How does Nolan still have a job?

[NEcoli]

So Grigorenko has been meh?

No, he's been fine. But Armia has been better.

 

[joshjull]

Nolan is an awful, dated coach and the game has passed him by. Long gone are the days where systems don't matter.

But no coach could win with this roster. I'm torn between wanting the new guy to get here and start to imprint his mark and nudge the youngsters in a particular direction, and wanting Nolan to be here to avoid a coach having to take flak for the crap roster.

The team is bad and so is the coach. It IS allowed to be that way.

Only bright spot is that the three youngsters are our best players right now. I don't know how much of that is on Nolan versus on them simply being the only talented players with promise who are trying to improve and make their mark.

Doesn't matter. He's here for this year, at the very least.


Edit: JOSHJULL, did you say "once and a while"??! A typo that sounds like a Nolan-ism. compete like world premier players on your conditioning sprint, because life is a ciiiiircccle and circles are valuable

I thought you claimed about a month ago to understand the model or style of coaching Nolan likes to use. You should know he uses systems. The driving force behind the systems and tactics are his assistant coaches but he is involved in the process. To say he doesn't use systems is right up there with he doesn't like, can't handle and won't play young players

 

[haseoke39]

http://buckyandsully.buffalonews.com/2014/11/17/murray-setting-table-nolan/

Bucky and Sully arguing that Murray is setting Nolan up to get the ax, but this gem from the article was priceless:

Everybody knows Nolan is a "LaFontaine guy." The organization clearly is trying to distance itself from him. Otherwise, they would have included at least one La-La-La-LaFontaine highlight in the montage honoring Rick Jeanneret's greatest calls when he returned to the booth after beating cancer. It wasn't a simple oversight. It was an obvious slight.

Man, you couldn't win with this argument in the most paranoid corners of this message board.

 

[Zip15]

http://buckyandsully.buffalonews.com/2014/11/17/murray-setting-table-nolan/

Bucky and Sully arguing that Murray is setting Nolan up to get the ax, but this gem from the article was priceless:



Man, you couldn't win with this argument in the most paranoid corners of this message board.

But you can with TBN readers, Whiner Line callers and many who post on the team's Facebook page--all of whom are entrenched readers of Bucky's nonsense. Bucky loves Nolan, and he's casting his lot with him.

 

[Jim Bob]

http://buckyandsully.buffalonews.com/2014/11/17/murray-setting-table-nolan/

Bucky and Sully arguing that Murray is setting Nolan up to get the ax, but this gem from the article was priceless:



Man, you couldn't win with this argument in the most paranoid corners of this message board.

I thought petty stuff like that was all Regier's doing?

 

[Puppa2Miller]

But you can with TBN readers, Whiner Line callers and many who post on the team's Facebook page--all of whom are entrenched readers of Bucky's nonsense. Bucky loves Nolan, and he's casting his lot with him.

Yup. This looks likes Rolston's team, but Bucky and co. are ignoring Nolan's culpability. Also, Isn't Murray a LaFontaine guy too? They are just trying to create controversy whether it is logical or not.

I also love Harrington trying to imply Murray wishes he didn't take the Sabres job so he could be in line for the Ottawa job when all Murray was saying was if he would have known his uncle had a death sentence he would have planned it so he could spend as much time as possible with him.

 

[joshjull]

Yup. This looks likes Rolston's team, but Bucky and co. are ignoring Nolan's culpability. Also, Isn't Murray a LaFontaine guy too? They are just trying to create controversy whether it is logical or not.

I also love Harrington trying to imply Murray wishes he didn't take the Sabres job so he could be in line for the Ottawa job when all Murray was saying was if he would have known his uncle had a death sentence he would have planned it so he could spend as much time as possible with him.

Yeah that was just pathetic on Harrington's part. Something that was a pretty straightforward emotional response to a horrible situation. Something totally understandable and he (Harrington) needs to make waves with it.

