dudacek

Comparing this year's 84-point roster to the one Lindy Ruff led to 89 points in his last full Sabres season: Thompson Roy Mittelstadt Leino Cozens Adam Krebs Gaustad Jost Ellis Tuch Pominville Greenway Stafford Okposo Ennis Olofsson McCormick Quinn Kassian Skinner Vanek Peterka Boyes Benson Gerbe Girgensons Kaleta Robinson Tropp Dahlin Ehrhoff Power Myers Samuelsson Regehr Jokiharju Sekera Clifton Leopold E. Johnson Weber R. Johnson Gragnani Bryson McNabb Luukkonen Miller Levi Enroth Comrie McIntyre

Which players said the bold? I recall a lot of players saying different versions of “we need to be more accountable”. I could be wrong, but I don’t recall a single player blaming others for not holding him accountable.

I think reality might be closer to your original thought. Coach contracts are typically one year longer than their leash because owners are typically OK with eating one year if they have to. It’s almost like the last year is at the owner’s option. The summer before the last year is often a time to talk extensions. Most coaches get 3-year deals with the idea that they will get 2 years to prove themselves. Shorter contracts aren’t typically a consideration for coaches with Lindy’s resume. To me it’s unusual and it does seem to indicate playoffs or bust.

You’re gonna need more choices: How can you be happy, what’s this guy ever won? Classic Pegula move. God I want this to succeed, but it just ain’t gonna. I mean at least he’s got some experience… This is the best coach this team ever had and he’s one of us: I *****in love it! Who is this guy anyway? Seems a little old to be a hockey coach.

Fairbairn makes pretty good case here for the hire. Acknowledges the nostalgia factor and basically says 'So, how is that bad thing? It's actually a good thing unless he's a bad fit or a bad coach." And then he goes on to explain why he might be a good fit and good coach. https://theathletic.com/5437340/2024/04/23/lindy-ruff-buffalo-sabres-hired-coach/ Guess we'll find out in October if he's right.

Not really about your post, but it reminded me of a couple earlier posts that I lost in the shuffle. One was about the Sabres needing a get-the-puck-out-of-our-zone defenceman and the other was about what does Owen Power do really well. Once Owen Power gets the puck on his stick in the defensive zone, he moves it up-ice about as well as any Sabre I’ve ever seen: calmly, to a teammate, and in a way that allows that teammate to make a play. He usually makes it look so easy that it may be perceived as unremarkable, but the frequency with which it happens compared to most is anything but.

Not sure what the hate for Wilford is based on. I don’t follow Sabres Twitter. Dahlin just put up his 2 best seasons, Jokiharju his best, Bryson got pulled out of the trash heap, Clifton and Power were course-corrected nicely after rough starts… What is the big knock there? (Not debating, honestly curious.)

Adams has publicly graduated firmly to the “time is now” mindset. Unequivocally repeated it’s about winning. (I’m so happy for so many of you @Thorny, @PerreaultForever, @PASabreFan…😜) Lindy very much seemed to believe in the talent. And you know he’s going to believe in his own ability to unleash it. Really broad brush here, but I feel positive his presence is going to resonate with our growing Western Canadian group: Krebs, Cozens, Byram and Benson. And you know he’s going to challenge Power. Very interested in seeing the response.

Are these guys who are settled in Buffalo? I know Tage and Dahlin have settled into homes there as well, but they seem to summer "back home". Most have seemed to only be Buffalonians in the winter, although I suspect that changes as they grow up.

I mean the reasons why are obvious, but I thought Lindy came across as kinda old. Not as quick, not so much a force of nature.

That is an exceptional Tweet in relation to what the team did this year. As @Thorny has been pointing out, Sabres PR has become pretty sharp.

I think Lindy’s head coaching record is a great indicator of how much a coach’s success is tied to his players. He started in Buffalo with an improving team and a superstar goalie and enjoyed a string of contention that ended when the superstar left. He then had a few mediocre seasons as the GM slowly reset the roster, great success when the roster reset was complete and a slow decline as the talent drained away again. He took an average Dallas roster that had missed the playoffs 5 years in a row to 91 and 92 point seasons, followed by a sudden spike to 109 and a collapse to 79. They put up 92 and 93 points the 2 year after he left. And then he took over a New Jersey team that had missed the playoffs 8 of the past 9 years, floundered for 2 years as they reset the roster with youth, led that young team to one of the biggest improvements in league history the following year, then regressed this year after losing half of his veteran defence core and getting some of the worst goaltending in the league, while his star centre was wracked with injuries. Like most coaches, he’ll be as good as the players he’s given.

