How much of this is on the coach?

[Goldseatsaud]

Ruff isn’t the answer here. It’s time Lindy to call it

[Carmel Corn]

21 minutes ago, Goldseatsaud said:

Ruff isn’t the answer here. It’s time Lindy to call it

I don't know what's worse....Lindy or Seth.  Pick your poison because those are the only choices Pegula will allow.

[Pimlach]

18 hours ago, Ctaeth said:

I'm not going to dump on lindy because all of the coaches that have tried with this group have failed.  At some point, you have to say that this is on the players because they aren't talented enough, they are mentally fragile, they are injury prone, and the team isn't deep enough to sustain injuries to their best players.  Obviously, by saying "it is the players", this also implicates the gm since he assembled the group of players (and coach fwiw).

That and he was stuck with the same group of assistant coaches.  

Undoubtedly, he deserves some of the blame as the skipper of this sinking ship.  But I'm not willing to put a large portion of the blame on him

This group has had two coaches, Granato and Lindy.  Lindy has been worse thus far.  The playets aren’t listening to him.  

Edited 9 hours ago by Pimlach

[bunomatic]

Lindy should have the ability to hire and fire his assts. even though he hasn’t been any better. He should have insisted on his own coaching staff coming in. Everything this team does is unorthodox. Emulate the winning organizations. Its simple really.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

None.

I will trot out the estimed @Eleven's mantra down the ages of the past 15 years - it's the roster.

[wingnut]

If we're focusing on head coach, I wonder how many NHL HCs would be ok with 20 yr old Kulich as being the "1C" for their team? Seems like the current roster would be a big 'no' for most.

And I like what Kulich has shown. But 1C at 20 yrs old seems insane to me. Wash, rinse, repeat.

[Ctaeth]

3 hours ago, Pimlach said:

This group has had two coaches, Granato and Lindy.  Lindy has 0 worse thus far.  The playets aren’t listening to him.  

I was counting krueger as well.  You can debate whether that is fine or not.  But quite honestly, it is beside the point I was trying to make.  This group of players has been unsuccessful for years.  Lindy inherited an unsuccessful group of players.  And wasn't able to pick his own assistant coaches to help get his message through to the players. 

[DarthEbriate]

Short answer: Overall, not much -- it's on Darth Pegulas, the EEE mandate, and unqualified GM yes-man-Sheevyn and the culture and roster they've assembled. By Ruff's admission he didn't want the job, but took it anyway. He didn't act on instinct and that is his fault.

But...

The long answer: This season is Ruff's mess. 

If he is buddies with Pegula as has been posted on this board and reported elsewhere, then they had conversations before his hire. And my supposition: then they also had conversations before Granato's firing. This makes him essentially the de facto POHO upon hire as he has the most connections and tenure around the league and was Adams' mentor/coach years ago. His uncontested hiring was the beginning of this season's timeline (except HCDG's firing). 

Because Ruff was the first domino and had the GM's and owner's direct ear, he was complicit and part of the design of every event this offseason and season. And he will be so again once he officially is in the front office at the end of next season (barring retirement).

----

Instead, he should have said, "I'll come on as POHO and here is what we'll do: Adams remains GM/Pegula's sounding board, but I make the hockey decisions. I will make the decision on the Head Coach and new coaching staff, and I will provide the shopping list for players for the GM to execute. And to hell with EEE; if you want to say it's 'Playoffs or bust' then we spend to the cap in every way, shape, and form. We are getting a top-flight coaching staff. It is the Ruff Solo way or the highway, and if you, Darth Pegulas say no to any of these conditions, then your tauntaun will freeze before the first marker, I'll enjoy my retirement, and I'll see you in hell." Then, go hire McClellan or Gallant or whomever and put together the best staff you can find.