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

[Stoner]

10 minutes ago, MISabresFan said:

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

It could be a nice spot to walk into. Someone else has done the dirty work.

Add to the mix some roster control and an idea that Terry is willing to spend and agree to stay out of it.

Great franchise tradition, fan base willing to come back with a vengeance, as close to a Canadian team as you can get etc.

[Doohicksie]

24 minutes ago, inkman said:

Friedman say the deal is practically done to return as Carolina’s coach. They will finalize after the season. 

Is that what I heard a while back?  I kept thinking it was done but his name keeps coming up.  I guess it was the Friedman came out with "practically done" and that closed RBA off in my mind.

[Doohicksie]

I know Brind'Amour was instrumental in running Skinner out of CAR but there are a lot of miles between then and now.  I wouldn't mind RBA coming in and making Skinner a complete player.  If he could get Skinner to buy in, everyone would.  Skinner's got all the tools.

[Demoted]

Just happy that there will be a change, might be bad but better than stale garbage.

[dudacek]

Just now, PASabreFan said:

It could be a nice spot to walk into. Someone else has done the dirty work.

Add to the mix some roster control and an idea that Terry is willing to spend and agree to stay out of it.

Great franchise tradition, fan base willing to come back with a vengeance, as close to a Canadian team as you can get etc.

Really, it's about comfort level with Terry and whether he's going to be with you or an obstacle to what you want to do.

If that's established, the situation should otherwise be enticing for most unemployed guys with egos.

[jad1]

7 minutes ago, erickompositör72 said:

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.

Sabres have been turned down by experienced coaches over the last 13 years, so this isn't true.

[Believer]

Was an early critic of Granato and thought he lost all credibility when he was mum on the player rebellion and let it go on too long… Evidence for me he wasn’t strong enough for the leadership demands of the job… Despite excellent hockey IQ, analytical and verbal skills, players stopped listening to him… Wasn’t surprised… Most pro athletes are alpha males and don’t respond to weak leaders…They think they know better. 

Granato gave it his all… Walks away with some valuable experiences, great relationships and financial security… He will be fine whatever he ends up doing.

 

[OverPowerYou]

So this is the what, 6th coach we have been happy to have fired since Lindy Ruff? 
 

Next. 

[dudacek]

1 minute ago, jad1 said:

Sabres have been turned down by experienced coaches over the last 13 years, so this isn't true.

I'm aware of one for sure (Babcock) and likely 2 (McLellan).

Each chose better offers, so it doesn't negate the point being made.

[Crusader1969]

2 hours ago, Jävə Keith said:

WGR is debating who could be the favorite on next coach.  Lindy keeps coming up.

I love the idea of Brind'Amour, but Lindy not out of the question - firey but has proven he can develop young guys in his reboot in NJ.

He loves Buffalo and would be a fan favorite out of the gate, perhaps Lindy is a credible bridge to the long term coach.

I understand the "no way to Lindy" crowd, but it legitimately could make some sense and could work.

I'm sure I'm wrong and often am.  But I know I don't know and never say never.

Go Sabres!

Forever fan even through the valley of despair.

 

 

 

 

The more I think about Lindy behind the bench game 1 next season, the more excited I get to see it happen.  Would be electric 

[SDS]

6 minutes ago, OverPowerYou said:

So this is the what, 6th coach we have been happy to have fired since Lindy Ruff? 
 

Next. 

Granato was the 6th longest tenured coach in the NHL.

[Doohicksie]

27 minutes ago, MISabresFan said:

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

It really depends on Adams and Pegula (not our perceptions of Adams and Pegula, but what the reality is, and how that is communicated in an interview).  The Sabres do have a lot of young talent already on the team and supposedly the best prospect pool.  I could see experienced coaches jumping at this position.  If Kevyn agrees to involve a newly hired but experienced HC in roster tweaks, and TPegs agrees to let the hockey guys go out and hockey, I could see an experience HC jumping at the opportunity.

Edited April 16 by Doohickie

[jad1]

Just now, dudacek said:

I'm aware of one for sure (Babcock) and likely 2 (McLellan).

Each chose better offers, so it doesn't negate the point being made.

Only if the point is that the candidate coach has no other offers or opportunities outside of coaching or chooses not to take a break from coaching. 

So it's not as simple as the Sabres offer a veteren coach a contract, and he automatically accepts it.

 

[Mango]

5 minutes ago, Crusader1969 said:

The more I think about Lindy behind the bench game 1 next season, the more excited I get to see it happen.  Would be electric 

The Sabres have a large fan and marketing problem. Brining in a long time member of the community with a long track record of success helps alleviate that....at least temporarily. 

I do know that Lindy would not allow the stupid fan protest BS. 

[Pimlach]

15 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

It could be a nice spot to walk into. Someone else has done the dirty work.

Add to the mix some roster control and an idea that Terry is willing to spend and agree to stay out of it.

Great franchise tradition, fan base willing to come back with a vengeance, as close to a Canadian team as you can get etc.

This is the way the franchise started and was originally viewed. 

In my opinion Buffalo is a nicer city today, with more going on, then it was in 1970.  Buffalo is not the problem.  Long winters - not the problem. 

