Mike Sullivan defecting to the Rangers will go one of two ways

The rumors of last night proved true. Everything was pointing to Mike Sullivan becoming the next head coach of the New York Rangers. This morning, it's official.

The winningest coach in Penguins history was let go just a few days ago, and he is the quickest head coach to leave and fill a vacancy out of the many existing ones in the NHL.

I smell something fishy.

The nature of Sullivan leaving was very smooth, and almost predetermined. There was no buildup, no outright obvious indicators that the Penguins were going to move on from him. One day he was there, the next day he's off to a hated division rival.

We knew that Mike Sullivan would be a hot commodity if he were to be let go by Pittsburgh. However, four days on the open market seems a little too hot.

Yes, he's one of the most decorated American coaches in NHL history and a two-time Stanley Cup champion, but surely he could see that Pittsburgh's situation is a whole lot more bright than the Rangers, right?

The Rangers went from President's Trophy Winners to missing the playoffs entirely. They have old, albatross contracts that are borderline immovable, and almost all their stars took major steps back this season.

Meanwhile, the Penguins are actually trending in the right direction. Career years from Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust paired with the promising future of Ville Koivunen and Rutger McGroarty, and not to mention Sidney Crosby still being the greatest player of the century in his late 30's.

The Penguins are in a much better situation than the Rangers, so why move on like this?

The underlying details

Some analysts close to the Penguins believe that Kyle Dubas gently "fired" Sully, even though the language used to announce his departure made it seem like it was a mutual parting.

When you cut ties with your team, all loyalty to them is gone, even though you enjoyed the most success in your coaching tenure with them. Sullivan was not bound to the Penguins, meaning he could go wherever he wanted for his next gig - even the filthy Rags.

I get the feeling that Sullivan had this destination in mind even before he was let go. Moving on so quickly just doesn't sit right with me. It wasn't even a week.

The Rangers, on their end, obviously would be pulling the trigger immediately, but for Sullivan to have that much conviction about his decision, especially when there are other franchises with coaching vacancies that are far better off (like Anaheim and Chicago), this whole situation is strange.

This can go one of two ways

From the Penguins' perspective, if Sullivan's loyalty was in question, then this is a good thing that he's not tied down. We don't need someone with a foot already out the door at the helm. I think many Penguins fans will agree that despite Sully's success, it was time to move on.

The Penguins need a fresh take, but they also need the right take on how to get their franchise back to the playoffs.

However, now a proven head coach is behind the benches of a team that the Penguins need to beat. But I can see Sullivan in New York going one of two ways:

Immediate Success

Sullivan has the pedigree to lead a talented Rangers team back to form. We saw how he handled talent in the 4 Nations Faceoff. He came up just short, but overall, he did quite well.

The Rangers, despite having a down year, are still loaded with talent. If Sullivan can wake it up, then the Rangers can be dangerous again. Peter Laviolette, who was fired by NYR earlier this offseason, has a starkly contrasting personality to Sullivan, and it might be what the Rangers need right now.

Or...

A Slow Descent into Mediocrity

The Rangers are already at mediocrity, but with the fever of a new coach, they can sniff early success before resorting back to form. I don't want to predict something ideal for the Penguins and it happen the opposite, but I can see this happening.

Sullivan's personality will do one of two things: inspire the talent of the Rangers or lose it altogether.

At times with Pittsburgh, the Penguins seemed uninspired and lethargic on the ice, and that's with having superstar veterans. The roster makeup of the Rangers has the chance to be exactly the same, and that's a dangerous place to be.

Additionally, if you think the Pittsburgh media and fanbase was harsh during Sully's tenure of mediocrity, just wait until the NYC media and fanbase gets a hold of it.

Only time will tell, but Sullivan, until he retires, is now a point of attack for the Penguins. Newfound NYR success is not an option, and the Penguins need to bury that idea before it starts.