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Harrison Brunicke May Start Next Year In AHL

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Before he was brought into the Penguins organization to be the head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2015-16, and before he served as the Canucks assistant coach and Blackhawks development coach, Sullivan served as the Rangers assistant coach from 2009-2013.

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  • In his offseason series regarding Pittsburgh Penguins’ players, Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review took a look at prospect Harrison Brunicke’s developmental status. As one of the team’s higher-end prospects, Brunicke competed for a spot on the Penguins opening night lineup before the 2024-25 campaign started. Unfortunately, due to a wrist injury that limited him to 10 games for the AHL Penguins, Rorabaugh believes Brunicke is likely another year away from becoming a full-timer in Pittsburgh.

Penguins Re-Sign Filip Hallander To Two-Year Deal

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9:50 a.m.: The Penguins have confirmed Hallander’s two-year contract.

7:56 a.m.: After spurning his qualifying offer in 2023 to return home to Sweden, Filip Hallander has signed a two-year deal with the Penguins beginning next season, according to PuckPedia. It’s a one-way pact for the league minimum of $775K each season for a total value of $1.55MM.

So begins the 24-year-old center’s third stint in the Pittsburgh organization. Selected in the second round (No. 58 overall) of the 2018 draft, Hallander signed his entry-level contract shortly thereafter but spent his two slide years and the first year of the contract on loan to Timrå IK and Luleå HF of the Swedish Hockey League. During that time, he was traded to the Maple Leafs in August 2020 as part of the deal for Kasperi Kapanen. Still, he was reacquired the following summer when Toronto acquired Jared McCann from Pittsburgh, only to lose him to the Kraken in the expansion draft.

After the second trade, Hallander’s overseas loans ended. He played the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons stateside, suiting up mostly for AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton but still seeing a trio of NHL games across the two campaigns. He didn’t record a point or a shot attempt but averaged 8:36 per game, recording three blocks and one hit. He put up a 25-36–61 scoring line in 104 AHL games across two seasons with a plus-four rating, including 33 points in only 43 games in 2022-23.

That was enough for the Penguins to want to keep Hallander, but the feeling wasn’t mutual at the time. Instead of signing a new deal with Pittsburgh upon expiry of his entry-level contract in 2023, he returned to Timrå, where he played his youth hockey, on a five-year commitment with an NHL out-clause. The Penguins still issued him a qualifying offer by the June 30 deadline despite Hallander signing the deal in April, retaining his exclusive NHL signing rights through 2027 as a result.

That decision paid dividends. Hallander was just named the Swedish Forward of the Year after a dominant campaign for Timrå, finishing second in the SHL with 26 goals and 53 points in 51 games. He was one of just two players to exceed the point-per-game mark this season at 1.04, trailing only newly signed Oilers forward David Tomasek’s 1.21.

A one-way deal indicates the Penguins expect Hallander to seriously compete for an opening-night roster spot next fall. If he’s sent to the minors without much assurance of a call-up, though, expect Hallander to pursue a mutual contract termination (of course, if he’s not claimed on waivers and gets an NHL opportunity elsewhere). With only 10 other forwards signed to one-way deals for next year, though, there’s a clear path to a roster spot out of the gate. Hallander, who turns 25 in June, will be an unrestricted free agent when his new deal expires in 2027.

Speculation Ramping Up On What Sidney Crosby May Think About Coaching Change

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With Mike Sullivan and the Pittsburgh Penguins agreeing to part ways, reporters at general manager Kyle Dubas’ press conference today asked several questions related to Sidney Crosby’s involvement in the process. At one point during the conference, tensions appeared to rise slightly when Dubas was asked if Crosby was happy with the change. Dubas immediately responded that he wouldn’t speak on behalf of the team’s long-time captain.

Penguins, Mike Sullivan Part Ways

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The Penguins are moving on from head coach Mike Sullivan, per a team announcement.

“On behalf of Fenway Sports Group and the Penguins organization, I would like to thank Mike Sullivan for his unwavering commitment and loyalty to the team and City of Pittsburgh over the past decade,” said president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas. “Mike is known for his preparation, focus, and fierce competitiveness. I was fortunate to have a front-row seat to his dedication to this franchise for the past two seasons. He will forever be an enormous part of Penguins history, not only for the impressive back-to-back Cups, his impact on the core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Bryan Rust, but more importantly, for his love and loyalty to the organization.”

It’s not a true firing – rather, a mutual decision for Sullivan to pursue another opportunity and for Pittsburgh to find a new identity behind the bench in the twilight of their core’s careers. Sullivan had two years left on a three-year extension. It’s unclear whether the Penguins will still pay him the money owed on that deal.

