Why should Granato and the assistants be brought back?

[Porous Five Hole]

I saw a lot of people pining over the organization losing Mike Peca as a coach last offseason.  
 

If Meatballs and staff are canned, how about Lindy Ruff gets a two year deal to be head coach with Peca brought in as his assistant/head coach in waiting?  

[Flashsabre]

I’m at the point where I will massage myself into being ok with Quenville being hired as next coach if the NHL reinstates him.  Give me a successful seasoned coach and let me see this team with a guy that gets results.

[Porous Five Hole]

9 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

I’m at the point where I will massage myself into being ok with Quenville being hired as next coach if the NHL reinstates him.  Give me a successful seasoned coach and let me see this team with a guy that gets results.

Nooooooo don’t go there.  You won’t like yourself in the morning. 

[Believer]

On 4/10/2024 at 8:57 AM, LGR4GM said:

Listening to him is sickening as he blathers on while saying nothing and taking 0 responsibility.

Granato is not HC material…

He proved it again this year with his inability to send out a team prepared to play hard hockey from the first puck drop, to his line change management with the home ice advantage, to his wholly ineffective PP system, and his redundant postgame analytical explanations for poor efforts and results…

I’m giving him a pass on spending the last few preseason games auditioning prospects instead of playing his starters for 60 minutes… No Commitment to Winning…

And his inexplicable and unacceptable public reaction to the team’s adolescent stunt responding to the boos and fan chants for his firing…  Absence of Leadership.

Excited to hear the organization’s plans for next season.

Edited April 11 by Believer

[mjd1001]

1 hour ago, Porous Five Hole said:

I saw a lot of people pining over the organization losing Mike Peca as a coach last offseason.  
 

If Meatballs and staff are canned, how about Lindy Ruff gets a two year deal to be head coach with Peca brought in as his assistant/head coach in waiting?  

I like that plan

I love Lindy. If a change is made, I want him to come back and he is my first choice, but he's not a long term solution.

2-3 year deal for him, and maybe you can get a quality, highly rated assistant by letting him know Lindy isn't going to be here for 10 years, and if the team improves, that assistant (or assistants) will be in the running for the next head coaching job.

Last year Lindy took a very young New Jersey team (4 of their top 5 scorers were 24 years old or younger), got them 112 points, and won a playoff series over the Rangers without a legitimate NHL goalie.  This year, he was fired after leading the team to 64 points in 61 games, some games without probably his 3 best forwards for periods due to injury (Hughes, Meier and Hischier) and best overall D-man for most of the season (Hamilton). His 'replacement' has gotten 15 points in 18 games, worse than Lindy.

When you look at the big picture, Lindy has ties to Buffalo. He took a young team to a great record this year, and since he got fired, the team he coaches has performed worse.   If you are making a change, offer it to him.

Edited April 11 by mjd1001

[irregularly irregular]

It's got to start with Terry. He has to set the bar much higher, hold KA and DG fully accountable and then back it up with his own accountability to the fans.

If I was the team owner, DG would know that starting next season every 10 games he is having a performance evaluation. If the team is not in the top 3 of the Atlantic Division at any one of those evaluations then it's good bye and enjoy your free money.

If I was the team owner, KA would know that if DG fails any one of those performance evaluations then he has one chance to hire the interim head coach that saves his job. Once the new head coach is in place if the Sabres don't make the playoffs for the 14th year in a row, then KA and the interim coach join DG looking for gainful employment. 

Using this formula, KA and DG have from the day after locker clean-out until the start of the 2024-25 season to make the changes they want to make. New coaches, new players, same players with different roles, trainers, equipment guys, janitors, whatever it takes. This is their last chance to prove their worth. The guidelines are straightforward and easily measured. The Sabres are in the playoffs next season or everything gets blown up..... again. 

[Carmel Corn]

45 minutes ago, irregularly irregular said:

It's got to start with Terry. He has to set the bar much higher, hold KA and DG fully accountable and then back it up with his own accountability to the fans.

If I was the team owner, DG would know that starting next season every 10 games he is having a performance evaluation. If the team is not in the top 3 of the Atlantic Division at any one of those evaluations then it's good bye and enjoy your free money.

If I was the team owner, KA would know that if DG fails any one of those performance evaluations then he has one chance to hire the interim head coach that saves his job. Once the new head coach is in place if the Sabres don't make the playoffs for the 14th year in a row, then KA and the interim coach join DG looking for gainful employment. 

