Speculation: Poll: Nolan Era

[couture23]

Fire at end of season.

 

[Husko]

I'd like to go with a young up and comer as our next coach. Let him grow with the team. If we don't see marked improvement by the time we're ready to make a serious run, then we bring in the seasoned vet. But now is definitely the time to try young blood

 

[wunderpanda]

He will last through next season, really don't understand why people are angered at Nolan. He has a bad roster, there was a debate in another thread about the lack of possession players, he hired a new staff that doesn't know what the players can do and all the offence is slumping at the same time.

He isn't hurting anyones development either, Risto is doing fine, Zemgus is doing fine, Myers is doing better under Nolan and those are the only projects on the roster.

 

[RocSabres]

If San Jose falters again in the playoffs this season you would have to think most likely Mcllelan is going to lose his job. If he becomes available buffalo should go after him. I think he'd be great for an up and coming Sabres team. And lastly I believe any short comings that he and the Sharks have experienced during the playoffs has less to do with his coaching and more to do with facing great opposition and SJ players not being able to get over the mental hump.

 

[UnleashRasmus]

Honestly what do you expect. He's fine for now for me. I would say he has to the end of the 15-16 season before there's a reasonable doubt.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

Fine for now.

I don't want Nolan around long-term, but right now he has to coach a group that knows 3-4 roster spots are being held by bad players that could be replaced any day that Murray wants. If Nolan is telling them every day at practice about how much effort they should be putting in if they want to win, I'm sure that message is ringing hollow when McCabe, Pysyk, and maybe Grigorenko and Zadorov could make the team better right now...not to mention outside roster additions.

I totally get it if it's better for those individual players to develop where they are, but if that's the case the message to the players should be, "Look fellas, we're not so concerned about winning right now, so I can only ask so much from you guys in the meantime." How can the front office and coaching staff demand too much from the players when winning games right now is not a priority for them?

This is the same situation I posted about last season when certain veterans under performed. I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong, except that it is a double standard to demand a winning effort (literally in the form of W-L-OTL) from players while a winning effort is not being given from management. Murray probably doesn't care a whole lot about this, but for Nolan it can mean the end of his NHL career if he can't get a better effort out of the roster.

For now firing him and changing coaches won't accomplish anything though. There needs to be some honest discussion between all sides if people want to keep getting along and try to keep morale out of the toilet.

 

[Baccus]

I think Nolan's here for the year and next year as well.

In theory, next year is when there should be the start of an attempt to make the team better through either a trade/signing, though I highly doubt it'll be anything major yet. But that's the start of 'judging' Nolan, he does need something to work with after all. And right now people think they can change the team dynamic by breaking up lines, because that'll make up for all the missing goals magically...

The only caveat would be some type of ownership/upper management meltdown over what's going on, but honestly, if the entirety of ownership/upper management aren't on board with what's been going on for the last year and a half, they might as well burn the building down and forget about the whole thing.

Having said that, considering we went through a mini-crisis right after Murray was hired with LaFontaine, who the hell know's what's really going on at the top.

 

[SatanwasaSlovak]

There is nothing wrong with Nolan, he's not a bad coach as he has proven several times, most recently with the Latvian National Team.

Seriously, it's like this every time some team becomes bad, replace the coach, no matter how good he is. Well, not even Scotty Bowman would turn this team into a winner, Nolan is not a bad coach.

 

[Baccus]

Do people forget that Bowman's tenure in Buffalo is the one they DON'T bring up when talking about how great he was everywhere else?

 

[mikemcburn]

There is nothing wrong with Nolan, he's not a bad coach as he has proven several times, most recently with the Latvian National Team.

Seriously, it's like this every time some team becomes bad, replace the coach, no matter how good he is. Well, not even Scotty Bowman would turn this team into a winner, Nolan is not a bad coach.

My understanding is that Nolan has twice demonstrated the capacity to motivate a team to achieve above it's potential - old Sabres & Latvian's last Olympics. Has he proven the capacity to coach proven producers to achieve even mediocre results? That's an honest question, btw. I'm curious.

Anyway, while I realize that the majority view appears to be that the players are wholly responsible for this sludge, I contend that the fault can be easily spread around to include:

1) Some combination of ownership and management (depending how "going cheap" factored into decisions) where it goes to how it is the team has so many career plugs on the roster; and

2) Nolan et. al. who have managed to take what proven talent the team does have and deploy it in such a way that -

- all 6 (Moulson, Gionta, Hodgson, Stewart, Ennis, and Stafford) of the proven 20+ goal scorers are looking to have career breaking years, including 2 who should be in their prime (Moulson & Stafford) and 3 who are still young enough that they ought reasonably to have even more upside (Stewart & Ennis & Hodgson)

- none of the players who were reasonably expected to have some offensive breakouts have, notably Foligno (who in theory should be a lock/fit with Nolan's style) and Girgensons (who spends most of his game trying to carry the entire defensive side)

- the team's proven leadership appears generally ineffective where it goes to influencing work ethic and energy/mentality

- the youth that might reasonably be looked to for filling both offensive (ie: Grigorenko) and defensive (ie: Larsson) gaps still aren't on the roster while pluggers are deployed as second liners (ie: Mitchell, McCormick)

- the youth that has been around and also that might reasonably be looked to add some punch offensively (ie: Reinhart) and defensively (ie: Zads) are deployed only sparingly in situations where they would have a chance to contribute at their best​

Seems to me really easy to pick out any one player and either rationalize his floundering or shrug him off as a bust, but when most are floundering and none are thriving it's kinda hard to say none of it goes to the coach - the common denominator.