 

[joshjull]

But you can with TBN readers, Whiner Line callers and many who post on the team's Facebook page--all of whom are entrenched readers of Bucky's nonsense. Bucky loves Nolan, and he's casting his lot with him.

The thing is there is nothing but straight talk from Murray (I know you know this). This isn't cryptic Darcy whose comments need to be dissected and deciphered. Everything Murray said about Nolan and whats happened so far this season seems pretty fair and straightforward. But Bucky loves stirring up nonsense. I defend Nolan but would never believe for a second Murray is setting him up to fail. What does Murray logically gain from such actions? He could have simply walked away from Nolan after last season. Why go through the effort of hiring Nolan for three more seasons just so Murray could then undermine him so he could then fire him?


Murray's biggest concern that I could gather from his comments is a pretty legit one. The diminished value of some trade assets.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

@kevinoDandC

ESPN ranks #Sabres Ted Nolan 26th among 30 NHL coaches, ahead of only Carlyle, Peters, Gallant, Eakins. http://m.espn.go.com/nhl/story?stor...top&rand=ref~{"ref":"http://t.co/0X2xlP1zpH"}

 

[Namejs]

@kevinoDandC

ESPN ranks #Sabres Ted Nolan 26th among 30 NHL coaches, ahead of only Carlyle, Peters, Gallant, Eakins. http://m.espn.go.com/nhl/story?stor...top&rand=ref~{"ref":"http://t.co/0X2xlP1zpH"}

So 4 spots higher than the Sabres? Not bad.

 

[Bad Goalie]

I think more posters are resigned to what we are at this point. Whereas at the start of last year many were refusing to accept it. That was actually unfair to Rolston.

Another issue that was unfair to Rolston was he had little control over the roster out of camp. It was Darcy pushing all of the kids onto he roster. I freely admit I was unfairly hammering Rolston over that. In restrospect he never had a chance with the situation he was thrust into.

"at the start of last year many were refusing to accept it"

I haven't been back in a while due to this very argument. I believed at that time Buffalo was on a 5-year plan and couldn't get out from under the stones being hurled at me. I stand by that conviction. In 4 more seasons, including this one, Buffalo will be a decent team. They won't be contenders yet because the roster will still need some tweaking, which may mean still plugging theses next couple of years' drafts into the system or trading some of the current talent for smaller numbers of even better talent and bringing in a couple of top shelf UFAs to finish off the deal. Then the cup will be in reach.

The majority of the fan base doesn't seem able to stay patient for that long as evidenced by the panic already (young guys becoming busts, coach sucks, players have lost all focus, right coach gets THIS team in line for big things in a couple more years when the rest of the pieces fill in, etc.). Their belief that the rebuild was a 3 year prospect at the most is fizzling fast. The type of rebuild Darcy put in place left TM little choice. The rebuild is a ground up start from scratch program and that will take 5-7 years to create your own nucleus of newly formed veterans, 3 and 4 year players, mixed in with AHL developed rookies (which is how you got your vets and 3-4 year experienced guys), and a possible blue chipper who can step right in along with the 2 or so UFAs previously mentioned. The vets you have now are disposables when your NHL #1 prospect group becomes fully developed and takes over the reins.

Keeping almost everything within the system makes the team affordable. With their stats many players at contract time won't have tons of bargaining power vs others on the free market. The few that do will be able to be kept in house. Others will see what's in store for the future and buy in by resigning. Buffalo will be very good, but the
"It's going to take time" needs to be completely understood.

 

[Bad Goalie]

I cringe when he speaks.... the man is a pure bull ******* .... I trust politicians more than Ted.






I'm not sure why it seems to be unacceptable to want some competent coaching while our team sucks... As if it means people don't understand the situation (lack of talent) or the ultimate goal ( 30th)

A team that "sucks" headed by a "competent coach" is an oxymoron.

 

[haseoke39]

A team that "sucks" headed by a "competent coach" is an oxymoron.

No it very isn't.

