Top 3 Mike Sullivan replacements the Pittsburgh Penguins should eye for vacant HC role ft. Rick Tocchet

The Pittsburgh Penguins decided to part ways with coach Mike Sullivan on Monday after 10 years with the team.

Sullivan won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017, but Pittsburgh has missed the playoffs in three straight years, so general manager Kyle Dubas decided to make a change.

“On behalf of Fenway Sports Group and the Penguins organization, I would like to thank Mike Sullivan for his unwavering commitment and loyalty to the team and City of Pittsburgh over the past decade,” said Dubas. “Mike is known for his preparation, focus and fierce competitiveness.

“I was fortunate to have a front-row seat to his dedication to this franchise for the past two seasons. He will forever be an enormous part of Penguins history, not only for the impressive back-to-back Cups."

After the Penguins fired Sullivan, here are three potential replacements to be Pittsburgh's next coach.

Top 3 Mike Sullivan replacements for Penguins HC

#1, Rick Tocchet

The Vancouver Canucks decided to not pick up the option on coach Rick Tocchet but are open to keeping him on a long-term deal.

However, Tocchet can go elsewhere, and now the Penguins' job is an intriguing one for him. Tocchet would get the chance to coach the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.

Yet, the Penguins appear to be going into a rebuild soon, so whether or not he would want to go through that is uncertain.

#2, Joel Quenneville

Joel Quenneville is eligible to be back in the NHL, and if Pittsburgh wants to hire a big name, Quenneville makes sense.

Quenneville was the coach of the Chicago Blackhawks during their dynasty, helping them win three Stanley Cups.

Quenneville knows what it takes to coach a winning team, and his intensity could be what is needed for the Penguins to get back into the playoffs.

#3, David Carle

If Kyle Dubas and the Penguins want to go young, David Carle is one of the best coaches available.

Carle is the head coach of the University of Denver and has shown some interest in going to the NHL. He did withdraw his name from the Blackhawks job, so it's uncertain if he would be interested in coaching the Penguins.