Confirmed with Link: Don Granato Thread -- Signed to Contract Extension

[Ace]

It would be a terrible idea of course. Another cheap option not good enough and not what a real organization would do given where we are.

And it would still be better than keeping Granato.

Appert and experienced assistants is worlds better than Donnie and the clowns.

And better than getting Donnie those vet assistants. He’s a dead man walking either way. And he’s had over three years to figure out literally anything and he can figure out timeouts and goalie usage let alone gameplans and adjustments. Do it for the overdue need for goddamned consequences either way

And I think given considering Appert is the laziest, cheapest, misguided, bullshit concepts this organization could make. To turn to another development coach already in this system? It’s inbreeding beyond stupidity at this point. But it’s STILL better than Granato

 

[Fjordy]

Please not Appert, I have nothing against this guy, but this team now needs an experienced and good coach, moderately tough. Maybe Appert would be a good assistant, I don’t know, but right now it doesn’t look like a good option in role HC.

 

[Ace]

Please not Appert, I have nothing against this guy, but this team now needs an experienced and good coach, moderately tough. Maybe Appert would be a good assistant, I don’t know, but right now it doesn’t look like a good option in role HC.

What if your only options were Granato and Appert? Because that is so sadly believable it’s worth the question. Shit….Terry would probably ask if he could just assign them to switch roles and contracts.

 

[sabremike]

The idea of constantly promoting from within when you are the single worst and most incompetent organization in NHL history is certainly a choice.

 

[JLewyB]

had a paragraph typed up about him needing to go but i need to accept the fact he’s coming back.

Hes a net negative but i do think the roster is talented enough to overcome him and his inept staff to make the playoffs. It helps that most coaches are a net negative in the NHL

 

[Irie]

What if your only options were Granato and Appert?

Then you keep Granato since he is under contract... and.... keeping Granato and then firing him and getting a real coach likely happens sooner than firing granato, promoting Appert, firing Appert, and then getting a real coach.

 

[toddkaz]

So is Granato getting the can or what? I thought his job is safe but now I am not so sure. Lots of chatter on twitter from broadcasters but most of it is just specuation

 

[Moncton man]

Realistically Buffalo was playing for the second wild card. They failed but not by much. They could suggest better defensive play over the previous year and some what if’s for the power play. An improvement there and they might have made it. 6K stepped up and took the reins and so far Byram looks like a good addition considering they were moving Mitts.

Yes the 13 years of losing is grating on the fans. But I can see them keeping Donny on and not feeling the time is there to move on

It isn’t like they drove the 18-wheeler off the cliff. (Brian Burke’s thoughts on the Leafs at end of 2012, seems like the Sabres hopped in at that point)

 

[Fjordy]

Yes the 13 years of losing is grating on the fans. But I can see them keeping Donny on and not feeling the time is there to move on

Then they are idiots and will not succeed.

 

[Moncton man]

Then they are idiots and will not succeed.

Sure that’s a reasonable possibility.

But what is the difference between say a bottom five coach and a top five. In terms of wins. Plug in your favourite coach here. Is the difference five wins with a bunch of young talent that has underachieved or is it higher? Put Granato in Boston or Florida. Is it five less wins?

People in Toronto thought Paul Maurice was a bum but he seems to be doing okay in Florida. What of Vegas this year? A big fall off or reasonable?

 

[Hockeyfan6781]

Fire the Meatball!!!! Hire Berube

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Rink Fries: Questions remain on Arizona's hockey future with Coyotes on move

Until we see the specifics of the NHL’s agreement with Alex Meruelo and his window of five years to bring hockey back to Arizona all we’ll have is questions about hockey returning to the desert.

www.sportsnet.ca

“if the Buffalo Sabres do make a coaching change, I wonder if they turn to Rochester Americans head coach Seth Appert along with a veteran assistant…”

I have a feeling it’s happening, start getting ready for coach Seth Appert.

He probably won’t be worse than Donny, but can’t be a whole lot better either. Wonder when they’ll finally decide to go with experience.

 

[TehDoak]

Rink Fries: Questions remain on Arizona's hockey future with Coyotes on move

Until we see the specifics of the NHL’s agreement with Alex Meruelo and his window of five years to bring hockey back to Arizona all we’ll have is questions about hockey returning to the desert.

www.sportsnet.ca

“if the Buffalo Sabres do make a coaching change, I wonder if they turn to Rochester Americans head coach Seth Appert along with a veteran assistant…”

I have a feeling it’s happening, start getting ready for coach Seth Appert.

