Penguins offseason: Does Mike Sullivan's Team USA Olympics appointment proves his worth?

On his daily First 10 podcast, Post-Gazette sports columnist Jason Mackey weighs in on Penguins coach Mike Sullivan's appointment to lead Team USA in the upcoming 2026 Olympics. Does the selection prove his value as a coach, even as some fans worry his message has gotten stale? Does his reputation around hockey put pressure on his Penguins players to be the solution to the team's two-year streak of missing the Stanley Cup playoffs? And what should we make of Sheldon Keefe joining the New Jersey Devils after some rumors tied him to the Penguins organization?

Jason tackles those questions, then gets into the Pirates. Specifically the struggles of the bullpen and free agents Rowdy Tellez and Aroldis Chapman. He also offers his thoughts on Pittsburgh serving as host for the 2026 NFL draft and the potential for the league to move to an 18-game schedule.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices