Sabres Head Coach Search 2

[valet]

if you're botterill, there are no options left that are safe and good. you can bring in an older, established guy with warts that will probably be marginally better than housley but not good enough to stop you from getting fired in a few years, or you swing for the fences on an unknown quantity and hope he turns out to be the next big thing. gronberg and keefe are really the only two names being discussed right now that fit the latter category. to hire any of the retreads currently being discussed would be disappointing as a fan, but it would likely be a job-ender for botterill.

I think you're underestimating just how bad housley was.

 

[valet]

Lots of Keefe envy out there but the odds MLSE & Dubas let's him leave Toronto is slim whether it is promotion or whatever. Of course if he is allowed to interview leave I will be pleasantly surprised and optimistic.

what are they gonna do, imprison him in Toronto??? he can leave if he wants. it would be bad business for the org to make him stay if he wanted to try his luck elsewhere....

 

[valet]

We're not thinking outside the box enough. Coaches are disposable, especially on the Sabres. Yet we wring our hands over whether this is the one that can deliver us to the promised land. As far as I'm concerned we can hire Grönborg, fire him immediately after his 10 game win streak, and bring in Chris Taylor. Why are we even trying to pretend the next coach will be here for more than 2 years?

this is why botts should hire a guy like me. I can come in, make the boys laugh for the first 69 days of next season, then he can fire me, no questions asked. All I want is 69 days to turn us into a contender

 

[JThorne]

Tony Montana couldn't have said it better.

In his case, that day was just an afternoon.

 

[Buffaloed]

what are they gonna do, imprison him in Toronto??? he can leave if he wants. it would be bad business for the org to make him stay if he wanted to try his luck elsewhere....

He's permitted to leave the CN Tower for games and practices.

 

[Buffaloed]

If Dubas blocks Keefe from interviewing, I hope Botts goes full retribution.

Keefe will get what Keefe wants. Otherwise you're going to have an unhappy coach. It's divisive and bad for morale if you block people from advancing. The Leafs will rot from within.

 

[valet]

He's permitted to leave the CN Tower for games and practices.

Maybe he's trying to escape extradition to the United States to avoid some type of criminal prosecution

 

[sabremike]

Keefe will get what Keefe wants. Otherwise you're going to have an unhappy coach. It's divisive and bad for morale if you block people from advancing. The Leafs will rot from within.

A smart organization and GM would use back channels to let Keefe know the Sabres job and a lot of money are his for the taking so if they do block him it will cause chaos in their organization. Unfortunately we are not a smart organization and don't have a smart GM.

 

[Buffalo Norsemen]

Well sort of...

05-03 Jeff Blair from Sportsnet 590 The Fan in Toronto with Howard and Jeremy

what are they gonna do, imprison him in Toronto?

 

[BloFan4Life]

Hire Lane Lambert tomorrow. Would have a Brand'amour type attitude change.

 

[CaptPantalones]

Hire Lane Lambert tomorrow. Would have a Brand'amour type attitude change.

Was just about to post how long before Botterill asks to talk to Lambert

 

[Wisent42]

Keefe is the guy I want, but I think it's highly unlikely. Grönborg is a very intriguing choice. European coaches is kind of the last glass ceiling to break in this league. It will happen, and I wouldn't mind if we are the team that leads that progress. However, I too am worried about the fact that Grönborg has little to none experience in coaching a team in any league for a very long time. Being a twelve game coach for a national team is one thing, and I'm sure that has it's own challenges, but it's different from coaching day to day in a league.

Tippett was a guy I hadn't even considered but he seems like a good choice. So ideally, we get Tippett as head coach with Grönborg as an associate. That way, Grönborg gets a learning period and Tippett gets an associate with a bit of a fresh look at things. And if/when things fall apart you can always fire Tippett and promote Grönborg.

I don't know how realistic this is, but I feel that Tippett/Grönborg as a pair would be the perfect balance of safe and experiment.

 

[Aladyyn]

This stuff is different than the usual right things you hear.

 

[Nordiques1979]

Gronborg will have his chance somewhere, no doubt about it, just like Marco Sturm it's a matter of time. The game changed so much the last few years in NHL, the game is getting closer to european play. Smaller guy are getting their chances, you see more play where a guy handle the puck from his own zone to the offensive zone. The way europeans are coming in NA and influencing the game, it's still mind blowing that euro coaches are not established yet in NHL.

 

[Jim Bob]

Gronborg will have his chance somewhere, no doubt about it, just like Marco Sturm it's a matter of time. The game changed so much the last few years in NHL, the game is getting closer to european play. Smaller guy are getting their chances, you see more play where a guy handle the puck from his own zone to the offensive zone. The way europeans are coming in NA and influencing the game, it's still mind blowing that euro coaches are not established yet in NHL.

It's not mindblowing.

Owners hire GMs like them.

And GMs hire head coaches like them.

There is one European GM in the league. And he went through the US college hockey route (Let's Go Tech!!!!!).

Outside the box and progressive thinking needs to filter up to the owners of these teams. But even then, it may take a while.

The NBA has more progressive owners that any of the big pro leagues in the US and they haven't had a lot of non-traditional head coaches. But, they have been more active in that area. And they will probably be the league with the first female head coach.

It will be interesting to see if the Sabres pull the trigger on this one.

Personally, I think it is a risky hire for Botterill. That's why I think he is leaning towards a head coach with prior NHL head coaching experience.

Personally, Keefe is my #1 candidate overall and Tippett is my #1 candidate if Botts is locked into a guy with NHL HC experience.

I think Gronborg will be an interesting hire to talk about. But, I have this feeling that he will bomb here. His lack of club head coaching experience and the potential for cliche issues in the locker room if he really favors the Swedish players are two things that worry me.

I am hearing a lot of thirdhand locker room drama rumors lately and Gronborg might make that situation worse.

 

[Fjordy]

Me, too, worries, that if will Gronborg, then perhaps he will more loyal applies to Swedes, and Jack, Sam and Skinner this may not very like. Although perhaps it is simply far-fetched, besides it depends on the person.

 

[Nordiques1979]

It's not mindblowing.

Owners hire GMs like them.

And GMs hire head coaches like them.

There is one European GM in the league. And he went through the US college hockey route (Let's Go Tech!!!!!).

Outside the box and progressive thinking needs to filter up to the owners of these teams. But even then, it may take a while.

The NBA has more progressive owners that any of the big pro leagues in the US and they haven't had a lot of non-traditional head coaches. But, they have been more active in that area. And they will probably be the league with the first female head coach.

It will be interesting to see if the Sabres pull the trigger on this one.

Personally, I think it is a risky hire for Botterill. That's why I think he is leaning towards a head coach with prior NHL head coaching experience.

Personally, Keefe is my #1 candidate overall and Tippett is my #1 candidate if Botts is locked into a guy with NHL HC experience.

I think Gronborg will be an interesting hire to talk about. But, I have this feeling that he will bomb here. His lack of club head coaching experience and the potential for cliche issues in the locker room if he really favors the Swedish players are two things that worry me.

I am hearing a lot of thirdhand locker room drama rumors lately and Gronborg might make that situation worse.

Not sure about the whole "favour swedes" things, he knows that its not bearable on the long run. Coach need to win the locker room to make them play like he wants.

What people tend to underestimate about Gronborg is the way he manage players. He's got a degree in management with athletes, he's really hyped in Sweden for his new approach of the game and the way he manage high level athletes.

 

[Sabre Dance]

Hire Tippett. He's well respected and checks all the boxes.

 

[BuffaloGooner]

At this point any of the rumored names sound pretty intriguing.

Grönborg is interesting
Tippett is well respected with experience
Keefe is the young “next big thing”

And a bevy of others. As long as a guy like Martin stays far far far away, strap me in because I’m on board.

 

[Captain Holt]

It has to be Gronberg. What other coaching candidates have ever been on state run radio? For either team? None. I’m guessing it’s a done deal and they’re just not announcing it until after the WC.

 

[SabresFan26]

Lane lambert, keefe, or gronberg

No to hitch, yeo, therien

 

[Der Jaeger]

It's not mindblowing.

Owners hire GMs like them.

And GMs hire head coaches like them.

There is one European GM in the league. And he went through the US college hockey route (Let's Go Tech!!!!!).

Outside the box and progressive thinking needs to filter up to the owners of these teams. But even then, it may take a while.

The NBA has more progressive owners that any of the big pro leagues in the US and they haven't had a lot of non-traditional head coaches. But, they have been more active in that area. And they will probably be the league with the first female head coach.

It will be interesting to see if the Sabres pull the trigger on this one.

Personally, I think it is a risky hire for Botterill. That's why I think he is leaning towards a head coach with prior NHL head coaching experience.

Personally, Keefe is my #1 candidate overall and Tippett is my #1 candidate if Botts is locked into a guy with NHL HC experience.

I think Gronborg will be an interesting hire to talk about. But, I have this feeling that he will bomb here. His lack of club head coaching experience and the potential for cliche issues in the locker room if he really favors the Swedish players are two things that worry me.

I am hearing a lot of thirdhand locker room drama rumors lately and Gronborg might make that situation worse.

Care to share the locker room drama rumors?

 

[Jim Bob]

Care to share the locker room drama rumors?

I'm not sure if the Mods want me to post things I heard at my son's lacrosse game who said he is a friend of a friend of one of the Sabres trainers.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

It has to be Gronberg. What other coaching candidates have ever been on state run radio? For either team? None. I’m guessing it’s a done deal and they’re just not announcing it until after the WC.

I didn’t think of that...interesting take. I certainly haven’t heard them interview a prospective coaching hire before.

 

[Sabre the Win]

Am I the only one that wants nothing to do with Gronborg?

Why isn't the guy coaching a team, besides the Swedish national teams? He talks about wanting to coach in North America so bad, but why doesn't he start with coaching a team in maybe the Swedish hockey league?

The only HC experience I see on an actual team is back in 2003 in the AWHL.

I'm actually wondering why he would even be in conversation for an NHL HC job. Makes zero sense.

Because Sabres.