Amid the sea of uncertainty the Penguins now face in what might wind up the most tumultuous offseason in franchise history, there's at least this much: The new ownership loves the head coach.
I'm told by multiple sources -- and I've seen some of this myself via interactions -- that Tom Werner, the Fenway Sports Group's point man in Pittsburgh since the sale, has a genuine and outward respect for Mike Sullivan, his achievements, the way he carries himself, the way he brings a vision to the ice and, above all, with the way he manages a roster that's still built on star talent.
This, I'm further told, fits the FSG mold with other operations they own, whether based in baseball or soccer. The priority's the best of the best, and it's been more than talk. The way that outfit sees it, management doesn't need to be squeezed under any salary cap. If there's a premier candidate somewhere, and it takes dollars -- or pounds -- to bring that candidate into the fold, that's more of a controllable factor than the acquisition of an athlete.
Werner and FSG view Sullivan as elite at what he does.
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2. Now, do they see Ron Hextall and/or Brian Burke in that same light?
Best answer I can offer: If so, I've not seen or heard that, and definitely not anything akin to what's palpable around Sullivan.
Does that mean Hextall and/or Burke could be replaced?
I don't believe so as it relates to Hextall, and I've no idea as it relates to Burke. With the former, he made moves that, at least on the surface, contributed to the Penguins' surprisingly successful regular season, notably the instant impact of Rickard Rakell post-trade and the low-cost acquisitions/retentions of Danton Heinen, Evan Rodrigues, Brock McGinn, Brian Boyle, etc ... while the mega-whiff on his mishandling of the Seattle expansion draft -- imagine prioritizing Jeff Carter and Teddy Blueger over Jared McCann and Brandon Tanev -- might not be as glaring to a guy sitting in a suit watching from an owner's suite.
But then, we'll see to what level Werner carries out his diligence. -- Kovacevic
3. The reason team officials have long privately expressed skepticism about keeping Bryan Rust is that they'd been hearing for months what Rust put into words earlier this week: He wants his next contract to help account for the (very real) fact that he was underpaid on the four-year, $14 million he just honored.
Even though it was Jim Rutherford and not Hextall who engineered that contract -- and obviously did extremely well to do so -- Hextall's not going to be inclined to compensate for past performance. No executive anywhere wants to be attached to anything of the kind.
Rust remains the most likely departure, but again, that hasn't changed. I'd first heard that posited going all the way back to the third week of November. -- Kovacevic
4. Every attempt will be made to keep both Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. Partly because of what they've meant, partly because any sports team's healthier when it sells all its tickets -- and bear in mind, I reported in this space last week that 72% of all season-ticket prices are being lowered -- but way, way, way more because there's no viable way to replace either from the pure hockey standpoint. And to suggest otherwise is pretending that there's a second-line center or a No. 1 defenseman just sitting around here somewhere. Or affordable on the open market. No and no. -- Kovacevic
5. One name nobody mentions, but he'll come up this summer, as well: Tristan Jarry. He'll be an unrestricted free agent after next season, and there's no way he can be allowed to walk. -- Kovacevic
6. Don't read into the fact that Hextall wasn't made available for a press conference on locker room cleanout day. All GMs operate differently. Rutherford preferred to speak on cleanout day. Hextall doesn't. Hextall didn't speak on cleanout day last year, either, instead choosing to speak on his own several days later. That is again the plan this offseason. The front office is holding meetings this week, and Hextall is expected to speak at some point after. -- Taylor Haase at PPG Paints Arena
7. At least one Penguins player tested positive for COVID after locker room cleanout day. Rakell is asymptomatic, but tested himself to be safe given that his wife is eight months pregnant. He's spending the start of his offseason quarantining alone in a hotel room. -- Haase
PIRATES
8. Losing Roberto Pérez is not only a blow in terms of what he brings on defense and at the bat, but with how he manages a pitching staff. For a young group of pitchers, he was incredibly respected in that clubhouse and someone pitchers would bounce ideas off of.
