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

[Doug Prishpreed]

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.

His team won a cup when he had good players, and his team sucked when they didn’t. Any of the rumored guys will be totally fine if Adams does his job and gives him a solid roster, which he didn’t do for any coach yet.

 

[GrierIsGod123]

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

Lance annoys the crap out of me. He gets obsessed with mediocre players and never asks tough questions. He's part of the problem with the Sabres media clowns imo.

 

[joshjull]

His team won a cup when he had good players, and his team sucked when they didn’t. Any of the rumored guys will be totally fine if Adams does his job and gives him a solid roster, which he didn’t do for any coach yet.

Fair

But I would argue this past season’s team had enough to make the playoffs.

 

[Fjordy]

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.

What's the problem with hiring an assistant who knows X's and O's? Would Nelson, for example, be Berube/Gallant assistant or not?

 

[joshjull]

What's the problem with hiring an assistant who knows X's and O's? Would Nelson, for example, be Berube/Gallant assistant or not?

Nothing. But it would be nice if the HC had that as well.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Fair

But I would argue this past season’s team had enough to make the playoffs.

Agreed. Berube, Gallant, Ruff, Nelson, Mclellan, any of those guys could likely have gotten them to the playoffs, but probably just barely. And it still would've been a frustrating season under any of them.

Just saying, Adams needs to step up his game just as much as the coach does. Young kids like Power, Krebs, Quinn, Benson, and Peterka had to shoulder too much responsibility.

Same with the guys on long term contracts, they need to step it up too. Everyone failed miserably this year except for the kids, who all have a valid excuse. Not saying anything new, I know.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Lance annoys the crap out of me. He gets obsessed with mediocre players and never asks tough questions. He's part of the problem with the Sabres media clowns imo.

Fairburn embarasses all of them with the quality of his work.

 

[paulmm3]

I'm right back to where I started in this coaching search after reading that Athletic Granato article. I want Darryl Sutter, if he'll come out of retirement. Does the defense first system he coaches line up well with the players we have? No. Does the hard nose, physical brand of hockey he coaches line up well with the players we have? No. We might finish with 50 points next year. But then we can find a new coach next year or the year after, and all of these players will have better career trajectories for a couple years of the Darryl Sutter experience. We're probably not winning the cup next year anyways. Maybe if we're lucky the Jeff Skinner-Darryl Sutter relationship would bring us a Jeff Skinner retirement rather than a buyout.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

I'm right back to where I started in this coaching search after reading that Athletic Granato article. I want Darryl Sutter, if he'll come out of retirement. Does the defense first system he coaches line up well with the players we have? No. Does the hard nose, physical brand of hockey he coaches line up well with the players we have? No. We might finish with 50 points next year. But then we can find a new coach next year or the year after, and all of these players will have better career trajectories for a couple years of the Darryl Sutter experience. We're probably not winning the cup next year anyways. Maybe if we're lucky the Jeff Skinner-Darryl Sutter relationship would bring us a Jeff Skinner retirement rather than a buyout.

Sutter makes a lot of guys want to leave and maliciously embarrasses young players. We don't need that.

 

[sabregoat]

Sutter makes a lot of guys want to leave and maliciously embarrasses young players. We don't need that.

Good. We can make him Jeff Skinners personal coach

 

[Push Dr Tracksuit]

Fairburn embarasses all of them with the quality of his work.

he does good work but sleepy matt is 1 of those professors that you hope you dont have to take their lecture

 

[Dingo44]

 

[Ace]

In the Maintenance Day podcast they really had a couple of compelling reasons that it won’t be Coach Q or McLellan.

Coach Q because…well…forget the distraction he brings right away with the questions at a time they need to get focused…what happens if you hire him and then new information comes out? There’s still a John Doe in addition to Kyle Beach. Imagine Adams staking his final claim on him and then a Babcock situation happens and he’s gone before he coaches a game and tanks the season completely because his reemergence leads to someone choosing to speak out. You’re done.

McLellan apparently purposely tanked his interview with Buffalo last time around. He came in unprepared and clearly with no serious interest in the job. I doubt Pegula forgets that. Don’t burn bridges, guys. Things change fast.

You kind of end up with Lindy, Gallant and Berube….but Berube can wait on a job he really wants easier than the other two. And turnover happens quick in the league.

They did make clear that this is a very desirable job. In part because every other one has nothing in goal and we look like we have a tandem that could be quite strong. And the young, talented top D that every coach will believe they’ll get the most out of. They said guys like Lindy, Gallant and Boudreau will want the job.

 

[MOGlLNY]

In the Maintenance Day podcast they really had a couple of compelling reasons that it won’t be Coach Q or McLellan.

Coach Q because…well…forget the distraction he brings right away with the questions at a time they need to get focused…what happens if you hire him and then new information comes out? There’s still a John Doe in addition to Kyle Beach. Imagine Adams staking his final claim on him and then a Babcock situation happens and he’s gone before he coaches a game and tanks the season completely because his reemergence leads to someone choosing to speak out. You’re done.

