The Pittsburgh Penguins fired head coach Mike Sullivan on Monday. After setting the franchise record for games coached, wins, and playoff wins, his tenure in Pittsburgh is over. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has hardly lost a step, with another point-per-game season under his belt. So Kyle Dubas knew he had to run the decision by the franchise legend. What did 87 say?

“PIT GM Kyle Dubas said he called Sidney Crosby yesterday to give him a heads-up on the coaching change: ‘Five-minute conversation…I have to do what’s best for organization,'” Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported.

There has been a lot of conversation around a potential Crosby trade amid the Penguins' rebuild. Dubas was asked about that as well and gave a resounding answer, per Friedman. “Asked if he’s concerned Crosby will want to leave due to this move, Dubas simply said no.”

The Penguins have three future Hall-of-Famers still on their team in Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. Dubas has been tabbed with making sure that the group does not go out with a whimper. Yet, they have not won a playoff series since 2018 and have not made the postseason since 2022.

Will firing Sullivan be enough for the Penguins to compete again before Crosby retires?

The Penguins need a lot of help to compete

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Based on Dubas' answer, it does not seem that Crosby had a lot of say in Sullivan's firing. A heads-up is a lot different than a consultation, which could have left the option open for Crosby. Regardless of what the captain would have wanted, the decision has been made now. Dubas has to find the right archetype of coach to lead the Penguins forward.

The first direction the Penguins could go is to keep the job in-house. David Quinn was an assistant on Sullivan's staff and has NHL experience with the Rangers and Sharks. Assistant coach Ty Hennes has been in the organization since 2018 and could be ready for the promotion. But because of their lack of success, they should not go this way.

The second, and most likely, option is a coach with prior experience. That could be someone like Joel Quenneville, who has the second-most wins in NHL history but was suspended for the 2010 Blackhawks scandal. It could also be Jay Woodcroft, who led the Oilers to the most successful regular season in the McDavid era.

The Penguins could also go with the developmental coach, like University of Denver bench boss David Carle. He recently withdrew his name from consideration for the Blackhawks job, but could coaching Crosby be enough to lure him to the NHL?