Jim Rutherford made it clear recently that investigating potential replacements for Mike Johnston as coach of the Penguins wasn’t a priority for him.
Fact is, he pretty much said it hadn’t turned up anywhere on his to-do list, let alone atop it.
While Rutherford didn’t absolve Johnston of all culpability for the Penguins’ so-so showing through the early portion of this season, he also gave no indication Johnston’s job security is subject to a shift-by-shift evaluation.
While that presumably dismayed the segment of the fan base eager to see Johnston removed, history shows that the team’s in-season coaching moves rarely have had the desired effect.