McLellan apparently purposely tanked his interview with Buffalo last time around. He came in unprepared and clearly with no serious interest in the job. I doubt Pegula forgets that. Don’t burn bridges, guys. Things change fast.

You kind of end up with Lindy, Gallant and Berube….but Berube can wait on a job he really wants easier than the other two. And turnover happens quick in the league.

They did make clear that this is a very desirable job. In part because every other one has nothing in goal and we look like we have a tandem that could be quite strong. And the young, talented top D that every coach will believe they’ll get the most out of. They said guys like Lindy, Gallant and Boudreau will want the job.

Would be happy with any 3 of those guys. Don’t know if gallant qualifies as a hard ass though. Believe he had a similar experience firing story as granato. Was too friendly with guys

 

[K8fool]

Whatever coach need to convince this team it is like no othef and it a fight literally against good of real sports without altered outcomes . 82 games that they sacrifice themselves physically and mentally. ( if they are toast like thompson theh have no ego to hand their place to someone else instead of sucking or make sure each night theh produce.

A coach that gets life or death buy in to honor donny and all those fallen in is

 

[K8fool]

Whatever coach need to convince this team it is like no othef and it a fight literally against good of real sports without altered outcomes . 82 games that they sacrifice themselves physically and mentally. ( if they are toast like thompson theh have no ego to hand their place to someone else instead of sucking or make sure each night theh produce.

A coach that teaches this group to dicipline and break each visiting team that leaves them broken winning mentally 42 and 0 no matter the scoreboard that every team remembers key bank center as a nightmare they always think on but never choose to discuss. We'll be fine

 

[K8fool]

Even if all these pampered silver spoon boys need to feel the uncertainty that causes benson to fight above his weight class every night.

Evrn ifthe whole team in order to get their minds right needs to leave money to buy the entire city food for two weeks in shame after each home loss so people want thrm to win and don't care about the lame paper instrument of control that separates us all destroying all love like the phones destroy truck.

 

[The Blunder Years]

no clue why but my gut is telling me Berube is not the right choice

 

[Reddawg]

no clue why but my gut is telling me Berube is not the right choice

My gut is telling me almost none of them are the right choice because Quenneville is. The fact that he may very likely never be available is beside the point.

 

[sabremike]

My gut is telling me almost none of them are the right choice because Quenneville is. The fact that he may very likely never be available is beside the point.

The guy not only covered up an assistant sexually assaulting one of his players, he wrote the guy a letter of recommendation for a youth coaching gig where the creep went on to sexually assault kids. He earned a lifetime ban and it should never be rescinded.

 

[Fjordy]

no clue why but my gut is telling me Berube is not the right choice

And my intuition tells me that Berube, on the contrary, is the right choice.

 

[Ace]

I’ve listened to a lot of podcasts with people’s thoughts on the candidates and one thing that struck me about Berube is that, while there are system questions that are legit, he’s credited less with the X’s and O’s And more with the dealing with players and bigger picture accountability and motivation and stuff like that. Which made me think…if he leaves system stuff to an assistant…couldn’t he just hire assistants who fit the tempo we’ve been building to play at? Getting the team to play hard and putting players out there who work hard and have their heads in the game doesn’t really require a slowed down defensive system. Just accountability to whatever system you play.

Lindy had success with two completely different types of team builds and systems here. Just because Berube has had success one way doesn’t mean he wouldn’t with a different system. Especially when he isn’t very much credited with that part in the first place.

 

[Sabre the Win]

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….

There was a time where I really wanted Marc Crawford.

 

[Beerz]

I’ve listened to a lot of podcasts with people’s thoughts on the candidates and one thing that struck me about Berube is that, while there are system questions that are legit, he’s credited less with the X’s and O’s And more with the dealing with players and bigger picture accountability and motivation and stuff like that. Which made me think…if he leaves system stuff to an assistant…couldn’t he just hire assistants who fit the tempo we’ve been building to play at? Getting the team to play hard and putting players out there who work hard and have their heads in the game doesn’t really require a slowed down defensive system. Just accountability to whatever system you play.

Lindy had success with two completely different types of team builds and systems here. Just because Berube has had success one way doesn’t mean he wouldn’t with a different system. Especially when he isn’t very much credited with that part in the first place.

Duh.. why do you think they kept Matt Ellis

 

[HaNotsri]

S tier: RBD,Quenneville
A tier: Gallant, Ruff, Berube
B tier: Boudreau Bad in Van got to happy to see Kevin Owens,
Evason.
Amazing tier but dont fit KA criteria: Carle, Grönborg.
If we hire any of these coaches we're gooning into the playoffs.

Grönborg? Why?

He has problems with his temper and underperformed in NLA. Now he's in liiga, recently fined for screaming at the referees. I don't think he could land a top job in the shl, maybe some of the bottom feeders.