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So what is Grigos excuse? What is Hodgsons excuse? You can't pick and choose which prospect gets their own credit and which ones get to blame somebody else. If Nolan had that much of an impact on Hodgson, can you imagine how many points he could have had otherwise last year with a real coach? Ennis, Stewart and Mouson are leading the team in power play points. I hardly consider 2/3 of them grinders. Odd that Hodgson has been trashed all year for being lazy and uncoachable...... until we get a chance to belittle Nolan then it's his fault. Cherry picking.........................

A player doesn't go from being your leading scorer to having 2 points in the first 25 games because of a coach, especially when it's the same coach he had when he was the leading scorer. If I were coach I probably wouldn't have put Hodgson on the power play either. Of course, if Hodgson were on the power play this place would have been bitching that he shouldn't have been there. But, I digress. Why is it when some of the young guys progress nicely it isn't 'anything beyond ordinary' but if guys like Hodgson and Grigs aren't panning out then Nolan gets all the blame? Is it that tough to think, just maybe, it's the other way around? Maybe, just maybe Nolan has had an impact on their progression and Grigs and Hodgson are lost causes? Hell, if it isn't 'anything beyond ordinary' for young kids to progress naturally without the benefit of a good coach then what difference does it make in firing Nolan to get a coach that's better with young players? Come on guys, you can't sit here and cherry pick for the benefit of your narrative. You can't sit here and say Nolan had nothing to do with the progression of the younger players but put all the blame on him for any non-progression. By implying there guys naturally progressed you're just contradicting your own points. How do you know this?

Or maybe it's all speculation and all Murray has done is given Nolan absolutely nothing to work with to try and ensure a 30th place finish. And maybe Murray really does mean he doesn't get involved with Nolan's decisions when he says he doesn't get involved with Nolan's decisions. Is there any possibility that some people read way too much into it?

He's coaching one of the worst teams in NHL history, with a bunch of non-NHL caliber players that has gone through one of the biggest roster turnovers in NHL history. When he doesn't have the same team to work with from week to week, and he has some players that he doesn't know what roles they can fill...................... what more is he supposed to do at this point until he can work with a full roster? Will you agree with me that Ennis, Myers and Stewart are different players under Nolan and Risto, Girgs, Larsson, Deslauriers have progressed nicely? I keep making this point that should be obvious to most yet nobody has backed me up on it. Yet nobody can legitimately say I'm wrong. How you not look at the positives that Nolan brings to the team? Most of the negatives of this season are beyond his control, I know you know that.

He's been pretty vocal in his criticisms of Stewart, Hodgson and Myers. I've got no problem with a coach telling the media he doesn't think some guys aren't putting in an effort. If something that minor is going to negatively affect a player moving forward then he probably isn't going to last long in the bigs. Myers, Stewart and Larsson took it to heart and they've been better for it ever since. I agree with you on giving up on some veterans, he probably knows Mess and Benoit are gone next year.

It's not snark. I'm just losing patience with people trying to prove me wrong with nothing to back it up all while ignoring what Nolan has done with the younger players this year. The Grigo and Snow references are the best they've come up with. Is 'because he didn't get an interview' really a legitimate argument? Not sure what you're watching or who you are listening to but I can't recall Nolan getting much criticism by anybody outside of the BFLO media hacks. Stop going back 5,10,15 years to prove your points. Stick to this year. What has Nolan done to warrant getting fired?

So now you're scraping the barrel with 'he got emotional'? Seriously.................. if you can find a legitimate reason why Nolan should be fired other than Grigs is getting 2nd line minutes or Garth Snow doesn't like him, please feel free to add it. If you have a gut feeling that he isn't the right coach, so be it that's your opinion. But if you're trying to reason come up with something substantial because so far most of this thread has been a fail. And if Murray moved forward with Plan B, that doesn't say much for Murray does it? Well, I've had about as much fun as I can stand for one day.

So did I.

I'll say there's still no proof he can't lead a talented team because he was never given the opportunity. Any GM that hires, or retains a coach (as Murray did last year) who they think can't lead a talented team isn't confident in his ability to build a team with talent. Hell, in general, anybody that hires or keeps a staff who they think isn't qualified to move the business forward is a poor manager/owner. With that said, if Murray kept Nolan last year with the intentions of moving forward with him, there is nothing substantial from this year that can/should be held against Nolan when deciding on his future. Watch TV............. listen to shows.............. I don't write down every instance to use in my posts. And I'll say it again, who is to say Nolan made himself available to coach? Do you know that he was on the market? There are an awful lot of ex-coaches with qualifications that didn't get interviews and don't have jobs. You don't know what goes on behind the scenes.

What's really going to suck is when Murray keeps him for next year and every single GDT is derailed by Nolan haters à la Darcy, Lindy and "tank". Nolan has also been on record as saying he has other endeavors he pursues besides coaching in the NHL. Anybody that doesn't think the drama that came with the racism issues and sleeping with Hasek's wife might have played a part, is just ignorant.

And fans are here because they can't get jobs as analysts, although they play one on the internet. So until then I'll take their word for it over a forum. Analysts talk to all involved in hockey, coaches, GM's, players, owners................ we don't. You don't know what went on behind the scenes. Do you know that Nolan even made himself available?

Don't go changing the parameters now. You said talented teams. You didn't say all coaching vacancies.

Don't take it out on me because you can't come up with a legitimate reason for firing Nolan aside from Grigorenko only getting 2nd line minutes. Keep your head in the sand Snarky, it suits you well. Sorry, didn't know this meant so much to you that you needed to resort to attacks.

