Pittsburgh Penguins: Five Coaching Candidates To Replace Mike Johnston

Recent comments by Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford have raised serious doubts about the direction of the team and the quality of the relationship between Rutherford and head coach Mike Johnston.

Rutherford was quoted by DK Pittsburgh Sports’ Josh Yohe as consistently urging Johnston to give young forward Daniel Sprong more playing time so that he can be better evaluated.

The comments raised some eyebrows because of how open Rutherford was about his disagreement with the head coach.

The combination of Rutherford’s comments and Johnston’s lackluster management of the lineup and the team’s superstars has raised serious doubts about the stability of Mike Johnston’s position.

With that in mind, here are five potential candidates I’ve chosen that could replace the embattled Pens coach. Jim Rutherford and the ownership have several options going forward, though not every choice is currently available.

Next: Mike Keenan