“A thorough search for the next head coach of the Penguins will begin immediately,” the team said. The Pens join the Blackhawks, Bruins, Ducks, Flyers, Kraken, and Rangers as teams with active vacancies at head coach.

It was another underwhelming 2024-25 season for Sullivan and the Penguins, who continued their slide down the standings and missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season. With a 34-36-12 record, Pittsburgh finished under .500 for the first time since going 22-46-14 in Crosby’s rookie season in 2005-06.

Sullivan has been the Pens’ bench boss for essentially the latter half of the Crosby-Malkin-Letang trifecta era. Promoted from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton midway through the 2015-16 season after Pittsburgh fired Mike Johnston, he immediately led the team to back-to-back championships in 2016 and 2017. But after beating the Flyers in the first round in 2018, Sullivan’s Penguins have yet to win a playoff series.

The 57-year-old was the second-longest tenured head coach in the league behind the Lightning’s Jon Cooper. His illustrious Pittsburgh era concludes with a 409-255-89 record (.602) in 753 regular-season games, holding the franchise wins record by a considerable margin over Dan Bylsma (252). Including his two-year tenure behind the Bruins’ bench in 2003-04 and 2005-06, Sullivan’s 479 career wins as head coach rank 32nd in NHL history. Since Sullivan assumed his duties in Pittsburgh on Dec. 12, 2015, the Pens rank eighth in the league in points percentage.

While Pittsburgh has significantly overhauled its depth ranks over the past few seasons, the vast majority of its core remains in place outside of Jake Guentzel, whom they traded to the Hurricanes at last year’s deadline. This is a more unexpected major change – Dubas told Wes Crosby of NHL.com last week he was expecting Sullivan back behind the bench for 2025-26. Perhaps today’s news is more at Sullivan’s request than the team’s.

Sullivan will be a person of interest in every active head coaching search. The Rangers have pursued him aggressively in the past, especially before he signed his extension in 2022. There’s no firm enough reporting yet to call them a frontrunner, but with Peter Laviolette out the door and Chris Drury still in his post as general manager, it’s nearly a given they’ll be among the most well-equipped teams to land his services.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.

Karlsson's Bonus Payout In July Could Create Trade Value This Summer

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Erik Karlsson’s tenure with Pittsburgh has been a bit underwhelming, to say the least.  While he has eclipsed 50 points in each of his first two years, his totals pale in comparison to the 101 he had in 2022-23 with San Jose.  In a recent 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman mused that once Karlsson’s signing bonus gets paid (July 1st is the payment date for most but not all), the 34-year-old will be more of a realistic trade target.  At that point, he’ll be down to just $11.5MM in cash owed over the final two years of the contract, a chunk of which the Sharks will be picking up.  If the Penguins are willing to retain further, they might find a relatively decent trade market for his services, especially among some of the lower-spending teams who might find extra value in having an AAV higher than cash owed.

Eastern Conference Notes: Martin, Puljujarvi, Lukashevich

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The New York Rangers have opted to sign general manager Chris Drury to a multi-year extension even after a convoluted and disappointing campaign. That decision could leave assistant general manager Ryan Martin open to finding a promotion elsewhere this summer, and maybe even a move to the New York Islanders, per ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski.

Martin has served as the general manager of the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack for the last four seasons, in addition to his assistant role with the Rangers. He’s an experienced professional in the hockey world, set to reach his 20th season in an NHL front office next season. The bulk of that time was spent in the Detroit Red Wings organization, where Martin began his career as the Director of Hockey Administration in 2005. He served in that role for five seasons before a promotion to assistant general manager in 2010.

The Red Wings added AHL general manager to his title two years later. Martin led the Grand Rapids Griffins to an AHL championship in his first year at the helm in 2012-13, then won again with a new head coach in 2016-17. The Griffins made the postseason in seven out of eight years under Martin, and missed back-to-back playoffs after he left in 2020-21.

Martin continued his strong streak in Hartford. After only making the playoffs once in the prior seven years, the Wolf Pack have made two of a possible four postseason appearances under Martin’s reign – missing in his first season with the club (2021-22) and this season. That’s a dazzling record for a seasoned executive, and could be exactly what some NHL teams  consistently on the fringe of the postseason – like the Islanders – are looking for in their next managerial hire.

