Confirmed with Link: Granato Out (Jason Christie & Matt Smith also let go, Ellis being reassigned)

[Zman5778]

Also Dahlin on practice not being intense enough.

Mitts' comments on his first practice in Colorado were pretty damning as well.

Just seems like Donnie wasn't it on so many levels. I'm still pleased with how he developed the kids.....but he just seems incapable of more.

 

[Beerz]

This is wild and a bit surprising to hear the players/GM more or less throwing him under the bus. No one seems upset by his firing at all.

Which means all the being butthurt about Fire Donny chants was coming from Okie

 

[GrierIsGod123]

Yes.. your critique of him now is reasonable and much better than "He's a loser"

When you're in the midst of a 13 year drought and guys aren't getting it done in tight games...it's tough. But I'm far more level-headed outside of the GDT.

One more thing, adding a solid third line center should only help these guys. They really need a prime-aged veteran in that spot. Cirelli truly is a dream, but as stated prior I'd take Roy or Stephenson from Vegas in a heartbeat (who wouldn't?).

Which means all the being butthurt about Fire Donny chants was coming from Okie

Yes, I think some of what we've heard is also damning of Okposo's leadership. While he might've been a good role model in a lot of ways not sure bringing him back this year was a good thing.

 

[Chainshot]

Mitts' comments on his first practice in Colorado were pretty damning as well.

Just seems like Donnie wasn't it on so many levels. I'm still pleased with how he developed the kids.....but he just seems incapable of more.

Coaches are hired to be fired. There are areas that all of them could’ve been better at. And it does sound like they have regrets about getting someone who they consider to be a good human fired.

 

[Zman5778]

Which means all the being butthurt about Fire Donny chants was coming from Okie

I think they all loved Donny as a person. Which might have been some of the reaction that night.

But it sure seemed like a lot of the room soured on Donny as a coach.

 

[Beerz]

When you're in the midst of a 13 year drought and guys aren't getting it done in tight games...it's tough. But I'm far more level-headed outside of the GDT.

One more thing, adding a solid third line center should only help these guys. They really need a prime-aged veteran in that spot. Cirelli truly is a dream, but as stated prior I'd take Roy or Stephenson from Vegas in a heartbeat (who wouldn't?).


Yes, I think some of what we've heard is also damning of Okposo's leadership. While he might've been a good role model in a lot of ways not sure bringing him back this year was a good thing.

I think Okie was just a Granato stooge now that I think about it

 

[Nikolajs Sillers]

Some asshole cut the complex fiber line so no Internet as my floor is too high for phone service so I missed all the excitement. Guess I need to hibernate until the draft

Yeah, Sabres hibernated all season.

 

[Nikolajs Sillers]

I just don't know why coaches get extended so fast when contract even not up? Same Sullivan in Pittsburgh.

 

[old kummelweck]

Listening to the player interviews, not much personal accountability, not much "we let the coach down." Kind of a "moving on" vibe.

 

[MOGlLNY]

Listening to the player interviews, not much personal accountability, not much "we let the coach down." Kind of a "moving on" vibe.

I don't know about that. They all said they got too comfortable and need to be much better

 

[Reddawg]

I think Okie was just a Granato stooge now that I think about it

I'd be a perfectly content stooge too for $3m and practically zero expectations.

 

[jd1970]

A real coach is going to prove how awful this guy was. Wait and see.

 

[brian_griffin]

That's called the mark of an incompetent. No one knows what you're going to do because nothing you do makes sense.

Reminds me of a line in "Three Days of the Condor" where (I think it was) the Harold character (assassin) addressing Joe turner (Robert Redford) in Joebert's (Max von Sydow's) study/library - I think after killing Joebert - now questions Redford about Mia Farrow ("The woman - why did you choose her?"), etc.,
[I'm paraphrasing the next part:]
<Harold> "You ever consider this line of work? You'd make a good agent."
<Redford/Turner> "No. NO! But why, why me?"
<Harold> "Because you're unpredictable."
<Redford> "Unpredictable? But you found me here?"
<Harold> "Finding you here was predictable. But you, YOU are unpredictable."