“You lose come of that veteran-ness,” Wil Crowe told me about losing Pérez. “Bebo was a vocal guy, a leader. Someone who had been around. Losing that is the biggest thing.” Crowe told me that back in spring training, he got a boost when Pérez pulled him aside to tell him “your s—- is good.” When a two-time Gold Glove winner who caught Cy Youngs says something like that, it carries weight. -- Alex Stumpf in Chicago
9. Pérez has been in the clubhouse at PNC Park for all of their home games since hitting the injured list. A couple pitchers expressed optimism, or at least a hope, that he will stick around post surgery. Derek Shelton wasn’t as committal because the surgery is another factor, but Crowe in particular seemed confident that Pérez will be back to PNC Park, even if he can’t play. -- Stumpf
10. The Pirates showed they were still looking for catchers whenever they claimed Tyler Heineman off waivers, letting go of Andrew Knapp to make it possible. Not that there is a timeline for it, but expect them to continue to look. -- Stumpf
11. Ke’Bryan Hayes sat out Tuesday’s game because of what Shelton called a lower-body injury. I checked in with Hayes to see if it was the ankle injury he had at the end of spring training, and he said it wasn’t. Just a bit of swelling in his knee after diving at a ball and into the corner of third base the night before. I followed up by asking if the ankle was fully healed. It’s fine, but he didn't explicitly say 100 percent. Hayes is a straight shooter, and he's running well this year, but that's something to keep an eye on. -- Stumpf
12. I got a really good report on right-handed pitcher Jack Hartman, who is back from Tommy John surgery and has been activated by Class A Bradenton. “Exciting arm,” is how the source put it. Hartman was drafted in the fourth round in 2020 but has yet to appear in a game because of the pandemic and the surgery. He had upper-90s potential and high spin breaking stuff, so the converted infielder could profile as a big-league reliever. -- Stumpf in Chicago
13. Between Kevin Newman being on a rehab assignment and Cole Tucker being demoted in the minors, expect Oneil Cruz to play more outfield, at least in the short-term. -- Stumpf
14. Which is a good segue to a question that comes up a lot here: Why do the Pirates emphasize defensive versatility so much when developing prospects? Some players are exempt – Hayes was, Henry Davis will likely be – but almost everyone else at least gets a couple looks at another position. Part of it is the front office and scouting targeting more athletic players, but there has been independent research done that the organization buys into that indicates that more versatility does directly lead to more wins. It creates a more selfless culture, gives players a different vantage point of the game and, every once in a while, those changes are actually for the better. -- Stumpf
STEELERS
15. The Steelers are completing Phase 2 of their OTA schedule this week with on-field workouts that can include drills with strict guidelines and no contact with coaches present. Next week, Phase 3 will begin on Tuesday, and we'll get our first look at Mitch Trubisky, James Daniels and the team's other veteran free agent additions. We'll also see if Stephon Tuitt is around, and that could give a glimpse into his plans. But remember, these sessions are voluntary. Nothing becomes mandatory until minicamp June 14, 15 and 16. -- Dale Lolley on the South Side
16. Brandon Hunt again interviewed for another job this week, this time for the assistant GM job with the Bills. Meanwhile, he and Omar Khan got second interviews with the Steelers. The Steelers also have had second interviews with Ryan Cowden of the Titans, John Spytek of the Buccaneers, Andy Weidl of the Eagles and former Bills GM Doug Whaley. Those are your six finalists. Of that group, Hunt, Weidl and Whaley are Pittsburgh area natives. Going back to Dick Haley in the early 1970s, the Steelers have never had a GM/director of football operations who hasn't been a Pittsburgh-area native. The Steelers will want to have this search wrapped up by the time minicamp ends in mid-June, at the latest. After that, things will shut down until the start of training camp. -- Lolley
17. As for the start of training camp, the estimate here is that it will start sometime around July 27 or 28. The Steelers open the preseason Aug. 13 against the Seahawks, so if we count back 14 days from that, plus add the heat acclimation period, that puts the start right around the middle of the final week of July for the Steelers to report to Saint Vincent College for the first time in three years. -- Lolley
18. Things will be very different for the Steelers at training camp this year with the team's return to Saint Vincent College for the first time since 2019. How much have things changed? Realize that of the 90 players currently on the roster, only 20 have been in a training camp at Saint Vincent College. Minkah Fitzpatrick, for example, has been with the Steelers since 2019, but joined the team two games into the season. He's never been to Latrobe -- at least not to practice. Eight members of the coaching staff have never been there. The team might need to hire Saint Vincent College's orientation staff to show everyone around. -- Lolley
19. Anyone worrying that Fitzpatrick or Diontae Johnson will hold out of training camp in an effort to get a new contract needs to realize that they're not living in today's reality. As part of the new CBA signed two years ago, teams not only can fine a player $40,000 per day for skipping camp while under contract, they have to do so. And they cannot simply waive the fine once a new deal is signed -- which is what used to happen. Nobody is skipping practices when they're going to get hit with $40,000 fines every day. That's why "hold ins" became a thing last year. -- Lolley
20. Fitzpatrick also has been a regular at the team's early OTA sessions. Why not? Even if he were to not get a new deal, he's guaranteed $10.6 million this season. That makes him the eighth highest-paid safety in the NFL this season. That's a far cry different that T.J. Watt's situation a year ago when his $10.089-million salary only put him at 15th in the NFL in salary for edge rushers -- and was less than half of what the top guys at his position were being paid. -- Lolley
21. The Steelers have just four players with a salary cap hit of $10 million or more this season. That's Watt, Cam Heyward, Tuitt and Fitzpatrick. Derek Watt is the team's highest-paid offensive player in terms of 2022 cap hit at $4.7 million. But that's because he's in the final season of his contract and the team restructured him in 2021 to create additional cap space last year. And, no, he's not in danger of being released. -- Lolley