Other notes from out East:

  • The Florida Panthers have recalled forward Jesse Puljujarvi but plan to soon send him back down, per Colby Guy of The Palm Beach Post. Guy shares that Puljujarvi will serve his two-game suspension for an illegal check to the head of Tampa Bay Lightning forward Mitchell Chafee, before returning to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers for their Calder Cup Playoff run. Puljujarvi received the suspension after Florida’s final game of the regular season. He only played in five games on the Panthers roster this year, with one goal and 15 penalty minutes to show for it. Puljujarvi has been far better in the minors, with 13 points in 22 games with Charlotte and a combined 16 points in 26 games on the full season. Puljujarvi began the season in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization.
  • Sticking in Florida, 2021 fourth-round pick Vladislav Lukashevich has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal per NHL.com’s Mark Divver. Lukashevich is expected to transfer to Miami University per Divver and sources available to Pro Hockey Rumors. In Miami, Ohio –  Lukashevich will reunite with former USHL head coach Anthony Noreen. Lukashevich scored seven points in 29 games with Michigan State University this season, while serving in a bottom-pair role. A move to a smaller school should offer a path to more opportunity and, hopefully, more scoring.

Penguins Prospect Tanner Howe Undergoes ACL Reconstruction Surgery

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2024 second-rounder Tanner Howe’s development will be on hold for quite a while. The Penguins forward prospect underwent ACL reconstruction surgery on his right knee yesterday and will need nine months of recovery time, the team announced.

It’s a terrible blow for Howe, whom Pittsburgh selected with the No. 46 overall pick in last year’s draft. A longtime linemate of Blackhawks phenom Connor Bedard when the two were paired together with the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League, Howe naturally has a strong scoring track record in major junior play. He’s held his own without Bedard, though, finishing his post-draft season with 18-28–46 in 47 games with Regina and the Calgary Hitmen.

Howe missed a chunk of the Hitmen’s postseason run due to his knee injury but still managed to post 2-7–9 in six games to end the year. Since he turns 20 in November, he was looking to make the jump to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the fall and make his professional debut. That’ll need to get put on hold while Howe misses training camp and at least the first half of 2025-26 recuperating from a serious procedure.

The hope is that by missing precious development time now, Howe isn’t jeopardizing his career by exacerbating his injury. Nonetheless, the high-energy 5’11”, 183-lb winger makes speed a crucial part of his game, making such a significant knee injury this early in his career cause for concern.

Howe ranked as the No. 6 prospect in Pittsburgh’s system when Scott Wheeler of The Athletic did his midseason rankings, placing second among left-wingers behind No. 1 Rutger McGroarty. He’s got a foreseeable path toward being a middle-six fixture for the Pens down the road if he can properly heal from this surgery.

Penguins Unlikely To Qualify Raivis Ansons

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According to Seth Rorabaugh of the Tribune-Review, the Pittsburgh Penguins are unlikely to issue forward prospect Raivis Ansons his $813K qualifying offer this summer. Ansons would become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career and would be a candidate to return overseas to continue his professional career.

The Penguins selected Ansons with the 149th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft from the QMJHL’s Baie-Comeau Drakkar. Ansons scored 13 goals and 35 points in 60 games during his draft year, and Pittsburgh believed he could be a long-term candidate in the bottom-six of the team’s forward group.

After a year in his native Latvia and a return trip to the QMJHL, Ansons signed his entry-level contract with the Penguins in 2022 and played for their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Unfortunately, his time in the AHL has been nothing short of a disaster, as Ansons has only managed five goals and 14 points in 87 career contests. Coupled with an undisclosed injury that limited him to nine games this year, the Penguins organization is seemingly ready to move on from one of their recent draft choices.

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Metro Notes: Sullivan, Penguins Goaltending, Fehervary

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The Pittsburgh Penguins won’t be among the few teams looking for a new bench boss this summer. In an article from Wes Crosby of NHL.com, the Penguins will retain head coach Mike Sullivan through the 2025-26 NHL season.

Sullivan’s tenure as the longest-serving coach in franchise history is a story of two distinct coaching periods. He guided Pittsburgh to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017, and into the playoffs for another five years after.

Unfortunately, the dream ended in 2022-23, as the Penguins missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2005-06 season. Throughout his first 507 games behind the bench, he coached Pittsburgh to a 297-156-54 record. Since the start of the 2022-23 campaign, the Penguins have only mustered a 112-99-35 in the last 246 games under Sullivan’s tutelage.

