I know it's been a while since I've posted anything on here, but I've been working on a video blog as well as this one. You can catch it at mbonaventura83 on YouTube.
Now let's get down to business.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have extended the contract of Dan Bylsma by two years. This will take the coach through the 2016 season, and from there who knows. Now I would be lying if i said I saw this coming, because I have no idea this was going to happen. I thought for sure that the coach would be gone after what happened in the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Bruins in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Bylsma is the second-winningest coach in franchise history, and to some it's not that much of a surprise that he was extended by 2 years. A lot of people were questioning Ray Shero's decision to keep the coach around after this years fall out in the Playoffs, including myself. When asked about it, he had this to say: "I have a very good coach moving forward that I want to lead this team. I want to reward him with an extension that shows him and shows people that he's my coach and I believe in him."
Shero did have to meet with owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle, and Shero was going to go to bat to keep Bylsma a member of the Penguins. One argument that he would have in his back pocket, would have been that Dan is 201-92-25 since taking over the team in 2009 for Michael Therrien. Well it turns out that he wouldn't have to fight very hard for Dan to stay on the team as both Lemieux and Burkle were fully on board with keeping that coach around.
If this were my team, I wouldn't have given him his extension just yet. I would have given him one more year to prove himself, then if and only if he did, I would have extended his contract. Now most would say that that's not a good way to run a team, but I think otherwise. If you make him work for his job, I could only imagine what he would do with this team, and the talent that they have on it. They would be even more unstoppable then they were in the regular season this past year. They would have made an even better Stanley Cup run in the following year, and I would have signed him to a very nice long contract.
I know this is out of my hands, and that Bylsma is on the team for the next two years. I'm very interested in see what he will do and the moves that Pittsburgh makes in the offseason, as they are wanted to move some players around. I don't think it's a good idea to move anyone, they should just keep the team as is, and try to make another run for Lord Stanley's Cup.
Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports.
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