Yeah, because we all know those situations are a dime a dozen.

At the NHL level he's never had anything but lesser talented teams. Am I missing something here? I must listen to different commentators than you because most I hear he is being lauded for helping to develop Ristolainen, Zadorov, Girgensons, Deslauriers, Larsson, turning Stewart around, making Ennis more of a leader and a more consistent player. What more do you want at this point? Did Nolan fail to lead a highly talented NHL team somewhere along the lines and I missed it?

Man, don't go there. I've provided a basis to back up my point. I've pointed out just a few players he has made an impact on this year (a point that still is conveniently ignored by others). I've pointed out that Nolan has never had a team full of talent when posters say he can't coach a talented team. Nolan has been involved with juniors to some extent for most of his life. He's been an adviser in junior leagues, he's coached junior teams (and won championships). He's won a Jack Adams and he took the Islanders to the playoffs when they had no business being there. The only negativity I hear about Nolan is from the BFLO media hacks and the "gang" here on SabreSpace. The general consensus around the hockey world is quite the opposite of everything said on here. Many consider him one of the best guys out there to deal with young players. I'm more inclined to take to heart the opinions of those involved in the business than those on an internet forum who have a beef with him because Grigorenko is only getting 2nd line minutes. If Nolan is so bad with young players, why do people keep hiring him to work with them? Are the people on this forum that much smarter than the people doing the hiring? I doubt it. People on here say Nolan isn't the right coach for a talented team............ sure that's easy to say when you consider he's never had the benefit of coaching a talented team in the NHL. People on here say Nolan isn't the right coach for an offensive geared team........... sure that's easy to say when you consider he's never had the benefit of coaching an offensively talented team in the NHL. So far the only significant arguments I've heard to support such theories is that Grigorenko is only getting 2nd line minutes, Snow didn't like him, and Hasek wasn't keen on Nolan sleeping with his wife. Of all things he's done with the current young players on the team (not to mention the ones that were traded), these are the best arguments in support of firing Nolan? I'm not even going to mention the fact that Nolan is in the most difficult position of any coach in recent memory because it's so easy to judge Nolan when your boss completely dismantles the team in an attempt to become one of the worst teams in league history.

Sure it is. This entire thread is focusing on one player using it to trash Nolan. Mismanagement of rookies and young players? Have you noticed there has been little to no mention of what Nolan has done with Ennis, Zadorov, Ristolainen, Girgensons, Deslauriers and Larsson? Of course not, it doesn't fit the narrative. Has there been any mention of how he turned Stewart's season around? Any mention of how Myers was a whole new player under Nolan? Of course not........ The notion that Nolan doesn't work with young players and/or manage them well is ridiculous. For all the things he's done with the young players this year, he's getting trashed for giving Grigorenko 2nd line minutes? And taking Snow's side on the Islanders deal? Outside of this year Snow is a laughing stock, his front office career has been a joke. The only reason New York doesn't think so is because their previous choice was Mike Milbury.

Even with Nolan coaching?

So Nolan sucked because of one player. So now Nolan sucks because of one player. But, no mention of what Zadorov, Ristolainen, Ennis, Girgensons, Larsson, Deslauriers.........have done. The Nolan bashing came out of nowhere and now everybody is jumping on the bandwagon because he is the flavor of the week. Who will be the whipping boy if Nolan gets fired?

Murray is going to have to talk to Nolan, they're not on the same page. How can he keep starting a goaltender that gives this team a chance to win?

Nolan has worked with young players for years. There's a reason why he's oft chosen to do so. I don't think he would be in those positions if he didn't know what he was doing. I don't think a group of forum fans know more than the people that hire Nolan, and those who speak highly of him. With that said, I'm going to take his word for it. He's had 2nd line minutes in his time with the Sabres this season. Sad part about it is, fans bitch when Nolan does something to help the team win........ so now you all want him to put Grigorenko in a position to succeed instead of leaving players out there we know will fail? It's one or the other........

That's not quite what I said, but spin it however you want to fit your narrative. As far as the trade, I commented on it that day and haven't said a word about it since. And according to this board, Nolan keeps making decisions that help this team win (not my words)........ not lose.

Fair enough. I just see the speculation as manufactured drama. If by mental breakdown you mean a handful of comments within one day's span....... then OK. I hate to see what you call the last couple of weeks of whipping Nolan. Or the season-long relentless tank talk. The speculation on here is that Murray has his coach picked. If Nolan is making decisions that lead some to believe won't let this team finish dead last, and a new coach is coming in (unless it's Babcock) why not let him take over to see what he has to work with next year? I fail to see what that has to do with Grigorenko.

You don't know that and neither do I. Just because the media has twisted a select few quotes doesn't make it true. Nolan has made decisions to help get this team some wins down the stretch and if Murray really had plans to dump Nolan, he would have done so by now. Maybe he will have another NHL job, maybe he won't. But it sure as hell isn't because of Grigorenko. One game all year under 10 minutes of ice time and the Grigorenko fan boys are throwing a fit. The tankers have made Nolan the flavor of the week, it's what Sabres fans do. Just ask Leino, Connolly, Darcy, Lindy and Hecht. I love how the media and fans think they know how Nolan and Murray work together. Several times Murray has completely debunked what the media thought he said, or thinks. So the 15 minutes of ice time he averaged the other 12 games isn't enough? Nolan isn't evaluating? What do you think he's doing with Larsson and Varone? What if Murray plans to deal Grigorenko and playing him more just makes his value go down?