Penguins Facing Competition for Top Candidate; Interviews Next Week

The Pittsburgh Penguins had a very good introductory video chat with Washington Capitals assistant coach Mitch Love. The conversation was among their first round of conversations to fill the vacancy created when general manager Kyle Dubas decided that Mike Sullivan had finally reached his expiration date after nearly 10 years and parted company with the bench boss who brought a pair of Stanley Cups.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now is hearing that in-person interviews for the Penguins job could start mid-next week. Dubas is currently with Team Canada as the GM of the IIHF World Championships team, and should Canada advance to the gold medal game, the medal games are Sunday, May 25. Dubas is expected back and will be conducting the job interviews by Thursday.

Sources also confirmed to Pittsburgh Hockey Now that Love had an outstanding conversation with Dubas. There seems to be a growing buzz about Love around the organization and the league. His ability to communicate and effectively sell his teams on defensive commitment with a calm delivery has made him popular.

However, with the notoriety comes competition for his services.

The Penguins are not the only team interested in Love, as the Seattle Kraken are also expected to talk with Love about their opening that was created with significant organizational shuffling following a disappointing season. The team reassigned GM Ron Francis within the organization, promoted assistant GM Jason Botterill to GM, but also terminated first-year coach Dan Bylsma.

In addition to Love, TSN reports that former New York Islanders coach Lane Lambert and current Penguins assistant coach David Quinn are contenders for the Seattle job, too.

Quinn was previously the head coach of the New York Rangers and San Jose Sharks, lasting three and two seasons, respectively. After San Jose dismissed Quinn following last season, he eventually landed on the Penguins staff as an assistant to Sullivan. The pair were former college teammates at Boston University and close friends.

Lambert, 60, is the opposite end of the coaching spectrum from Love and is not thought to be a candidate for the Penguins coaching position. He lasted just 127 games as the New York Islanders’ coach from 2022 into the 2023-24 season.

Love, 40, is the youngest coaching candidate on the market. He’s been an assistant coach under Spencer Carbery with Washington for the past two seasons after a pair of successful seasons coaching the Calgary Flames’ AHL affiliates. Washington’s season ended with a loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in Round Two.

Carbery was one of the hottest coaching candidates two summers ago and had multiple teams chasing him. Washington’s quick turnaround from sneaking into the playoffs to division winner in one season has only served to enhance Carbery’s public perception, and Love has been a part of that.

The Penguins, Seattle, and Boston Bruins are the three remaining teams with coaching vacancies. Multiple outlets have reported that former Ottawa Senators head coach D.J. Smith also had a solid first virtual meeting with Dubas.

Another candidate for the Penguins’ job is believed to be Boston assistant coach Jay Leach, who has ties to all three organizations.

Leach’s first coaching job in North American professional hockey was as an assistant coach under Mike Sullivan with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at the start of the 2015-16 season. Leach became the interim coach when the organization promoted Sullivan to Pittsburgh Penguins head coach, replacing Mike Johnston.