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Sidney Crosby and Dan Muse, like Alex Ovechkin and Spencer Carbery
Maxime Truman
Sidney Crosby and Dan Muse, like Alex Ovechkin and Spencer Carbery
Credit: 31 head coaching jobs are currently filled in the NHL. Peter DeBoer has jumped to Dallas (and I’ve been talking about that for a while), but for now, every other NHL team has a head coach. Marco Sturm will lead the Bruins and Dan Muse, the Penguins. Welcome to Pittsburgh, Dan Muse! Details: https://t.co/5Dnommr9ef pic.twitter.com/gW8CN40gmf […]
31 head coaching jobs are currently filled in the NHL. Peter DeBoer has jumped to Dallas (and I’ve been talking about that for a while), but for now, every other NHL team has a head coach.

Marco Sturm will lead the Bruins and Dan Muse, the Penguins.

And just because he looks good doesn’t mean he won’t be a good coach..

No, Muse’s challenge in Pittsburgh won’t be easy. He’ll be leading an aging roster that refuses to rebuild. Crosby, Ovechkin, Letang, Karlsson… they’re all closer to 40 than 30. And Dan Muse is only 42..

How will the Penguins’ veterans react when they receive instructions from Muse?

Many see Crosby requesting a trade to play for a team closer to the big time… and an experienced coach better suited to him.

Except that! People were saying the same thing about Alex Ovechkin exactly two years ago, after the Capitals missed the playoffs following an 80-point season. You know, the Penguins just missed the playoffs with an 80-point season..

What did Ovechkin do after the appointment of Spencer Carbery (41 at the time)? He stayed in Washington because he wanted to spend his whole career there.

He started scoring goals again, broke Wayne Gretzky’s record and led the Capitals back to the playoffs.

Sometimes, what we think is logical and rational isn’t necessarily so for the main player. In short, before saying that Crosby is going to ask to be traded (to Montreal, like), remember Alex Ovechkin, Spencer Carbery and the Capitals.

We don’t know; maybe Dan Muse will lead the Penguins back to the playoffs?

Carbery didn’t have a great playing career; he coached in the ECHL, OHL and AHL, before becoming an assistant in the NHL.

Muse didn’t have a great playing career, he coached in the USL, as well as with the American program, before becoming an assistant in the NHL.

Sounds pretty similar, doesn’t it? And that means one thing: let’s wait and see if Crosby wants to leave Pittsburgh.

All that remains to be seen is whether Kyle Dubas thought too much outside the box when he hired Dan Muse… or whether he was a visionary.

We’ll find out in a few months, if not years.

Note that only Ty Hennes is still an assistant coach with the Penguins. So there’ll be plenty of room for Muse’s men.

And don’t forget that even though Sidney Crosby said he wasn’t involved in the hiring process, he must still have been informed of the direction the Penguins were going to take.


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