He probably won’t be worse than Donny, but can’t be a whole lot better either. Wonder when they’ll finally decide to go with experience.

Can I just say....I like Seth Appert. I have no idea about his coaching style, no idea if he'd be a good fit.

But absolutely not. There was a wonderful line on the latest 32 thoughts:

"This is the NHL, not the learn to play HL"

I think that applies to coaches too.

Get me someone who has won. Put Appert on his staff, sure. Especially if its a guy with an infamously short shelf life like Gallant or Beurube. Get him some NHL experience as an assistant with the plans to promote him if whoever you hire blows up.

But, you cannot fire Granato and come back with another 1st time head coach. Not after having:

1) Housley (1st time head coach)
2) Krueger (out of the HOCKEY for several seasons and only was a head coach as an interim)
3) Granato (1st time head coach)

Housely was hired SEVEN years ago.

You can't miss he playoffs for seven years in a row (including dead last twice), and on our 4th coach bring in yet ANOTHER guy with no meaningful NHL experience.

You've lost an entire generation of fans with 13 years without a playoff appearance (and 17 without a playoff series win). Its no time for half measures.

 

[Beerz]

Can I just say....I like Seth Appert. I have no idea about his coaching style, no idea if he'd be a good fit.

But absolutely not. There was a wonderful line on the latest 32 thoughts:

"This is the NHL, not the learn to play HL"

I think that applies to coaches too.

Get me someone who has won. Put Appert on his staff, sure. Especially if its a guy with an infamously short shelf life like Gallant or Beurube. Get him some NHL experience as an assistant with the plans to promote him if whoever you hire blows up.

But, you cannot fire Granato and come back with another 1st time head coach. Not after having:

1) Housley (1st time head coach)
2) Krueger (out of the HOCKEY for several seasons and only was a head coach as an interim)
3) Granato (1st time head coach)

Housely was hired SEVEN years ago.

You can't miss he playoffs for seven years in a row (including dead last twice), and on our 4th coach bring in yet ANOTHER guy with no meaningful NHL experience.

You've lost an entire generation of fans with 13 years without a playoff appearance (and 17 without a playoff series win). Its no time for half measures.

 

[joshjull]

I tried to convey that with possibly.. guess I failed.. Didnt mean it to come off as a rumor.

I only clarified because your post scared the hell out of me.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

View attachment 852049

How great it would be if we had an owner or GM who actually learned from mistakes.

 

[Chainshot]

Rink Fries: Questions remain on Arizona's hockey future with Coyotes on move

Until we see the specifics of the NHL’s agreement with Alex Meruelo and his window of five years to bring hockey back to Arizona all we’ll have is questions about hockey returning to the desert.

www.sportsnet.ca

“if the Buffalo Sabres do make a coaching change, I wonder if they turn to Rochester Americans head coach Seth Appert along with a veteran assistant…”

I have a feeling it’s happening, start getting ready for coach Seth Appert.

He probably won’t be worse than Donny, but can’t be a whole lot better either. Wonder when they’ll finally decide to go with experience.

FFS, no. Ugh.

 

[toddkaz]

Sure that’s a reasonable possibility.

But what is the difference between say a bottom five coach and a top five. In terms of wins. Plug in your favourite coach here. Is the difference five wins with a bunch of young talent that has underachieved or is it higher? Put Granato in Boston or Florida. Is it five less wins?

People in Toronto thought Paul Maurice was a bum but he seems to be doing okay in Florida. What of Vegas this year? A big fall off or reasonable?

Yes, a good coach puts this team in the playoffs and I think easily at that.

This team was so unprepared in October it was embarrassing. They could easily have 10 more wins with the right coach.

 

[Ace]

They’re going to convince themselves there has been this massive turnaround in defensive play…ignore the gigantic cost it took to the offense….and pretend that it wasn’t actually mostly UPL playing far above expectations. They give up less high danger chances…it’s true. They’re still bottoms quarter of the league at it. And they paid a ridiculous cost for it BEFORE they traded away one of their only two good centers. UPL just stopped a lot more of them this year.

An analytics based front office would know Granato has to go. And that the most likely outcome is a worse year from UPL, a better year from Tage and company (they’ve already mitigated any Quinn gains next year by removing Mitts) …and roughly the same result. Again. They were only close-ish to last year’s result because of goaltending. The least predictable and sustainable thing possible. This was a bottom five team who had better goaltending than a bottom five team.

