Rumor: Eklund: David Quinn to be next coach

[Sabre Dance]

What if Granato was on the Rangers and they fired Quinn with 20 games left. He wouldn't be on the radar, but what if Kaako, Kravtsov, Lafreniere (sp?), Gauthier, Bowden, Miller all started to take off and look like very real contributors? I feel like if that Granato was available, we would really be on board with it because of how well he is with young guys and having a training camp to install his system

Are you saying our young players took off under Granato?

This seems to be the biggest myth in Sabres land right now. The young players received opportunity. They played care free hockey. Mittelstadt is really the only player to "take off" but he shot at high rate and he really didn't take off. For about 10 games or so he put up good numbers. He could carry that over sure, but any competent coach should be able to carry that over if Mittelstadt really flipped a switch.

I don't know if you remember Drew Stafford and Marcus Foligno doing similar things to end a season their rookie years. They never became the player we saw at the end of the season. If you get my point.

Small samples are not how we should decide the next head coach. If we're at a point where no one wants to coach the Sabres then it is what it is and Granato is the best plan at that point.

 

[UnleashRasmus]

Well, if they’re trying to move Eichel, they probably won’t hire Quinn

Thank god, their special teams are trash beyond no measure!

 

[BananaSquad]

Are you saying our young players took off under Granato?

This seems to be the biggest myth in Sabres land right now. The young players received opportunity. They played care free hockey. Mittelstadt is really the only player to "take off" but he shot at high rate and he really didn't take off. For about 10 games or so he put up good numbers. He could carry that over sure, but any competent coach should be able to carry that over if Mittelstadt really flipped a switch.

I don't know if you remember Drew Stafford and Marcus Foligno doing similar things to end a season their rookie years. They never became the player we saw at the end of the season. If you get my point.

Small samples are not how we should decide the next head coach. If we're at a point where no one wants to coach the Sabres then it is what it is and Granato is the best plan at that point.

I’m still trying to figure out exactly who these great amazing coaches you speak of. I don’t see any available unless you are talking about Boudreau, than oh my.

 

[Asymmetric Solution]

Quinn wouldn't be my choice, but you could do a lot worse, much much worse. If he's the guy, I don't have a major problem with it.
NYR
2018-19 (32-36-0-14)
2019-20 (37-28-0-5)**
2020-2021 (27-23-0-6)
*made playoffs, lost in first round

**Got a Lafreniere when they made playoffs

 

[Fezzy126]

The vitriol for Granato is surprising. Players who suddenly looked like players when he took over the bench all praised his style and input. They looked like an NHL team under him, once the losing skid ended. He's been a winner at every level he's coached.

For me it's not so much virtiol, it's just more uncertainty. There are currently 5 head coaching vacancies in the league, and there have been no rumors about Granato for any of those vacancies. No media publications, no blogger articles, absolutely no news about Granato interviewing anywhere else. Now I don't think the NHL coach hiring process is based on some great temple of wisdom, it's basically a carousel of the recycled old hockey boys club. But the fact that the Sabres are once again looking at someone that no one else is even considering is concerning. It subtly suggests that they know something everyone else doesn't, or that they're smarter than everyone else in the room. Based on their history, they've never been close to the smartest front office in the league, so it's very difficult to trust an unproven hire (again).

Many people compare the Bills and the Sabres. Some brush off the success with the football team as luck, but that's nonsense too. In their process, they identified some of the hottest coaching commodities in the league and eventually landed on McDermott (after a brief mistep with Rex that is). The bottom line is that McDermott was a hot head coaching candidate, several teams interviewed him and he was going to get hired as a head coach by someone. When they brought in Beane, he was also considered a hot gm candidate. They didn't stop there, they filled their coaching staff with experienced vets and their front office with highly desired up and comers. Every year other teams look to poach the Bills staff for both coaching and front office vacancies.

I can't remember the last time another team wanted to promote someone from our staff. Don't get me wrong, I'll be cheering for them to figure it out and be successful, but it's going to be pretty hard to be too hopeful.

 

[Reddawg]

Granato is easily the correct choice. He’s earned a look and already has the trust and buyin of the team. That’s a huge deal.

 

[Jim Bob]

Granato is easily the correct choice. He’s earned a look and already has the trust and buyin of the team. That’s a huge deal.

I wouldn't say that it easy to say Granato is the right hire.

With a veteran coach like BB out there, I do not believe that there is any one slam dunk perfect hire.

I won't be upset if Granato is the guy. But, I also am not completely sold that he is the perfect hire, either. His lack of experience as an NHL head coach is a legit concern.

 

[jc17]

People have brought up the Tavares:Islanders Eichel:Sabres comparisons and improvements under a new coach. It seems like Trotz is a big "structure" guy, and implemented a system more in line with what Ralph attempted to do, than what we seem to get with Granato

 

[Rowley Birkin]

People have brought up the Tavares:Islanders Eichel:Sabres comparisons and improvements under a new coach. It seems like Trotz is a big "structure" guy, and implemented a system more in line with what Ralph attempted to do, than what we seem to get with Granato

That could be a valid comparison... If we hire a coach as good as Trotz.