Using this formula, KA and DG have from the day after locker clean-out until the start of the 2024-25 season to make the changes they want to make. New coaches, new players, same players with different roles, trainers, equipment guys, janitors, whatever it takes. This is their last chance to prove their worth. The guidelines are straightforward and easily measured. The Sabres are in the playoffs next season or everything gets blown up..... again. 

Sorry, but this should have been the expectation for the 2023-2024 season (which they failed miserably to achieve).  We also know that a team can have a good start and then fall short when it counts.  The staff should be fired immediately after the last game and use the summer to instead get the team and new coaching staff aligned.

[Thorner]

1 hour ago, irregularly irregular said:

It's got to start with Terry. He has to set the bar much higher, hold KA and DG fully accountable and then back it up with his own accountability to the fans.

If I was the team owner, DG would know that starting next season every 10 games he is having a performance evaluation. If the team is not in the top 3 of the Atlantic Division at any one of those evaluations then it's good bye and enjoy your free money.

If I was the team owner, KA would know that if DG fails any one of those performance evaluations then he has one chance to hire the interim head coach that saves his job. Once the new head coach is in place if the Sabres don't make the playoffs for the 14th year in a row, then KA and the interim coach join DG looking for gainful employment. 

Using this formula, KA and DG have from the day after locker clean-out until the start of the 2024-25 season to make the changes they want to make. New coaches, new players, same players with different roles, trainers, equipment guys, janitors, whatever it takes. This is their last chance to prove their worth. The guidelines are straightforward and easily measured. The Sabres are in the playoffs next season or everything gets blown up..... again. 

Sounds reasonable 

[Believer]

35 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Sounds reasonable 

Got you snowed, too, @Thorny??… Any other NHL Coach with the same record would have been fired by now… You guys are getting as soft as the Sabres!

[Thorner]

3 minutes ago, Believer said:

Got you snowed, too, @Thorny??… Any other NHL Coach with the same record would have been fired by now… You guys are getting as soft as the Sabres!

Ya that’s what she said 

- - - 

I struggle to blame a coach, that’s my acknowledged bias. I agree the data suggests a firing should be objectively argued.

But I haven’t gone soft. I’ve been incredibly consistent in my stance for, what, 5 years now? Surely that can be recognized. My line with Adams has always been there, I don’t move the goalposts. The theory suggested he’d be canned if we miss next year and that’s my line 

[LGR4GM]

2 hours ago, mjd1001 said:

I like that plan

I love Lindy. If a change is made, I want him to come back and he is my first choice, but he's not a long term solution.

2-3 year deal for him, and maybe you can get a quality, highly rated assistant by letting him know Lindy isn't going to be here for 10 years, and if the team improves, that assistant (or assistants) will be in the running for the next head coaching job.

Last year Lindy took a very young New Jersey team (4 of their top 5 scorers were 24 years old or younger), got them 112 points, and won a playoff series over the Rangers without a legitimate NHL goalie.  This year, he was fired after leading the team to 64 points in 61 games, some games without probably his 3 best forwards for periods due to injury (Hughes, Meier and Hischier) and best overall D-man for most of the season (Hamilton). His 'replacement' has gotten 15 points in 18 games, worse than Lindy.

When you look at the big picture, Lindy has ties to Buffalo. He took a young team to a great record this year, and since he got fired, the team he coaches has performed worse.   If you are making a change, offer it to him.

Last year lindy didn't do anything. Burnette did, that's why Florida under him was great, and now Nashville under him is great. Lindy isn't the genius, Burnette was and he's not available. 

[mjd1001]

6 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Last year lindy didn't do anything. Burnette did, that's why Florida under him was great, and now Nashville under him is great. Lindy isn't the genius, Burnette was and he's not available. 

I never said Lindy was a genius, I said he is better than he is given credit for. Again, a young team, no legit goalie, his main stars missing games due to injury, and the team got worse when he got fired.  

[Flashsabre]

I think there is a really poor view of Pegula around the league. To the point some qualified coaches won’t come. I think if they punt Granato the three choices that would come for sure are Boudreau, Lindy and promoting Appert.

[irregularly irregular]

2 hours ago, Carmel Corn said:

Sorry, but this should have been the expectation for the 2023-2024 season (which they failed miserably to achieve).  We also know that a team can have a good start and then fall short when it counts.  The staff should be fired immediately after the last game and use the summer to instead get the team and new coaching staff aligned.

I doubt Granato is shown the door while in possession of that shiny new contract. As I said, where it me owning the team the bar would be set much higher and there would be consequences which have not been seen since Kruger lost 17 in a row or whatever that number was.

2023-24 is water over the dam. Time to forget that mess and focus on the best possible future.