Other notes from the Metropolitan Division:

  • In a separate article from Michelle Crechiolo, General Manager Kyle Dubas indicated that netminders Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic would compete for the spot they wanted in training camp. Indirectly, that confirms that the Penguins intend to keep both netminders on the team throughout the summer, and that won’t be an area they’ll look to improve externally. Both goalies showed flashes of quality play throughout the 2024-25 season. Still, Pittsburgh finished the year with a 30th-ranked 3.50 GA/G and a 27th-ranked .884 SV%.
  • Defenseman Martin Fehérváry isn’t in the lineup for the Washington Capitals in Game 1 of their opening-round matchup against the Montreal Canadiens, as alluded to by Sammi Silber of The Hockey News this morning. Fehérváry continues to recover from an ankle injury suffered in Washington’s penultimate game of the season. Still, it granted an opportunity for Alexander Alexeyev, who’s taken Fehérváry’s spot in the lineup for tonight’s contest.

Penguins Should Try Keeping Evgeni Malkin Beyond Next Season

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The Penguins are approaching a new era as players such as Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby prepare for the final seasons of their NHL careers. Crosby has already re-upped with the Penguins for another two seasons, but Malkin has one more year on his contract and will likely retire at the end of the season (as per Josh Yohe of The Athletic). However, Yohe also stated in a recent mailbag that Malkin could stick around with the Penguins if he has a good year, which could be a wise move for Pittsburgh should Malkin be productive in his age-39 season.

It’s not often that rookie NHLers get to play with one franchise icon, let alone two, which is what Pittsburgh could offer their youngsters if Malkin continues to play a few more years. The key would be ensuring that Malkin is productive and that the Penguins don’t simply become a nostalgia act that blocks opportunities for their younger players.

From Malkin’s perspective, he may want to walk away after next season. He doesn’t have much to play for. He’s already a lock for the Hockey Hall of Fame and certainly has no financial reason to play, given that he’s made nearly $150MM in his NHL playing career (as per PuckPedia). It likely comes down to whether he has the itch to stay in Pittsburgh with the Penguins and if he feels he can contribute.

The Penguins have had a growing need for a youth movement for years now, and thanks to the work of general manager Kyle Dubas, it feels that time has come. Pittsburgh’s prospect pool has improved considerably in less than two years, and an injection of younger players is coming to the Penguins’ lineup very soon. Perhaps the excitement of a youth movement could create a desire for Malkin to stay and be a mentor, much like Malkin had with Sergei Gonchar when he first made his way to the NHL.

If Geno stayed in Pittsburgh beyond next season, the question would become in what capacity. Malkin can still produce like a second-line center, but would greatly benefit from a move to the wing and perhaps a lighter schedule. He and Crosby showed some chemistry in a small sample size this year, during which Malkin moved to the wing, and Crosby centered the first line. Malkin doesn’t have the wheels or the strength that made him a Hart Trophy winner a decade ago, but his skill, vision, and playmaking ability are still elite and would be helpful on a line where he isn’t the focal point. He could remain a solid weapon on the power play as he still possesses a heavy one-timer and strong passing ability.

Off the ice, Malkin’s presence in the Penguins’ dressing room and his connection to the fanbase are intangibles that a younger, cheaper player can’t easily replace. He remains a fan favorite in Pittsburgh and one who could help Crosby mentor the next wave of Penguins forwards. Dubas has expressed an interest in maintaining a winning culture within the Penguins organization, and few players have won more in their careers than Malkin.

If the Penguins opt to keep Malkin beyond next season, it would mean he will be playing into his 40s. At that point, a year-to-year contract would make the most sense for both the team and the player. If Malkin is willing to return on a reasonable one-year deal and still produce, there’s no reason for the Penguins to turn the page. He could play a reduced schedule of 60-70 games at 15 minutes a night and likely still produce around 50 points per season.

That is a best-case scenario in which Malkin doesn’t suffer a severe decline over the next year. The issue is that Malkin’s play has declined over the last few seasons, and if there is another dip in his play, he may walk away at the end of next season. Some will point to Crosby and Alex Ovechkin and how well they are playing, but they have had the benefit of better health and better linemates. People can look at Crosby’s concussions, and that has undoubtedly cost him time and points. However, Malkin has had two complete ACL surgeries in his career, and his legs are nowhere near what they were ten years ago.

In contrast, Crosby maintains his speed and strength on the puck. Crosby has also played with Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell this season, while Ovechkin has played on one of the top teams in the NHL. Malkin has spent much of the season on a line with Cody Glass, Philip Tomasino and Danton Heinen.

Whether Malkin retires after next season or plays a few more after that, he will likely go down as the fourth member in the Mount Rushmore of Pittsburgh Penguins, next to Crosby, Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr, and his legacy among Penguins fans will live on. He may top the 1400 point plateau next season, and while he’s not one of the top 100 players of all time, he probably should be.

Photo by Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

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