Speculation: The Coaching Search (Friedman: Ruff to be next HC)

[Ace]

The Maintenance Day podcast has a lot of in depth coaching talk. Some of it is great with behind the scenes insights into why some guys don’t make sense. Some of it is…man…Lance hates Lindy Ruff.

Everything that has ever gone wrong is his fault and everything that went right was Brunette. He doesn’t want to hear about injuries. He never mentions goaltending or anything with the roster. Or that even with the injuries they were shockingly high in expected goals without Brunette this year. Takes over an hour for Yerdon to get him to acknowledge any of those things. What’s funniest is he wants Gallant who he acknowledges was not good with young players at all…but it can work out if he has…a better assistant. It’s wild disconnect from his own opinions. They both want Appert on the staff badly…and even acknowledge it’s a thousand times more likely with Lindy than Gallant. But none of that can make Lance see any perspective other than Lindy Ruff is probably a career criminal who should Get the gas chamber for crimes against humanity

 

[Tatanka]

I don’t know… by your description of Q, I’m not sure he sounds like a very good fit for the Sabres next head coach.

I think there’s still development left to do. They have a lot of young players on the roster and lots more on the way. I don’t know that they’re at a point where they can abandon development. I want a coach that can win now but also help the players continue to grow their games.

Like you said, I don’t think Q is realistic anyway with the Pegulas as owners and Adams as GM.

I agree the fit might not be there. On one hand he did work well with a young Toews and Kane. Bit he did not develop them. He extracted what he could but both were pretty solid to begin with. Toews with fundamentals and drive and Kane with vision and hands. Q did little to make either more well rounded.

I do not think the Sabres are in a position to develop in the NHL anymore. That should be confined to Rochester. Also they are going to have to move some specs due to no room. So hopefully whoever is chosen can work with the guys here and those brought in from other teams. The time for developing players at the NHL level should be over. If a young player makes the roster he should be given the time he earns not what is needed for him to be good in 3 years. That ship has sailed imho.

 

[Chainshot]

The Maintenance Day podcast has a lot of in depth coaching talk. Some of it is great with behind the scenes insights into why some guys don’t make sense. Some of it is…man…Lance hates Lindy Ruff.

Everything that has ever gone wrong is his fault and everything that went right was Brunette. He doesn’t want to hear about injuries. He never mentions goaltending or anything with the roster. Or that even with the injuries they were shockingly high in expected goals without Brunette this year. Takes over an hour for Yerdon to get him to acknowledge any of those things. What’s funniest is he wants Gallant who he acknowledges was not good with young players at all…but it can work out if he has…a better assistant. It’s wild disconnect from his own opinions. They both want Appert on the staff badly…and even acknowledge it’s a thousand times more likely with Lindy than Gallant. But none of that can make Lance see any perspective other than Lindy Ruff is probably a career criminal who should Get the gas chamber for crimes against humanity

Which is odd because Brunette wasn't there three years ago when the Devils had really good underlying numbers but no goaltending (again) but he was last year when they had better underlying numbers and no goaltending. And he wasn't there THIS year when they had good underlying numbers and no goaltending for the third time.

 

[ValJamesDuex]

Sullivan apparently staying in Pit per wgr.

 

[BuffaloGooner]

https://x.com/cmdedominicis/status/1781468405423288357?s=46

Sign me up

 

[Beerz]

Sullivan apparently staying in Pit per wgr.

Good

 

[oldgoalie]

Berube would be a good choice here.

 

[My Cozen Dylan]

The Maintenance Day podcast has a lot of in depth coaching talk. Some of it is great with behind the scenes insights into why some guys don’t make sense. Some of it is…man…Lance hates Lindy Ruff.

Everything that has ever gone wrong is his fault and everything that went right was Brunette. He doesn’t want to hear about injuries. He never mentions goaltending or anything with the roster. Or that even with the injuries they were shockingly high in expected goals without Brunette this year. Takes over an hour for Yerdon to get him to acknowledge any of those things. What’s funniest is he wants Gallant who he acknowledges was not good with young players at all…but it can work out if he has…a better assistant. It’s wild disconnect from his own opinions. They both want Appert on the staff badly…and even acknowledge it’s a thousand times more likely with Lindy than Gallant. But none of that can make Lance see any perspective other than Lindy Ruff is probably a career criminal who should Get the gas chamber for crimes against humanity

I cannot listen to that podcast. Lance's tone is so lecturey and condescending, as if any opinion that is not in alignment with his is patently absurd.

Which sucks because he's the only beat reporter who seems to have any legit sources inside the org.

 

[dire wolf]

I don’t know… by your description of Q, I’m not sure he sounds like a very good fit for the Sabres next head coach.

I think there’s still development left to do. They have a lot of young players on the roster and lots more on the way. I don’t know that they’re at a point where they can abandon development. I want a coach that can win now but also help the players continue to grow their games.

Like you said, I don’t think Q is realistic anyway with the Pegulas as owners and Adams as GM.

Q was my top guy. But I have to admit these comments have caused me to re-think this. He doesn't sound like the right guy based on these descriptions.

 

[Zman5778]

https://x.com/cmdedominicis/status/1781468405423288357?s=46

Sign me up

Berube would be a good choice here.

