Sabres announce Don Granato, Jason Christie and Matt Smith have been relieved of their duties

[#freejame]

We have to hire Seth Appert. What if someone else does and he’s amazing?! Then what, huh???

[...]

BTW, props to our man @tom webster who said in a now-closed thread:

"I think those that want change may be happy before Friday."

Dude, would you now share winning lotto numbers?

[Pimlach]

2 minutes ago, Mr Peabody said:

I think it’s crucial to bring in an HC that has no past relationship with the players.  I’ve experienced the former in the working world and it’s tough to be a hard a$$ on people you’ve got positive relationships with. 

True.  But the messages and direction that Adams wants may not require a hard A$$. 

[Stoner]

9 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

So they hired a coach that they knew couldn’t get them to the playoffs?  Yeah….that makes sense. 

Did anyone think DG would be here for Cup runs? He served his purpose. Adams might even be relieved they didn't sneak into the playoffs.

[Stads]

43 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

Rayzor needs someone to talk to in between periods.  Someone who uses short words.

"I just talked to Matty Ellis and management. I told them if he is let go, I will definitely intimate suicidal thoughts and cause a huge scene. He is my light and my love and cannot be taken away from me. Work hard in the corners, shot mentality, net front presence, and establish the physical game."

[Pimlach]

3 minutes ago, #freejame said:

We have to hire Seth Appert. What if someone else does and he’s amazing?! Then what, huh???

He could be the next Jon Cooper, or the next Ron Rolston.  

[Believer]

1 hour ago, pi2000 said:

6 months too late Kevyn.

DG was a dead man walking in Nov/Dec, you could hear it in his pressers, he knew what was at stake.

Edmonton moved quickly before their season imploded, Buffalo put their head in the sand.   

There has to be a higher standard and higher sense of urgency top down in this organization for things to change.

Without insight into the dynamic between Adams and Pegula, agree the firings were six months too late, but only if Adams had the ability to do it at any point sooner. Perhaps he didn’t.

Expect any experienced NHL HC will want to partner with Adams on future changes to the roster he inherits. Unless the new HC is on board, offseason trades and FA pick ups will be all Adams and Pegula. Makes me think the new HC will be named soon.

 

[Stoner]

3 minutes ago, MISabresFan said:

Jeff Halpern Tampa Assistant as possible replacement.

The coaching tree angle is intriguing. It's the one kind of first timer that they could sell to the fans. Hey, this guy trained under a Cup winner and is in the next generation of great coaches.

[Mr Peabody]

1 minute ago, Pimlach said:

True.  But the messages and direction that Adams wants may not require a hard A$$. 

Very true and hard A is probably too harsh.  Regardless, they need to get their cheese moved. 

[MISabresFan]

Question, if you were an unemployed experienced NHL coach, would you want to take this job?

[...]

4 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

Did anyone think DG would be here for Cup runs? He served his purpose. Adams might even be relieved they didn't sneak into the playoffs.

I had a similar thought, but not that Adams is relieved, but more that he's lucky (and therefore may be relieved).

Imagine if they did eek into a playoff spot this year - we'd be stuck with Meatballs for far too long after that. Maybe Donny did do the gentlemanly thing, as you were pondering somewhere else, and held the team back just enough to make them fire him. He keeps the contact, the team gets a new coach.

Edited April 16 by ...
Announcing the Sabres new head coach: Lindy Ruff

[SDS]

3 minutes ago, ... said:

BTW, props to our man @tom webster who said in a now-closed thread:

"I think those that want change may be happy before Friday."

Dude, would you now share winning lotto numbers?

TW is top shelf. He is a rational guy who doesn't get too high or too low with a great ability to distill information over the long term. He also knows people and so he is worth paying attention to.

[LabattBlue]

Just now, MISabresFan said:

Question, if you were an unemployed experienced NHL coach, would you want to take this job?

There are only 32 jobs to be had.  

[Big Guava]

8 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

Pegula absolutely loves fans like you. 

Ones that use common sense? Seems that is in short supply these days.

[LabattBlue]

Just now, Big Guava said:

Ones that use common sense? Seems that is in short supply these days.

Not common sense…more like blind loyalty.  

[Stads]

1 minute ago, MISabresFan said:

Question, if you were an unemployed experienced NHL coach, would you want to take this job?

Maybe wait and see what else becomes available. At the end of the day, there's only so many of these jobs or whatever the cliché happens to be

[Brawndo]

One positive aspect is this could show a shift in spending priorities for Pegula if he is willing to eat 3.9 million over two years 

[erickompositör72]

1 hour ago, jad1 said:

I doubt that's where this is heading.  What experienced coach is going to want to coach under Adams?

Adams keeping his job makes Granato's firing a rearranging-the-deck chairs type of move.  

My guess us that Appert is named the new coach.

I'm sorry, but the reality is: 32 jobs exist in the world for this profession, and if one is open and you get offered one, you take it. Plus, the ego of a head coach-type is such that they will believe they have what it takes to improve any situation, even if presenting a great challenge.

[SDS]

2 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

Not common sense…more like blind loyalty.  

Anger makes a poor companion to level-headed thinking.

[Mango]

46 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

Does a Matt Smith firing even deserve to be mentioned in a press release? 😂

A quick google says this position pays between $49k-$79k. Knowing the Sabres he is on the low end. 

Imagine being an inside support rep at Ingram Micro and them tweet out that you were fired. 

Working under Pegula sounds wonderful. 

 

[ska-T Palmtown]

1 minute ago, Mango said:

A quick google says this position pays between $49k-$79k. Knowing the Sabres he is on the low end. 

Imagine being an inside support rep at Ingram Micro and them tweet out that you were fired. 

Working under Pegula sounds wonderful. 

 

I had the same reaction to including him in the tweet (or is it an X?), so I asked my wife and she also thought it was a ***** move to publicly out him like that.

[LabattBlue]

1 minute ago, SDS said:

Anger makes a poor companion to level-headed thinking.

Anger?   I am long past that.  More like…who cares when the owner has run the franchise into the ground…maybe one of the worst(if not the very worst) 13 year stretches in NHL history. 

[Mr Peabody]

I was a Syr Crunch season ticket holder when (Rolston?) got fired and I told my wife it looks like we’re losing Cooper to the Sabres.  He’d won at every level he ever coached.  I’m sure Yzerman convinced him to stay and mapped out his trajectory.  That said, no stone should be left unturned. 

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, ... said:

BTW, props to our man @tom webster who said in a now-closed thread:

"I think those that want change may be happy before Friday."

Dude, would you now share winning lotto numbers?

 

There's a few who were shitting on him earlier in the year who should be thinking about apologizing

 

1 hour ago, SDS said:

TW is top shelf. He is a rational guy who doesn't get too high or too low with a great ability to distill information over the long term. He also knows people and so he is worth paying attention to.

 

Anyone paying attention over the years knows Webster is a credible source who talks to people.

He's not always right, but he doesn't claim to be. He shares what he hears without embellishment and we're lucky to have him.

Edited April 16 by dudacek

[WhenWillItEnd66]

On GR it was stated that supposedly Ellis contract is up so does not need to be let go.