Speculation: The Sabres Need a Coaching Change

[Jim Bob]

The raw number isn’t really indicative. In a vacuum one could fairly argue that many of those 7/4 got too long

The Pegulas have been some of the most impatient owners since they took over. There are way more arguments that they are impatient than they are too loyal to their hires.

Maybe Dahlin taking over Captain?

I think it is more likely that UPL's bug is spreading throughout the team.

 

[enthusiast]

The Pegulas have been some of the most impatient owners since they took over. There are way more arguments that they are impatient than they are too loyal to their hires.

hard disagree, I think if anything they’ve been slow to address bad hires. It just seems impatient because it beggars belief that any franchise could miss so often

 

[SundherDome]

The Pegulas have been some of the most impatient owners since they took over. There are way more arguments that they are impatient than they are too loyal to their hires.


I think it is more likely that UPL's bug is spreading throughout the team.

Harrington noted he arrived a few minutes later

Terrifying if they think everything is fine. Players regressing, no system, bottom of the league in multiple statistical categories, and the ONLY team in the Eastern Conference with a losing record.


Eh GM probably shouldn't have re-signed him but the coach shouldn't be playing him near 6th in TOI.

Columbus would like a word with you.

 

[joshjull]

The Pegulas have been some of the most impatient owners since they took over. There are way more arguments that they are impatient than they are too loyal to their hires.


I think it is more likely that UPL's bug is spreading throughout the team.

First of all the bug needs to blamed on the proper Finn. Damn you Joker!

 

[May Day 10]

hard disagree, I think if anything they’ve been slow to address bad hires. It just seems impatient because it beggars belief that any franchise could miss so often

I agree. I used to have this same discussion on the Bills forums when Ralph Wilson kept trotting out the whack pack he had Coaching and GMing his teams in the 00s through the drought.

You can easily look at the long list of firings over a somewhat short period of time and point the finger at Terry Pegula for having no patience.

But the quality of the hirings themselves is terrible. Almost all are first timers in their position, and I believe none of them have ascended to the same position in a different organization. Under Housley and Kreuger, the wheels completely fell off.

In every case, it was clear the person was failing/failed, but they were held on too long until there was almost no choice and things got too hot and embarrassing, pretty much forcing their hand. This goes all the way back to the Ruff and Regier dismissals.

Even with all that, Granato is the 10th longest tenured HC in the NHL, and Adams is the 17th longest tenured GM.

 

[Jim Bob]

hard disagree, I think if anything they’ve been slow to address bad hires. It just seems impatient because it beggars belief that any franchise could miss so often

I think it is the wonderful combination of poor hiring choices and then impatience with said hires.

And the other factor is that the Pegulas leaned on advice from the NHL when they hired both Murray and Botterill. The bad taste those two hires left was why the Pegulas went with "their guy" when they hired Adams.

 

[MeenOlViks]

Can we send Donnie to Columbus as part of the trade?

 

[Bobby Bottle Service]

Can we send Donnie to Columbus as part of the trade?

Tried. They wanted Dahlin as compensation.

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

How are ticket sales? That should be something that matters to Pegula. Who wants to pay $100+ in this economy, to watch a disappointing team struggle and lose on a nightly basis?

For the Habs game. Blue are available seats. Resales are red.

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

I am shocked that more hasn't been made of that inexcusable sequence to start the game where everyone just stopped playing despite no whistle being blown thinking (incorrectly) the puck had gone out of play. That absolutely CANNOT happen and it was such a perfect example of how poorly drilled and prepared this team is. Do you think say a RBA coached team would ever do something like that? No chance in Hell.

That was embarrassing, frankly. Tage futilely pointing at the netting with his stick.

My mind reels at an NHL coach having to drill into his players "play to the whistle", advice they've probably been given hundreds of times. And yet here we are.

I'm very reluctant to blame Granato and staff for that one.

