• Coaching Challenges for Dan Muse: Dan Muse faces the challenge of balancing instruction and fostering respect among veteran players while implementing his system in his first NHL training camp.
  • Roster and Performance Expectations: Muse aims to build a foundation for young players while managing a veteran core that includes future Hall of Famers like Crosby, Malkin, and Karlsson, with immediate success prioritization.
  • System Focus and Playing Style: The Penguins under Muse intend to be a more physical and detailed team across all zones, emphasizing systematic play while maintaining offensive freedom.
  • Managing Offense and Defense Balance: Muse needs to avoid overemphasizing defensive structure at the expense of offensive talent, ensuring the team remains capable of scoring while tightening defense.
  • Initial Impressions and Leadership: Key leaders like Crosby and Rust are expected to set a standard for respect and coachability, aiding Muse in establishing his authority early in the season.

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Kyle Dubas in a perfect world surely would have loved to have given Dan Muse a younger roster as he embarks on his first NHL training camp as head coach. Instead the view around the league on Muse he’s likely a year or two away from having the roster that management and the coach would be aligned on.

For Muse, installing a foundation for young players coming up is the #1 priority and the biggest challenge for Muse in the short term is how he coaches veteran group.

Muse is very big on instruction, attention to details. He is going to push players regardless of age to know the system to a ‘T’. First year player, 20th year player, they better get used to logging into that iPad similar to an NFL landscape. Muse, though, has to find a happy medium on-and-off the ice.

You can’t come in and try to make this a junior team like Mike Johnston was notorious for 10 years ago, especially now with a group of future hall-of-famers in the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson near the tail end of their careers. First impressions matter and a big key for Muse and his staff will be winning over the veterans early on. For Muse I have little concerns he’s not going to be respected from day one. Sidney Crosby is a great human who will set the standard. He wants to still be coached at 38 years old. Bryan Rust is a great leader who will also help set the standard for the coaching staff. That’s a great start but the others are a big challenge in being coachable on the ice.

“He’s at the rink a lot and has spent a lot of time preparing,” Sidney Crosby said. “There’s always going to be an adjustment period for everyone, but he seems like a great guy and really passionate and eager to get going.”

The Penguins under Muse want to be a more physical, attention to the details team in all three zones where the system compensates for a lack of talent.

What Muse has to avoid, though, is putting the handcuffs on the offensive talent systematically. They might have one of the NHL’s worst defensive corps, but this is a forward group that should be able to put the puck in the net. Come in and try to be a defense, defense, team that’s playing to not get blown out is going to lose the room quickly. That’s been one concern among To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!

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