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P.K. Subban Names Top Mike Sullivan Destination Without Hesitation

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Apr 29, 2025 6:05 AM ET

Following Mike Sullivan’s dismissal from the Pittsburgh Penguins after a decade-long tenure, P.K. Subban named the top destinations for the now-unemployed coach on Monday.

Subban believes Sullivan’s next NHL coaching job should be behind the bench at Madison Square Garden, as the former defenseman turned analyst picked the New York Rangers as the top destination for the two-time Stanley Cup-winning coach.

The former NHL player ranked five teams as potential fits on ESPN’s NHL coverage, listing the Seattle Kraken, the Boston Bruins, the Philadelphia Flyers, and the Anaheim Ducks, before making it clear the Rangers are a level above.

Top 5 coaching destinations in the NHL #nyr #flyers #bruins #ducks #kraken pic.twitter.com/DKerMzSPxp
— P.K. Subban (@PKSubban1) April 29, 2025

“Number one (destination), we’re taking to the Tri-State: The New York Rangers,” Subban said. “To me, this is a Stanley Cup team. They’re gonna tweak this lineup. Chris Drury will tweak this lineup this summer, he will get them back to where they need to be.”

“With the right coach, this team could win the Stanley Cup,” Subban said. “I think that if the New York Rangers make the right trades, the right pickups this offseason (and) with Igor Shesterkin in net and the pieces they have in place...

”I think they can contend for the Stanley Cup as quickly as next season.”

The Rangers parted ways with head coach Peter Laviolette on April 19 after missing the playoffs for the first time in four seasons.

The dismissal followed a disappointing 39–36–7 campaign that failed to meet internal expectations after a Presidents’ Trophy-winning season in 2024.

The Penguins, meanwhile, fired Sullivan after he became the winningest coach in franchise history, posting a 409-255-89 record with Pittsburgh and winning Cups in 2016 and 2017.

Despite his past coaching stint in Boston with the Bruins, Subban placed the Bruins fourth on his list behind the Ducks and Flyers.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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