I guess Pegula is willing to eat Granato’s contract.

Some folks will need to recalibrate their narratives

Not directed to you singularly. We should assume the contract will be paid in full - and I support the Pegula-IS-NOT-cheap view - but we also don't know what kind of contract Granato had.

The extension could have had a clause with a sliding scale payout of a fraction of the the contract if relieved of duties early.

It could also have a clause that the payout for an unfulfilled contract would be reduced in the event the Sabres subsequently hired certain preferred coaches which weren't available when Granato extended become available and the Sabres hire one of them.

This just had to happen. Pleasantly surprised they did it so quickly too, did not expect that. I do wish the best to Donnie though, I really liked him as a person and he was very likeable in interviews and with the players, hopefully he finds another job elsewhere.

Hopefully they take the summer to find the right fit coach.

Agree with the top paragraph.
Personally, I want the new coach on board before the draft, even if Adams is responsible for the draft.

I'm hoping we get a veteran coach.. I think Randy Carlyle would be super beneficial for our Young Mega ceiling Defensemen

Bruce Boudreau another veteran coach

Both Carlyle and Boudreau have winning experience with young cores

That would be like Pink Floyd's Wish you were here album cover, but the left-side man would be covered with gasoline.

Imagine having a job you are terrible at. Like, obviously unqualified for the role. And you can't hide your mistakes. Everyone in the company sees them on a regular basis. You somehow keep this job for three years.

Then one day, your boss is fired. In no small part because of your incompetence. Again, everyone in the company knows this.

Instead of firing you, your company just...demotes you to the stock room. So you still have to see all these people who watched you flail about randomly for three years on a daily basis.

At that point...wouldn't you rather just be fired?

But the premise is I am unaware of my incompetency, so I therefore assume I will similarly be unaware of the incongruity of the new circumstance and of my demotion. Blissful ignorance.

I remember when Keyshawn Johnson was interviewed talking about the Cowboys acquiring Terrell Owens and saying "I think he could be a lot like me." Blatantly not realizing the obvious reality that Owens was intended to replace Johnson.

So it will cost less to eat the two years of Donny’s deal than it did to eat what was left of Krueger’s.


Just a fun little factoid.

And even cheaper on an inflation-adjusted and Euro-strengthened / dollar-weakened basis.

I’ve been saying this for so many years now. Just send over the contract Terry, you don’t even have to find me office space.

If you land the gig, we'll you can afford your own red stapler. (Subsequent post had an Office Space reference.)

In positive news, I'm back after working 6+ weeks 70+ and just short of 1K YTD (though or year officially begins December 21st). It was nice to read up on all these threads and see the Granato firing. I'd be ok for Ruff as a transitional coach if we can't get another experienced coach.

I don't recommend public accounting as a career for anyone, myself included (unless you want to be a partner and just thrive on work being your life). And the Capitals won...

The simplest answer is the correct one. You're a tax preparer / accountant for a large number of Eastern Orthodox church-related businesses and suppliers who continue to follow the Julian calendar.

I guess I believe there's maybe a 15 game window where it might've made sense in the middle of the season that could've worked (enough games passed to disregard the successes of last season, enough games left to believe it could've made a difference)... IF they had the right guy already lined up.

Though I think there's more work to do here than a mid-season shake up to turn the team around. A lot of youthful bad habits to work out, a lot of structure to work in.

Although the CBA would never allow it, I think there's equally good evidence that if the Sabres could hold their team hostage in Buffalo through the 1-week mandated mid-season break, they'd get better on-ice results in Feb-Mar-Apr.

I'm one of the few people who thought the roster construction was a much bigger issue than coaching, so hiring Lindy or Berube doesn't really give me a lot more hope for next season...I'm more interested in Adams roster changes/improvements.