Terry just needs to get the right people in the right spots and then step away and support them.  

It can be brought back.  

[Big Guava]

1 hour ago, LabattBlue said:

Not common sense…more like blind loyalty.  

You can both be good at developing young players and still not be good enough to take them to the next level.

There is no way to know if that's the case before hiring them. First, you have to get the players to develop. He did a pretty great job at that.

Then you have to see if he can take them to the next level. He failed at that.

So be it. I openly said it was time for Granato to go as the season wore on and it was obvious the team was not moving forward as expected.

That doesn't mean that AT THE TIME he was hired when Dahlin looked lost and so did multiple other players on this team that he was not the right hire to get them back on the right track to develop properly. And for the most part he has done an exceptional job at developing them.

He was a development coach for USA Hockey after all.

Unless you have some crystal ball that you are keeping all to yourself, you didn't know either.

Edited April 16 by Big Guava

[Night Train]

56 minutes ago, inkman said:

 Meh the younger guys seem to have a clue, Schopp is annoying but he knows how to run a price radio show and Bulldog is a likeable every fan.  

A reach of epic proportions. They are horrid. 

[Mango]

35 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

There are only 32 jobs to be had.  

I think there is some grey area between the "There are 32 jobs, you take one if offered" and "Nobody wants to work here ever". 

If you are a long time NHL coach with a background of success who is on a lot of teams shortlist year after year it isn't crazy to turn down job offers. SImilarly there will be assistants in very stable organizations who compete for championships and see a path to a HC in their future without tarnishing their reputation who won't want the Sabres position either. 

Sometimes "no credit" is better than "bad credit". There will be coaches old and young who view the Sabres as "bad credit" and dangerous for their career going forward. 

[erickompositör72]

1 hour ago, CallawaySabres said:

It 1000% is going to be Lindy or this Appert. I don't think any of these names that we want will even consider an interview here. 

 

58 minutes ago, Mango said:

 

When it comes to hires the Sabres need to find a candidate who overlaps all three things. In that model I think Ruff is probably pretty close to the top of the list. 
 
- Who they should hire. 
- Who Terry is willing to hire. 
- Who is willing to take the job, 

 

53 minutes ago, Mango said:

This is a very real and gigantic hurdle for the org. 

I think the best and most realistic chance of righting that under Pegula is likely something like bringing Ruff back in, getting us back into the playoffs regularly, and then "retiring" as President of Hockey Ops and being able to shelter the franchise from Ter-Bear. 

With all due respect, I think this notion is absurd.

 

Anyone who doesn't already have a job offer will interview here. It's a head coaching position in the NHL. These spots don't grow on trees.

[xzy89c1]

1 hour ago, ska-T Chitown said:

I will also 100% accept this as a birthday present from the team! Thanks, GMKA!

Happy Birthday?

 

What does everyone think about PECA as potential candidate?

[erickompositör72]

31 minutes ago, jad1 said:

Sabres have been turned down by experienced coaches over the last 13 years, so this isn't true.

Only true when they have other offers.

[Scottysabres]

I'm not sold on Ruff as the answer, but we need a coach that wears wadders for boots. These players need more than a swift kick in the keester, they need a daily enema at practice.

Edited April 16 by Scottysabres

[erickompositör72]

Wondering why some are strongly opposed to Ruff. I'm not advocating either way, but he was the coach for the best Sabres teams I've ever watched.

 

Seems like he was only fired to facilitate the tank.

Edited April 16 by erickompositör72

[LGR4GM]

Just now, erickompositör72 said:

Wondering why some are strongly opposed to Ruff. I'm not advocating either way, but he was the coach for the best Sabres teams I've ever watched.

He hasn't been good in the NHL in years for 1. And before ANYONE quotes the Devils record, that was Burnette's doing and the proof is that the guy who made Florida the president trophy team, made Devils a playoffs team, and made the Predators a playoff team in back to back to back years. Every team he left dropped down after he left. Florida appears to have recovered and replaced him and deserves credit. 

Edited April 16 by LGR4GM

[Mango]

3 minutes ago, erickompositör72 said:

 

 

With all due respect, I think this notion is absurd.

 

Anyone who doesn't already have a job offer will interview here. It's a head coaching position in the NHL. These spots don't grow on trees.

Turn down interviews or turn down job offers? I am mostly speaking to job offers. 

I am not an NHL or NFL coach, but have worked with the NCAA and USOC. There are 2 types of coaches that will turn down a chance at a HC position at National Championship/Olympic level. 

1. Senior Head Coaches with accomplished resume's. They will take a year off, work as an independent contractor, advisor, etc. before the enter a program without institutional support. 
2. Assistants in top tier programs. Those coaches have stability and are already competing for National, World, or Olympic Gold Medals. At that point in their career they will hold out for the right promotion, not take the first promotion. 

Of course there is a whole slew of coaches who don't fall into either of those buckets who would certainly take the first NHL HC job offered to them. But the rule you are playing by is not hard and fast. Sometimes no credit is better than bad credit. The Sabres seem to have the stench of "bad credit" at the moment.