For four seasons, assistant/associate coach Todd Reirden ran the power play and defensive group for the Pittsburgh Penguins. In Reirden’s last two seasons in Pittsburgh, the Penguins power play hit new lows while the defense struggled in multiple areas.
Photo: Gene J. Puskar/AP
Reriden was relieved of his duties in early May and has officially been replaced by former San Jose Sharks head coach David Quinn. According to the Penguins, Quinn will oversee the defense, but word has yet to be made about power play duties.
The Penguins power play finished the 2023-24 season 30th in the NHL at 15.27%, well short of expectations. With the kind of offensive firepower the Penguins possess, anywhere below average is unacceptable.
Had the Penguins found ways to succeed on the power play, they could have had a much better outcome to their season.
Even with Quinn coming aboard, it’s unclear who will coach the power play in 2024-25.
Quinn will, however, take over the defensive group and work to rebound after a lackluster year. The Penguins hired Quinn because of his defensive mindset. In the team's release, Kyle Dubas noted just how good his defensive acumen is.
“Quinn has a long track record of helping elite defensemen reach their full potential, and we look forward to the impact he can make on our defensive group and our entire program.”
In his first year with the Sharks, Quinn was behind the bench for Erik Karlsson’s historic 101-point season. Karlsson wasn’t awful in his first season with the Penguins, but he didn’t reach expectations.
Adding Quinn to the coaching staff should elevate the game of the entire defensive corps and help Karlsson get back to his best.
Quinn was the right hire for the Penguins, and it should be shown by a significant improvement on the defensive side of the puck in 2024-25.