[Flashsabre]

Big win tonight. Everything is fixed everything is great. Run it all back next season😜🤪

[bunomatic]

When Terry opens the purse in regards to the self imposed cap on this team I will believe he is serious about making the playoffs and possibly winning a round or two. The serious teams almost always ice a lineup that is hard up against the cap. We see it every year from Vegas with cap manipulation. Why not us. At some point it has to be about now. F*** the future. When Terry hires an experienced GM and coach and gets out of the way then I’ll know he’s serious about making the playoffs and possibly winning a round or two. When this team raises its expectations from just making the playoffs by sqeeking in to making it in early and making some noise then I suppose at that point old Terry has figured it out. 

[ndirish1978]

is the question just for Granato and coaches and not KA? I know we have a good prospect pipeline but I mean we SHOULD have the best pipeline in the league considering how long we have sucked. What has KA done that warrants any continuity for the org?

[mjd1001]

17 hours ago, bunomatic said:

When Terry opens the purse in regards to the self imposed cap on this team I will believe he is serious about making the playoffs and possibly winning a round or two. The serious teams almost always ice a lineup that is hard up against the cap. We see it every year from Vegas with cap manipulation. Why not us. At some point it has to be about now. F*** the future. When Terry hires an experienced GM and coach and gets out of the way then I’ll know he’s serious about making the playoffs and possibly winning a round or two. When this team raises its expectations from just making the playoffs by sqeeking in to making it in early and making some noise then I suppose at that point old Terry has figured it out. 

Pegula's current thinking seems to be NOT to pay money to make the team good, but rather to wait UNTIL the team is good and THEN pay that money as a reward.

Maybe he was always more of a businessman and less of a fan than many of us thought.....however...he seems to be operating the Sabres MORE to make money/not lose money first, and to 'compete on the ice' second.

Personally, I'm less upset about the spending on the roster, and more so on the coaching staff, development staff, arena, etc.  I'm not saying he is making evergy single decision, but rather he put a 'hard cap' on various parts of the organization (player development, arena upgrades or experience, media and promotions, everything) and just told those parts of the organization....this is all the money you have NO MORE, now make it work within that budget.

Edited April 12 by mjd1001

[PerreaultForever]

I'd prefer a Gallant or some other veteran coach out there but the Lindy with Peca idea has appeal. I would actually be willing to roll the dice on Peca as head coach right off. Unproven, yes, but he was my favourite Sabre in his era and he played the right way and hard all the time. If he can bring that ethic to this team we might be okay. He'd need some good assistants though. A good PP guy and a good guy to work with the D primarily. 

[Flashsabre]

1 hour ago, PerreaultForever said:

I'd prefer a Gallant or some other veteran coach out there but the Lindy with Peca idea has appeal. I would actually be willing to roll the dice on Peca as head coach right off. Unproven, yes, but he was my favourite Sabre in his era and he played the right way and hard all the time. If he can bring that ethic to this team we might be okay. He'd need some good assistants though. A good PP guy and a good guy to work with the D primarily. 

You’ll get HC Matt Ellis with Associate HC Adam Mair and like it😛

[apuszczalowski]

On 3/28/2024 at 10:44 AM, LGR4GM said:

Ignore the contract or Adams. Bales is excluded because UPL.

What have Granato and his assistants done that deserves retention for next season? 

Nothing

You can say it's on the players, but if so, then what's the point of the coach? They need someone who is going to take the players underperforming and make them perform, instead of having 'cuddle party' practices. The comment by Middlestat after his first Avs practice should have sealed DG and the coaching staffs fates immediately.

KA shouldn't get a pass or another chance either, this team has had holes for years and he continued to neglect them in hopes for internal upgrades and hoping they can just build off of the previous year.

Time for a fresh start (again) with some experienced people who will do whatever is needed to upgrade the team NOW, and stop looking at the future with hopes of building a dynasty

[steveoath]

On 4/11/2024 at 11:29 PM, LGR4GM said:

Last year lindy didn't do anything. Burnette did

This

[steveoath]

5 hours ago, apuszczalowski said:

You can say it's on the players, but if so, then what's the point of the coach?

Exactly. Why did DG need 2 seasons to implement his “system”? Doesn’t appear to be the way the NHL works. I think he has shown he out of his depth. 

[dudacek]

Whatever should happen, what will happen is Granato will be back with a few new assistants, most significantly Seth Appert, who will be the coach in waiting if the Sabres are sucking in November.

That’s how Adams rolls.

[GASabresIUFAN]

20 minutes ago, dudacek said:

That’s how Adams rolls.

I think you mean stagnates.