- Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Expect big changes in Pittsburgh. Kovacevic expects Dan Bylsma and Ray Shero to be fired. Kovacevic has been told that changes would be primarily based on the organizations failure to support and protect Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. The team’s inability or unwillingness to do so.
“Obviously, I would have liked to score more, contribute more,” Crosby said after the game, when he also affirmed one final time he was healthy. “It wasn’t a lack of effort or competing. But it doesn’t make it any easier, I’ll tell you that.”
Shero didn’t bring any tough, even dirty players, to add depth to their third or fourth lines. The Penguins brought little toughness. Tanner Glass was scratched for five games and Deryk Engelland didn’t dress.
Crosby and Malkin are not, and shouldn’t be going anywhere. They need to get “bigger, stronger, meaner, faster and deeper”. To bring a coach that brings “tightness, discipline and passion.”
- Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Penguins ownership will consider a sweeping overhaul that could involve management and the coaching staff. Source saying ownership is concerned with “a perceived lack of accountability for players, overall team toughness and unproductive drafts.” Sources also added that ownership may not want front-office changes this close to the draft. They won’t be in a rush to make a decision.
- David Pagnotta: If the salary cap is at $71.1 million, the Penguins have about $16 million in cap space with 13 UFAs on their roster. GM Ray Shero has more than his coach to worry about.
- Josh Rimer: Thinks the Penguins could look to re-acquire Jordan Staal. It’s been tough for the Penguins to replace him since he left.
- Corey Pronman: The Penguins may just need to add some smaller pieces to increase their depth. They don’t need to make a panic move.
- Spector’s Hockey: Dan Bylsma is likely gone. Who are they going to move? Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin should be the only untouchables. Management can’t sit on their hands as it’s been five years since they won the Stanley Cup, and are not closer to winning the Cup again. For those saying the Penguins should move Malkin, he has a no-movement clause, and unless he asks to be traded, he won’t be going anywhere.
- Sam Carchidi: Dan Bylsma has likely coached his last game for the Penguins. John Stevens name will likely be a rumored candidate to replace him.
- Hope Smoke: Darren Dreger: “The Pens have a lot of money locked up into that core. It might be time to move Malkin out.” … “There are those, close to Crosby, who say he thinks it’s time to get him better wingers”
What do you think the Penguins should do?