Arbour has zero loser points, Lindy 153. Doesn’t show how many OT wins he had. I agree that career winning percentage isn’t great proof of a coach’s ability. And I agree with your point, even if it wasn’t the one I was trying to make. Mine was that it’s kinda like ranking goalies based on the same stat. Too many underlying variables.

Nothing comes to mind for me. I don’t know that many ever get rehired, let alone find glory in their return. https://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/1043798

Ties count as zero. This is wins as a percentage of games coached.

Agreed. A lot of teams, I think most, will release an assistant from his contract to pursue a promotion. So if it’s Peca it would be for the “coach in waiting” role @Brawndo referenced them looking at and probably an associate coach title. Judging by Sabrespace he meets all the right qualifications: you know, warrior, former Sabre 😁 i have no problem with using my top players on the PK. I want the best PKers to play the PK. Marchand and Bergeron killed for years and the same is true for many other 1st-liners. Injuries happen in all facets of the game.

I think it’s kinda interesting that career winning percentage is being used as a mark against Lindy. Here are 10 of his peers: Darryl Sutter .498 Pat Burns .492 Pat Quinn .489 Jacques Lemaire .489 Lindy Ruff .487 Al Arbour .487 Mike Keenan .485 John Torterella .480 Dick Irvin .477 Paul Maurice .470 And for fun: Punch Imlach .452

I find the "Bring back the same roster" thing usually comes with arbitrary rules around what that means. Knowing what those ground rules helps me understand the conversation. It looks like you want to frame it around how many new players will we add this summer who aren't here today. Which is fine, but it doesn't reflect "bring back the entire failed roster" because that roster included Mittelstadt, Okposo, Johnson, Girgensons, Jost, Olofsson, Robinson and Comrie, who all spent at least half the season on that roster. Byram — who was not a significant part of the failed roster — effectively replaced Johnson, but the rest of them still need to be replaced. Rousek and other prospects may take some of their slots, but there are clearly more spots open to add bodies from outside the organization than your ??? would lead one to believe.

Not sure I'm going to enjoy everyone this hire is pulling out of the woodwork, but we sure missed your takes around here.

So longevity means nothing? Being good over a long haul means nothing? You’ll take Mogilny’s 1 70-goal season over Rico’s 8 30-goal seasons every time? Yep, you can accuse @lgr’s post profile as being intense or even black-and-white, but it is always informed. Unrelentingly negative ain’t his thing.

How should we define that? 25 players were on the roster for at least half the season. Mittelstadt, Johnson and Okposo were regulars from this year’s rosters who won’t be back. Girgensons, Jost, Olofsson, Robinson and Comrie are unsigned free agents who may not be. 8 of 25 constitutes roughly 1/3 of the failed roster. Is that a fair over/under? Does a player have to be high on the roster to count? A core player? Do prospects becoming regulars count? Do the deadline moves count?

To be clear fans judge coaches by two things: wins versus expectations; and demeanour. We know ***** about how they game plan or lead people because we rarely get to see them do either. At least this time we know we got someone who cares.

It may have been the part that confirmed it for me.

Go rewatch Adams’ presser and tell me that this wasn’t Plan A from before he fired Donnie. He knew who he wanted and he went out and got him. If there were other interviews they were of the courtesy kind. Yes, it was Lindy or @Doohickie. My god, this stuff is so tired and so tiring. Well, if we were looking for the kiss of death…

This isn't a hire for the hardcore fans like us. It's a hire for the next level on the pyramid of Buffalo hockey fans. Not the guy I would have picked, but if I'm honest with myself his resume probably ticks a lot of boxes if his name wasn't Lindy Ruff and this wasn't the Buffalo Sabres. I suspect he's going to flame out spectacularly. But I'm going to go with the way @Thorny is reacting because if I squint really hard I can kinda see it, and giving the latest move a chance is just the way I roll. Now where's my Scotch?