Penguins Update: Winds of Change a Blowin’
In a development somewhat reminiscent of last spring’s executive house cleaning, the Penguins will not renew the contracts of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton head coach J.D. Forrest and assistant Kevin Porter. The announcement came just two days after the Baby Pens were swept by arch-rival Lehigh Valley in the opening round of the AHL Calder Cup playoffs.
Former Pens GM Ron Hextall and POHO Brian Burke experienced a similar swift fall of the ax head last April.
After his team missed the playoffs last season, the 43-year-old Forrest led the resurgent Baby Pens to a 21-point leap and their best record since 2017-18. However, the improvement was not enough to fuel an extended playoff run or, apparently, please the Pens’ brass.
Dave Molinari on Pittsburgh Hockey Now suggested Kyle Dubas and assistant GM Jason Spezza may be seeking a more NHL-ready candidate to fill the vacancy.
Although it’s pure conjecture, might the Pens have their eyes on David Quinn, recently fired by the Sharks following a brutal 47-point season? Connecting the dots, the ex-Rangers coach was a teammate of Pens skipper Mike Sullivan at Boston University and a fellow disciple of legendary Terriers coach Jack Parker.