 

[Bad Goalie]

This is absolutely NOT the right way to build a team. But, given our lack of draft success during the video scouting era, its what we're reduced to. The right way to build a team is to hit on your draft picks and have a "core" group that rotates in young players and rotates out players past their prime to replenish the farm/draft picks used up when the team is realistically a player or two from contention. Detroit (maybe St Louis too) is the closest model to this, and even then, its limited success due to the randomness of the draft.

Doing things this way doesn't guarantee a championship, dynasty or even a consistent playoff team. Look at Atlanta/Winnipeg, Edmonton, Florida, Washington,and Columbus. All these teams consistently picked in the top 5 across several seasons....and have no championships to show for it (and only Washington is a consistent playoff team)

We're hoping to become LA/Chicago/Pittsburgh by going full strip down and build...but the reality is that nothing is guaranteed. Its just as likely that all this "suffering" could be for nothing when all is said and done.

"but the reality is that nothing is guaranteed."

The most perfect statement to be made about any rebuild process. Betroit and St. Louis d are doing it their way Edmonton took a decidely different path. The Isles are on another in a series of tries. You can't even explain how the Maple Leafs have tried over the past 40+ years. The Sabres bottom up approach has yet to play out and thus the verdict awaits. Everyone has their idea of how it should be done and all of the models have a winner to follow from some time or another. Fact is only one team ever wins and then how they get back there becomes a model someone can follow. Every other team is essentially a failure because no matter how far they got they still never won. The Bills may be one of the greatest examples of that.

I think the Sabres plan of building through the draft has so far been a good one and so does the NHL. That's why they have the #1 rated developing talent pool. They will also have to infuse some veteran talent through a trade or two nad undoubtedly add a UFA or two to complement the promising group in order to address the perceived missing link or two. That's exactly where St. Louis sits right now. Will they win? Check in in June to find out.

It's always a crap shoot and if it wasn't, everyone would have the best team every year and we know that is 100% impossible. Ask the #1 picked team by all the experts to win the last two or three cups. Who? The pens of course and we all saw how that worked. Now aside form the big $ players that team has been completely retooled.

I've been a fan since Buffalo announced their landing a franchise. It's been along wait and I've witnessed all kinds of plans and seen them all fail from a cup standpoint. This one is new and I can see its potential like I saw potential in many of the other ones. I'll just keep doing what I've always done. Watch them play and hope for the best. What else can you do. We are fans and have no say in how it's done. Wishing and hoping and maybe a prayer or two and then it's GO Sabres!

 

[Sinter Klaas]

Because he consistently draws blood out of a stone.

Take even the losses the team accrued prior to last week. The St. Louis game for example. For a team that gets consistently outshot by a wide margin, the team comes out in the first period and outplays a top team in their barn (but falls behind 0-1) and keeps it up for the second. The losses to Montreal, the last Bruins game, and even to Chicago the Sabres hung in for much of the game.

That's all one asks for is effort and the Sabres team is not going to outshoot the opposition, outchance them, and for them to win, they have to outwork them and this team has been doing a lot of that more often than not this year.

 

[ToastedFlower*]

I assume that TM knows what a good team looks like and knows what a good strategy looks like. Obviously our team has no structure right now and that is why we look so terrible. We are a bad team, but we can barely get into the offensive zone and clear the puck from our own. It looks like our players are just skating around with no guidance, hoping to find the net.

I know we want to be bad this year, but being this bad isn't good for anyone. Veterans aren't performing, young talent (like CoHo) are invisible, and prospects that should make even a little difference look like busts.

From this, I believe that Nolan is detrimental to our future. We do have good players (even if its hard to see right now), but nothing will change without a proper game plan. If I can see this, I can't imagine TM can't see it.

How does Nolan still have a job?

Hire a coach to guide the younger players throughout the tank? Nolan has only really coached rebuilding / weak teams since his first stint in Buffalo. They will let him do as he pleases this season, then if he hasn't shown improvement by the deadline next year ( not playoff bound but not in the lottery hunt ) he's going to be gone.