Unfortunately, not even the likes of Boudreau or Gallant are in the Trotz tier...

 

[Fezzy126]

People have brought up the Tavares:Islanders Eichel:Sabres comparisons and improvements under a new coach. It seems like Trotz is a big "structure" guy, and implemented a system more in line with what Ralph attempted to do, than what we seem to get with Granato

I think the debate should probably center around good coach vs bad coach, rather than coach type (e.g. structure vs free, defensive vs offensive, players coach vs disciplinarian, etc). We haven't seen anything close to a good coach here in many years.

 

[Royisgone]

I'm done if they kiss Eichel ass this way

By the same token, I'm done if they give away Eichel and/or Reinhart *before* getting a real, proven, NHL head coach on the team...and I firmly believe they are getting ready to do that.

Terry Pegula wants to move on from Jack Eichel because Eichel is perceived to be a source of our problems.

Book it!

 

[TehDoak]

People have brought up the Tavares:Islanders Eichel:Sabres comparisons and improvements under a new coach. It seems like Trotz is a big "structure" guy, and implemented a system more in line with what Ralph attempted to do, than what we seem to get with Granato

Oh boy.

I think comparing what Trotz does with whatever Krueger attempted to do is laughable.

 

[jc17]

I think the debate should probably center around good coach vs bad coach, rather than coach type (e.g. structure vs free, defensive vs offensive, players coach vs disciplinarian, etc). We haven't seen anything close to a good coach here in many years.

I agree that good coach vs bad coach is most important.

But I think it makes sense that if you lose your top (or top 2) offensive players that there might have to be emphasis on defense.

Obviously they aren't mutually exclusive, you can try to do both but on a team without jack and sam, the less meaningful granato's "let them play" approach was. NYI went from 2nd worst in goals against 2018 to best in 2019.

I want to see mitts and dahlin have freedom, but looking at our forward group we will have to be a good defensive team, because odds are slim we're winning run and gun games.

I do like to think that don will adjust to the roster though

 

[UnleashRasmus]

Granato is easily the correct choice. He’s earned a look and already has the trust and buyin of the team. That’s a huge deal.

For where we are, definitely. I still think you cannot say no to Boudreau if he wants the job openly.

 

[UnleashRasmus]

Oh boy.

I think comparing what Trotz does with whatever Krueger attempted to do is laughable.

This is completely 100% true. There are few coaches that are comparable. He's the top of the class.

 

[Ace]

Why is developing young players and having success at the same time something that is completely impossible? Again with having low standards...

why haven’t they been able to do it?

I’ll take the first part and the second part will come because I’ll have…developed good players. And then I can hire a different coach when I get there. Like every other team would do.

or we can keep trying to have it all and getting nothing.

working great.

bright future.

 

[missingmika]

Am I the only one that wants to see Jason Kasdorf get the job on the one condition he can bring in Peter Skudra and Andrey Makarov as assistant coaches? Add Danny O’Reagan as goalie coach and we’re in a cup at some point in the next 100 years.

 

[tsujimoto74]

Are you saying our young players took off under Granato?

This seems to be the biggest myth in Sabres land right now. The young players received opportunity. They played care free hockey. Mittelstadt is really the only player to "take off" but he shot at high rate and he really didn't take off. For about 10 games or so he put up good numbers. He could carry that over sure, but any competent coach should be able to carry that over if Mittelstadt really flipped a switch.

I don't know if you remember Drew Stafford and Marcus Foligno doing similar things to end a season their rookie years. They never became the player we saw at the end of the season. If you get my point.

Small samples are not how we should decide the next head coach. If we're at a point where no one wants to coach the Sabres then it is what it is and Granato is the best plan at that point.

Over the last 25 games, Mittelstadt played at a ~65 point pace. That's, like, half of last season.

 

[MarkusKetterer]

Over the last 25 games, Mittelstadt played at a ~65 point pace. That's, like, half of last season.

Extrapolated over a full season it means we didn’t need McDavid

 

[Man of Principles]

By the same token, I'm done if they give away Eichel and/or Reinhart *before* getting a real, proven, NHL head coach on the team...and I firmly believe they are getting ready to do that.

Terry Pegula wants to move on from Jack Eichel because Eichel is perceived to be a source of our problems.

Book it!

Jack gone boi. I think they're trying to keep Reinhart but he gone too, my guy.

 

[Sabre Dance]

Over the last 25 games, Mittelstadt played at a ~65 point pace. That's, like, half of last season.

Sam Reinhart and Mittelstadt shot at 20% over that stretch though.

Plus I acknowledged Mittelstadt played good over a small sample.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

A rare miss from Eklund

 

[Sabre Dance]

He got the 1st letter in the name right.

 

[Fjordy]

Eklund idiot

 

[dugman]

He got the 1st letter in the name right.

Hey, be nice! He got the gender right, too. The guy clearly has sources.