The Pittsburgh Penguins are poised for a major shift across PA sports betting, with buzz growing over who will replace head coach Mike Sullivan. PennStakes.com has unveiled the latest betting hypothetical odds for the next Pittsburgh Penguins head coach, spotlighting top candidates and potential surprises. With Sidney Crosby anchoring a roster hungry for Stanley Cup glory, the next Penguins coach faces sky-high expectations.
This article dives into the Pittsburgh Penguins coaching odds, key contenders, and what each brings to the ice.
Coach | Position | Percentage Chance | Odds |
Mitch Love | Washington Capitals Assistant Coach | 24.4% | +310 |
Jay Woodcroft | Former Edmonton Oilers Head Coach | 20.0% | +400 |
Jay Leach | Boston Bruins Assistant Coach | 17.4% | +475 |
D.J. Smith | Los Angeles Kings Assistant Coach | 15.4% | +550 |
Drew Bannister | Former St. Louis Blues Head Coach | 9.1% | +1000 |
David Quinn | Pittsburgh Penguins Assistant Coach | 6.3% | +1500 |
The Field |
| 7.4% | +1250 |
Disclaimer: These odds were developed by and are exclusive to PennStakes.com, but regulated operators offering top PA sportsbook promos will offer wagers on each NHL playoff game, plus futures betting and more.
We have some changes to the board now that former favorite Rick Tocchet has taken the Philadelphia Flyers job, and Joel Quenneville has been hired by the Anaheim Ducks. These changes include several new names, one of whom is the new favorite: Mitch Love.
Love, an assistant with the Washington Capitals, has worked with the Caps’ defensemen. This season, each of Washington’s six primary defensemen had plus/minus ratings of plus-13 or higher. Before joining Spencer Carbery’s staff in Washington, Love coached the Calgary Flames’ AHL affiliate team, where he became just the third coach in the league’s history to win the Louis A.R. Pieri Award as the league’s most outstanding coach in consecutive years.
A defensive-minded coach might not be a bad idea for the Pens, who gave up 287 goals this past season. That was third worst in the league and 39 more than what they yielded in 2023-24.
A couple of other defensive-minded assistants also could be in play for the Penguins job. Jay Leach is a former NHL defenseman who has experience coaching with the Boston Bruins and Seattle Kraken. D.J. Smith has been working with the Los Angeles Kings’ blueliners since February 2024. This season, the Kings allowed the second-fewest goals in the NHL (203) and had the league’s eighth-best penalty-killing unit (81.43%).
If the Penguins are looking for someone with experience as an NHL head coach, then there are a couple of options, though neither have the breadth of experience as former coach Mike Sullivan.
Jay Woodcroft coached Edmonton for a full season and parts of two others. The Oilers made it to the Western Conference Final in 2022 after he replaced Dave Tippett midway through that season. However, they were swept in that series and lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs. Then after the Oilers started the 2023-24 season with just three wins in their first 13 games, the team dismissed Woodcroft and replaced him with Kris Knoblauch, who guided Edmonton to the 2024 Stanley Cup final and has the Oiler’s in this season’s West final.
Woodcroft could work well with younger players, which is a direction the Penguins will need to go as they get ready for a rebuild.
Drew Bannister replaced Craig Berube 28 games into the St. Louis Blues’ 2023-24 season. While the Blues went 30-19-5 under him for the rest of the season, they still missed the playoffs. The team then moved on from Bannister after St. Louis stumbled out of the gate this season. Based on their results, Woodcroft would likely be the more attractive candidate of the two.
The New York Rangers quickly snapped up Sullivan, whose tenure ended on April 25 after nearly 10 full seasons and two Stanley Cups.
Also of interest: Pittsburgh Penguins’ Quarter-Century Team: The Most Impactful Players Since 2000.
USA Today photo by James Guillory.
Author
Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters.
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