Cup winner. Motivator. Would be good in the accountability department.

But I'm not sure he brings what we need from an Xs and Os standpoint. Would need to bring in good assistants to help with that.

 

[JLewyB]

https://x.com/cmdedominicis/status/1781468405423288357?s=46

Sign me up

holy with the wording. Trying to sound like he’s reporting something when hes just speculating like the rest of us.

 

[WeDislikeEich]

holy with the wording. Trying to sound like he’s reporting something when hes just speculating like the rest of us.

So there’s no details in the actual article then? I wasn’t able to read it. It’s behind a paywall.

 

[Sabre the Win]

holy with the wording. Trying to sound like he’s reporting something when hes just speculating like the rest of us.

I certain he's a member on here, just not sure who

 

[Dingo44]

I certain he's a member on here, just not sure who

K f o o l

 

[Caroline Says ll]

I would really enjoy Claude Julien.

 

[Fezzy126]

I was just sitting here and thinking what happened to Dave Tippett? At one time not too long ago I thought of him as a top 3 coach in the league.

Then I stumbled across an interview from about a month ago:


Not sure I've ever seen a guy happier to be retired than him, not even the slightest hint that he wants to get back into the game. Oh well, back to the same five names everyone thinks it will be.

 

[Beerz]

I wonder why Kevin Dineen never got another chance as NHL head coach

 

[Archie Lee]

I was just sitting here and thinking what happened to Dave Tippett? At one time not too long ago I thought of him as a top 3 coach in the league.

Then I stumbled across an interview from about a month ago:


Not sure I've ever seen a guy happier to be retired than him, not even the slightest hint that he wants to get back into the game. Oh well, back to the same five names everyone thinks it will be.

Tippett was interviewed and rumored to be a runner-up when Krueger was hired. I often wonder how things might have turned out. Would he have gotten that group at least into the play-in round in the covid shortened year? Oh well, what ever.

 

[truthbluth]

holy with the wording. Trying to sound like he’s reporting something when hes just speculating like the rest of us.

I don't mean to spoil the Chad hate-fest, but in the article he states he's not speculating. He also reports he's heard Todd Nelson (my personal favorite, If you've seen Hershey play, you know) is a candidate but that they may not want to wait out a long playoff run. He also says that as of yet there has been no contact between the team and Lindy.

I know at least half of you will eye roll, but I've never got the feeling Chad is a fake insider. Do with that information what you will.

 

[Chainshot]

I don't mean to spoil the Chad hate-fest, but in the article he states he's not speculating. He also reports he's heard Todd Nelson (my personal favorite, If you've seen Hershey play, you know) is a candidate but that they may not want to wait out a long playoff run. He also says that as of yet there has been no contact between the team and Lindy.

I know at least half of you will eye roll, but I've never got the feeling Chad is a fake insider. Do with that information what you will.

Thanks for the synopsis.

 

[Jim Bob]

I don't mean to spoil the Chad hate-fest, but in the article he states he's not speculating. He also reports he's heard Todd Nelson (my personal favorite, If you've seen Hershey play, you know) is a candidate but that they may not want to wait out a long playoff run. He also says that as of yet there has been no contact between the team and Lindy.

I know at least half of you will eye roll, but I've never got the feeling Chad is a fake insider. Do with that information what you will.

Todd Nelson doesn't seem like the type of experienced NHL head coach that Adams was talking about.

Nelson has plenty of AHL head coaching experience, NHL assistant coaching experience, but only his interim NHL head coach experience replacing Eakin with the Oilers to close out the 2014-15 season.

 

[truthbluth]

Todd Nelson doesn't seem like the type of experienced NHL head coach that Adams was talking about.

Nelson has plenty of AHL head coaching experience, NHL assistant coaching experience, but only his interim NHL head coach experience replacing Eakin with the Oilers to close out the 2014-15 season.

That's true, and does seem like an I'll fit, but he has been on 4 different NHL benches (if you count Browness and Montgomery as different benches), and has won Calder cups with two different franchises, and based on roster construction, two pretty different teams. He's my #1 because I think he's got both X's and O's and his teams play disciplined, tough hockey. That said, Berube seems way more logical for this team at this time. I just think too much will be riding on his assistants. IMO, the Sabres have lacked strategy more than accountability over the past decade.

 

[5 Minute Major]

I’m still a Ruff guy and want him first.

 

[joshjull]

That's true, and does seem like an I'll fit, but he has been on 4 different NHL benches (if you count Browness and Montgomery as different benches), and has won Calder cups with two different franchises, and based on roster construction, two pretty different teams. He's my #1 because I think he's got both X's and O's and his teams play disciplined, tough hockey. That said, Berube seems way more logical for this team at this time. I just think too much will be riding on his assistants. IMO, the Sabres have lacked strategy more than accountability over the past decade.

I’ve been wondering about this myself. How much X’s and O’s does Berube have?

I have to image its a decent amount. He had Mike Van Ryan and Steve Ott as his assistants when they won the Cup and during his Blues tenure.

 

[dugman]

I just saw a guy who looks a lot like Ken Hitchcock at Tim Horton’s, and a friend of mine thinks that might have been Marc Crawford at the Buffalo airport….