Running it back is a purposeful effort to keep it bad

 

[TehDoak]

Yes, a good coach puts this team in the playoffs and I think easily at that.

This team was so unprepared in October it was embarrassing. They could easily have 10 more wins with the right coach.

I disagree with that sentiment, strongly actually.

We have been carried by UPL finding his game and being a top 5 goalie in the NHL since Jan 1st. If that doesn't happen, we are probably a bottom 5 team.

So that is covering up a lot of Granato's sins this season.

I mean, a different coach could conceivably, combined with either a good shooting percentage% run or a hot goalie run, get this team in the playoffs.

But I don't think putting even a perfect coach guarantees anything with this roster as is. It'll be better than what we have....but this team needs a good system, buy in from the players, AND a few other things to go right to be a playoff team.

This is a .500 team, as it is today. That is with good goalie play and slightly above average injury luck.
a better coach gets us a few games over .500, but swing one of the other pendulums the other way, probably back at the same level. I'll point to the Devils as a good team who had bad injuries and bad goaltending.

 

[toddkaz]

I disagree with that sentiment, strongly actually.

We have been carried by UPL finding his game and being a top 5 goalie in the NHL since Jan 1st. If that doesn't happen, we are probably a bottom 5 team.

So that is covering up a lot of Granato's sins this season.

I mean, a different coach could conceivably, combined with either a good shooting percentage% run or a hot goalie run, get this team in the playoffs.

But I don't think putting even a perfect coach guarantees anything with this roster as is. It'll be better than what we have....but this team needs a good system, buy in from the players, AND a few other things to go right to be a playoff team.

This is a .500 team, as it is today. That is with good goalie play and slightly above average injury luck.
a better coach gets us a few games over .500, but swing one of the other pendulums the other way, probably back at the same level. I'll point to the Devils as a good team who had bad injuries and bad goaltending.

How many games were we down 1-0 less than 5 minutes into it? Do we get shellacked 9-4 by Columbus if we have a good coach? No chance imo.

If we have a good coach with a defensive system in place we wouldn't need to be carried by UPL. We make the playoffs.

That being said the premise is having a good coach, not having a good coach but UPL doesn't play well.

 

[Fjordy]

Sure that’s a reasonable possibility.

But what is the difference between say a bottom five coach and a top five. In terms of wins. Plug in your favourite coach here. Is the difference five wins with a bunch of young talent that has underachieved or is it higher? Put Granato in Boston or Florida. Is it five less wins?

People in Toronto thought Paul Maurice was a bum but he seems to be doing okay in Florida. What of Vegas this year? A big fall off or reasonable?

Well, I think there is a difference between an experienced and good coach and a newcomer like Granato or Kruger. The team is currently lacking a quality coach and the team has regressed under Granato this season. 13 years without the playoffs is very angry, there should be no second chances for Granato and Adams, and this is not their first season,

 

[Moncton man]

Well, I think there is a difference between an experienced and good coach and a newcomer like Granato or Kruger. The team is currently lacking a quality coach and the team has regressed under Granato this season. 13 years without the playoffs is very angry, there should be no second chances for Granato and Adams, and this is not their first season,

Oh I agree the difference exists. I’m just not sure by how many games. But I think five is reasonable for sure. But all that does is break the playoff curse. A small thing in the grand scheme. I do not think Granato is the guy but I don’t think bringing in a Tortorella is the answer either. I wouldn’t mind Bruce Boudreau to take them to the next level because he seems to get his teams to exceed expectations

 

[Fjordy]

Oh I agree the difference exists. I’m just not sure by how many games. But I think five is reasonable for sure. But all that does is break the playoff curse. A small thing in the grand scheme. I do not think Granato is the guy but I don’t think bringing in a Tortorella is the answer either. I wouldn’t mind Bruce Boudreau to take them to the next level because he seems to get his teams to exceed expectations

It doesn't have to be a choice between Tortorella and Granato, much less Torts in Philly. There are other interesting coachess on the market.

And I'm also not sure that it's five games, look at how teams transform under the leadership of new coaches. Tocchet and Canucks (83 points last season and 107 points with Tocchet) and I never even considered or thought that he was a great coach, but it works.

 

[Jim Bob]