 

[haseoke39]

He could be gone as early as game 25 or so, I think. Something definitely has to give regarding this team. It cannot continue with inconsistent effort, 1 goal/game, laughable Corsi, etc. Either the team breaks through to some level of bad but respectable or a significant roster move is made or the coaching staff is overturned.

I'm hardcore pro-tank, but always wanted to do it within the framework of give your young players opportunities to develop and build an accountable culture, and we seem to be doing neither right now.

 

[Zip15]

Blashill is pretty much a shoo-in to be Detroit's next coach. I think it'll be Richardson. Other guesses: Dineen, John Hynes.

 

[Chad Thundercock]

It's not that the team is bad, I fully expected that. It's that Nolan seems to only talk about effort, while the team was showing inconsistent effort last year already. If Nolan can't provide the 'hardworking' stuff already, then why is he here?

 

[joshjull]

When we're finally ready to ice a younger lineup (ie, FINALLY decide to let Pysyk, Risto, McCabe, Grigo, Armia, Reinhart, McEichel, etc take their lumps in the NHL), then we can Nolan.

He's fine for the locker room, and he knows how to handle the bets.

But, once we want to really develop the kids in the NHL, then we go after a new coach. Be it Blashill or Richardson or whoever.....just as long as they have a track record of developing and working well with young players.

Are we trading for Vanek?

 

[jvirk]

It's completely unfair to discuss his status as a coach when he's been given this team. This team is pitiful. Even the good players (which are very few like Risto, Girgs, Myers/Gorges) get overshadowed when the rest of the team is absolute crap. This is the worst team in the NHL BY FARRRRRRR

I'm frustrated he didn't play Reinhart much at all, nor did he give Zads any time at all...but to say he's fired this season or at the end is ridiculous. I think he has at least this season and all of next.

 

[mikemcburn]

It's completely unfair to discuss his status as a coach when he's been given this team. This team is pitiful. Even the good players (which are very few like Risto, Girgs, Myers/Gorges) get overshadowed when the rest of the team is absolute crap. This is the worst team in the NHL BY FARRRRRRR

I'm frustrated he didn't play Reinhart much at all, nor did he give Zads any time at all...but to say he's fired this season or at the end is ridiculous. I think he has at least this season and all of next.

This team consists of 6 proven 20+ goal scorers, 2 of whom are in their prime and 3 of whom are still young enough they ought reasonably to have their best years still ahead.

Add in guys you mention like "Risto, Girgs, Myers/Gorges" and arguable decisions with Reinhart, Zads and Grigorenko, and this is not, by definition, a pitiful or crappy roster, but a team presently playing pitifully and crappy - with Nolan as the common denominator.

 

[missingmika]

Nolan could be a real good coach if only the Sabres would acquire a once in a generation, all time great goalie.

 

[joshjull]

This team consists of 6 proven 20+ goal scorers, 2 of whom are in their prime and 3 of whom are still young enough they ought reasonably to have their best years still ahead.

Add in guys you mention like "Risto, Girgs, Myers/Gorges" and arguable decisions with Reinhart, Zads and Grigorenko, and this is not, by definition, a pitiful or crappy roster, but a team presently playing pitifully and crappy - with Nolan as the common denominator.

So you're blaming Nolan for Murray sending Grigs to Rochester? And that same GM felt Reinhart wasn't strong enough to handle the NHL yet. Nolan played Reinhart in the manner you would expect of a player viewed that way.

Then my favorite… Zadorov. The kid who didn't make the team. Thats right, he didn't make the team but got to stay here because his agent played the KHL card. Thats the guy you're mad isn't playing? The guy who has bouts of laziness and inconsistent play. Things Zads himself admits are issues in his game and practice efforts. The guy who was benched in Travers City for those things. The guy who was behind Pysyk and McCabe coming out of camp. Thats the guy your going to argue shows Nolan doesn't know what he's doing with youth?


The youngsters that have shown they can handle and make an impact in the NHL get playing time (Girgs/Risto).

 

[Bps21*]

"Nolan played Reinhart in the manner you would expect of a player viewed that way."

...

Someone get that usage chart. This is offensively wrong.

 

[joshjull]

"Nolan played Reinhart in the manner you would expect of a player viewed that way."

...

Someone get that usage chart. This is offensively wrong.

A player not viewed as physically read for the NHL gets the minutes Reinhart got. You're really trying too hard to not get this.

 

[Zman5778]

Are we trading for Vanek?

I was talking about the football pools.

 

[Sabres83]

There is nothing wrong with Nolan, he's not a bad coach as he has proven several times, most recently with the Latvian National Team.

Seriously, it's like this every time some team becomes bad, replace the coach, no matter how good he is. Well, not even Scotty Bowman would turn this team into a winner, Nolan is not a bad coach.

This.

 

[joshjull]

Something from Ted Nolan to make his haters happy



John Vogl ‏@BuffNewsVogl 10m10 minutes ago
Sabres Ted Nolan on lack of work ethic despite constant preaching: "That’s where there’s some sleepless nights. Do you shoot the messenger?"


Many on here would say yes Ted

 

[Kublakhan]

I say fire at end of season, well if it is a lost season and the boys play like this all year..

It's common to think that coaches can not believe they will have a job with this kind of performance from their team that the Sabres are showing atm. By the end of the season half of the teams fans will want to nail him to the cross.. I'd say the same for every coach in every pro sport..

 

[Old Navy Goat]

A player not viewed as physically read for the NHL gets the minutes Reinhart got. You're really trying too hard to not get this.

Most posters aren't too upset with the number of minutes he received; they're upset that he wasn't given PP time or a higher percentage of offensive zone starts. You have the 2nd overall pick, a highly skilled center and you can't make room for him on a PP unit that went 9 games without scoring a goal? You give him 67% defensive zone starts as a way of sheltering him?