Official Don Granato Named New Sabres Head Coach

[Flashsabre]

I mean the team has been a dumpster fire, you have a coach who came in and made the young players play well, had an entertaining brand of hockey with a bare bones roster and wanted to be here.

I’ll take it. Now let’s build and develop this team properly this time around.

[LGR4GM]

2 minutes ago, SDS said:

That’s what took the announcement so long. They were making the video.

You're salty today and I am here for it. 

[Trettioåtta]

Happy with this if Eichel gets traded

[LGR4GM]

1 minute ago, nucci said:

oh, and we're going to trade your 2 best players and you don't have a goalie right now. Welcome aboard

I bet they asked candidates about what they would do if Eichel were gone. 

[WildCard]

Now that this is over we can move on to Eichel. The draft is July 23rd. I would expect any Eichel deal to be within the next two weeks in order to give the draft staff at least a week to potentially work with whatever extra pick(s) we receive. 

[thewookie1]

Now for what I would say is of almost bigger importance, who are we bringing in as assistants?

Granato wasn't the greatest candidate, but far from the worst and we can be confident he'll at least have the team play in an entertaining manner. How he uses the offseason and what moves we make will further how this thing will go. I'm cautiously optimistic due to the Sabres play upon his promotion but more so on the fact he made the players work on fundamentals and certainly said what we wanted to hear.    

[darksabre]

The thing about Granato is that if this doesn't work out he probably still escapes it relatively unscathed in the eyes of the fans. He's got no baggage from old jobs. He's not a coach fans are primed to hate. We're all going to end up rooting for him to succeed and we probably won't fault him if he doesn't. 

[LTS]

4 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I bet they asked candidates about what they would do if Eichel were gone. 

How candidates other than Don Granato answered that question.

 

 

I'm fine with this hire as I outlined elsewhere. Whether fans like it or not, this is a team that is about to change again. We've lived through it for a long time and hate but the players and coaches have not, well, not the players that will still be here anyway.

[LGR4GM]

3 minutes ago, WildCard said:

Now that this is over we can move on to Eichel. The draft is July 23rd. I would expect any Eichel deal to be within the next two weeks in order to give the draft staff at least a week to potentially work with whatever extra pick(s) we receive. 

They'll have a list for the draft so if they get pick 4 they will just go off their list. I think you are right though that by July 23rd we will know Eichel's fate. 

[JohnC]

I got the timing wrong but the candidate right. I'm more than happy with this obvious selection. 

When the Sabres make the first pick it needs to be Power. Let's stick to the basics and not outsmart ourselves. 

I'm sure almost everyone will agree that Adams is going to be judged by the more difficult and complicated task of getting a return on his departing assets. 

[Rasmus_]

Next order of business. 

[rakish]

2 minutes ago, WildCard said:

Now that this is over we can move on to Eichel. The draft is July 23rd. I would expect any Eichel deal to be within the next two weeks in order to give the draft staff at least a week to potentially work with whatever extra pick(s) we receive. 

If they are getting futures, it makes sense to me to make the trade between the expansion draft and the entry draft, as teams will not want to protect one more player. If they are getting multiple expansion protected player, I think you're right, it'll happen before the expansion draft.

[Eleven]

Now watch Jack pull a Jimmy Chitwood and stay here.

Edited June 29, 2021 by Eleven

[WildCard]

3 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

Now for what I would say is of almost bigger importance, who are we bringing in as assistants?

Granato wasn't the greatest candidate, but far from the worst and we can be confident he'll at least have the team play in an entertaining manner. How he uses the offseason and what moves we make will further how this thing will go. I'm cautiously optimistic due to the Sabres play upon his promotion but more so on the fact he made the players work on fundamentals and certainly said what we wanted to hear.    

I'd imagine they just retain Ellis and Girardi.

Just now, LGR4GM said:

They'll have a list for the draft so if they get pick 4 they will just go off their list. I think you are right though that by July 23rd we will know Eichel's fate. 

Yeah I'm sure they'll have their list and everything, but Eichel is just such a massive piece I don't think you can drop that on the organization too close to what will be a massively important draft for us.

[Fallsnative01]

I like the hire. Don seemed to be able to coach these younger guys who in turn wanted to play for him. Time to reshape this team. Get a #1 goalie, trade Jack and get some new pieces that want to be here. 

[Scottysabres]

And the rebuild of the retool of the rebuild is on......

Edited June 29, 2021 by Scottysabres

[WildCard]

Just now, rakish said:

If they are getting futures, it makes sense to me to make the trade between the expansion draft and the entry draft, as teams will not want to protect one more player. If they are getting multiple expansion protected player, I think you're right, it'll happen before the expansion draft.

Expansion draft is July 21st. I get and agree with what you're saying but man that is a tight window to make a deal with Jack. 

[Norcal]

10 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

I mean the team has been a dumpster fire, you have a coach who came in and made the young players play well, had an entertaining brand of hockey with a bare bones roster and wanted to be here.

I’ll take it. Now let’s build and develop this team properly this time around.

I'm here 

[thewookie1]

Just now, WildCard said:

I'd imagine they just retain Ellis and Girardi.

I'd want at least 1 former head coach on the staff.

[LGR4GM]

1 minute ago, WildCard said:

I'd imagine they just retain Ellis and Girardi.

Yeah I'm sure they'll have their list and everything, but Eichel is just such a massive piece I don't think you can drop that on the organization too close to what will be a massively important draft for us.

I think the draft team is expecting him leaving. The only question is which top 15 pick are they getting. 

[WildCard]

Just now, thewookie1 said:

I'd want at least 1 former head coach on the staff.

Seems very undermining to Granato. 

Edited June 29, 2021 by WildCard

[SabresVet]

Any decent HC interviewee was interviewing KA to see what his plan was.  

DG had some results with young kids and that's nice.  But teams have more film on him and results don't always carry over from one season to another. 

Underwhelming hire, but not surprising. 

 

[thewookie1]

Just now, WildCard said:

Seems very undermining of Granato. 

Most, 1st time NHL HCs have one. We need some experience somewhere in this franchise.

[Taro T]

8 minutes ago, darksabre said:

The thing about Granato is that if this doesn't work out he probably still escapes it relatively unscathed in the eyes of the fans. He's got no baggage from old jobs. He's not a coach fans are primed to hate. We're all going to end up rooting for him to succeed and we probably won't fault him if he doesn't. 

You're probably right on that.  If he doesn't work out Adams will be pilloried.  But Granato will be seen as what he'll have been shown to be: a very good AHL coach that couldn't quite make the leap.

Definitely hoping that he works out & Adams ends up vindicated.  But, until this does work out, it's still going to be questioned.  Nolan I was questioned and worked out.  Ruff was questioned and worked out.  Hopefully this follows in their footsteps & not in Rolston or Housley's.

Edited June 29, 2021 by Taro T

[LGR4GM]

1 minute ago, SabresVet said:

Any decent HC interviewee was interviewing KA to see what his plan was.  

DG had some results with young kids and that's nice.  But teams have more film on him and results don't always carry over from one season to another. 

Underwhelming hire, but not surprising. 

 

The interesting thing I found with Granato was that he adjusted his team in game to issues. A good coach knows how to tweak and change things to counter other teams. That said, we definitely do not know if how we played will work in a full season.