I have two hands with lots of fingers to point - it's both the roster and the coaching.

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[itwasaforwardpass]

Agree with Fairburn on this. If there is the lack of effort in practice and a lack of accountability the players are all saying, Adams needs to recognize that and make that coaching change in season. This season could have been salvaged if he acted upon that way sooner.

 

[Dingo44]

This was a great listen.

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

That was insightful. A couple of great things mentioned here......

"the way you practice is the way you play...." I believe I am on record on this.

And (paraphrasing)...

todays generation of players follow the best players..... that's who they respect.... those with the accomplishments under their belts....... KO doesn't have them, Don Granato certainly didn't have them......

 

[Jacob582]

Yeah listening to this has me more soured on Okposo.

He's the captain and he wanted out.

He did good making the team comfortable for the young players. Unfortunately comfortable didn't make the playoffs.

 

[MOGlLNY]

Okie, like Donnie, wanted the players to feel welcome and comfortable to change the toxic setting of the last locker room. It was good for what we needed at the time but now's the time for change.

 

[K8fool]

I 've become mean s uncaring as the likely story of the sabres is a very human and sad one more ch like thr injuries to many of those to the Bills adter predictable inflammatory response to the team that travelled to London and proved a gut check for the Bills and similarly later w the sabres became a disaster.

I want to say , of all the trauma based players and leaders. , Donny ( real strength is empathy) from my no info outside view, you seem to have the strength to eat thr pain and injustice of those in your care and still have thr strngth, sick and dying to make those in your charge see their best selves thru yourr eyes, never givingup if you believe unrelenting.
Unfortunately this strenth And caring makes it so difficult to use the manipulation and games sometimes necessary for a head coach to be UNFAIR to players so they can hate you all year yet smack themselves i the face realizing after hoisting a trophy

Donny could not embrace thr inner cruelty but any new owner should hire him as high level consultant as his voice is a great one.

One death. Thr pied piper of Damar who is being mislead like many athletes by the mysteries as they all like mr Miller are certain about esoteric half truths which divides and traumatized their minds in an understandable battle of their ego injuries defined both teams as the Bills overcame and the Sabres need to stay off the ice if they are a detriment and thats on staff as well A great horse will run itself to death. We need free will and self awareness.

I think kim pegul Seemed to have all of the best intentions and actions of an honorable mother bleaching the cesspool of entrenched employees and practices. We all evolve defining what is evil and what is not towards goals that can run over many the larger your footprint. I cant judge what soneone was but what they've become once faced w the cruelty of this life. I'll choose to believe in the end Terry and Kim may be rare billionaires as they and the fanbase have taken an honorable path and the world still collects whats owed. Hopefully all involved in the sabres that tried to be honorable will be recognized as part of a success like the bills which may be inevitable w the hard choices.

 

[K8fool]

Okie, like Donnie, wanted the players to feel welcome and comfortable to change the toxic setting of the last locker room. It was good for what we needed at the time but now's the time for change.

Hansandwich creeper and a few other toxic journalists w questionable morals and practices need flushing to complete that

 

[MOGlLNY]

 

[OkimLom]

That was insightful. A couple of great things mentioned here......

"the way you practice is the way you play...." I believe I am on record on this.

And (paraphrasing)...

todays generation of players follow the best players..... that's who they respect.... those with the accomplishments under their belts....... KO doesn't have them, Don Granato certainly didn't have them......

Quite honestly, this locker room DESERVES, because of their own words and actions, to have Mike Babcock as their next head coach.

 

[Beerz]

Quite honestly, this locker room DESERVES, because of their own words and actions, to have Mike Babcock as their next head coach.

Give me your phone, Peyton!!

 

[Dingo44]

Great read. Makes me like Granato more. He fixed a bad situation and the next coach will hopefully get them to the next step.