons as a head coach in the league, leading the Vegas Golden Knights (the organization’s first head coach) and New York Rangers to deep playoff runs with each team. He also won the Jack Adams Award (league’s best coach) following the 2017-18 season and was the runner-up in the 2015-16 season and a finalist for the 2021-22 season. He is a bit on the older side as a candidate, currently 61 years old, but he would help keep an established face at the helm for the Penguins.
Dave Hakstol
Another former head coach, Dave Hakstol, does not have quite the resume that Gallant has but is an established name that could pique the interest of the Penguins. A former Philadelphia Flyers head coach for parts of four seasons (2015-2018), Hakstol established himself with the Flyers, helping lead them to the playoffs in two of his three full seasons with the organization.
After being let go in the 2018-19 season, he made his way to Toronto as an assistant for the Maple Leafs before becoming the first head coach in the Seattle Kraken’s history. In just their second season, the Kraken made the playoffs in the 2022-23 season, and Hakstol was a finalist for the Jack Adams in the same season. He was let go the following season and has yet to get another crack at a head coaching job. He would undoubtedly bring experience to the Penguins and some new energy to the locker room.
Mitch Love
A name that many may not have heard of and one that is a bit unlikely, Mitch Love is a name that would be an intriguing and interesting one to keep an eye on for the Penguins. Currently an assistant with the Washington…
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