 

[Jim Bob]

Brind'Amour calls out Hurricanes: 'I've never seen our team play this brutal'

Rod Brind'Amour has never been afraid of the truth, so he didn't mince words during an in-game interview Wednesday night while his Carolina Hurricanes trailed the Edmonton Oilers 5-0.

www.sportsnet.ca

I am sure that Adams is keeping track of the relationship between Rod and the Canes. He is the one coach that I would expect Adams to fire Granato to hire at this point.

 

[toddkaz]

Brind'Amour calls out Hurricanes: 'I've never seen our team play this brutal'

Rod Brind'Amour has never been afraid of the truth, so he didn't mince words during an in-game interview Wednesday night while his Carolina Hurricanes trailed the Edmonton Oilers 5-0.

www.sportsnet.ca

I am sure that Adams is keeping track of the relationship between Rod and the Canes. He is the one coach that I would expect Adams to fire Granato to hire at this point.

I can't remember if it was Brind'Amour but it was him or maybe someone else that said they absolutely hate Buffalo and would never put on their uniform. It was around the 05-06 season.

Of course, coaching is different but interesting if it did happen.

Imagine Granato saying something like that? Would be nice but he is a Pegula yes man and happy vibes is what matters.

 

[Jim Bob]

I can't remember if it was Brind'Amour but it was him or maybe someone else that said they absolutely hate Buffalo and would never put on their uniform. It was around the 05-06 season.

Of course, coaching is different but interesting if it did happen.

Imagine Granato saying something like that? Would be nice but he is a Pegula yes man and happy vibes is what matters.

The Pegulas trust Adams.

Adams is a former teammate of Rod's and likely trusts him a ton.

People say all sorts of stuff at one point in life. And then when the situation actually comes up, they have a different response than they previously talked about. I know that has happened in my life.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

For the Habs game. Blue are available seats. Resales are red.

View attachment 778948

The geniuses at Pegula central told Ontario fans they were not welcome in Buffalo if rooting for the other team and threatened to restrict ticket sales, which, shockers, they never did. What type of marketing geniuses come up with a plan like that based on listening to an idiot columnist from Buffalo News?

Terrifying if they think everything is fine. Players regressing, no system, bottom of the league in multiple statistical categories, and the ONLY team in the Eastern Conference with a losing record.


Eh GM probably shouldn't have re-signed him but the coach shouldn't be playing him near 6th in TOI.

Even in some scenario where you want Okposo back, how do you pay him $2.5 M? No team in NHL is giving him that. He gets maybe $1.5 M somewhere else but likely $1 M. The management in Buffalo is just so dumb

 

[Chainshot]

Brind'Amour calls out Hurricanes: 'I've never seen our team play this brutal'

Rod Brind'Amour has never been afraid of the truth, so he didn't mince words during an in-game interview Wednesday night while his Carolina Hurricanes trailed the Edmonton Oilers 5-0.

www.sportsnet.ca

I am sure that Adams is keeping track of the relationship between Rod and the Canes. He is the one coach that I would expect Adams to fire Granato to hire at this point.

RBA is pretty settled in NC though so even if the Hurricanes were to make that move, I am not sure he immediately shuffles off to Buffalo for another opportunity while his youngest is only 12 and his current wife is a native Carolinian.

I won't get into how much he dislikes Skinner as a personnel impediment to all of this either.

 

[Beerz]

RBA is pretty settled in NC though so even if the Hurricanes were to make that move, I am not sure he immediately shuffles off to Buffalo for another opportunity while his youngest is only 12 and his current wife is a native Carolinian.

I won't get into how much he dislikes Skinner as a personnel impediment to all of this either.

He would absolutely hate this group.

 

[Jim Bob]

He would absolutely hate this group.

That might be what this group needs.

 

[Chainshot]

He would absolutely hate this group.

I mean, he already hates the top line LW and has said so publicly. Paraphrasing - Skinner is not a player you win with.

 

[Jim Bob]

RBA is pretty settled in NC though so even if the Hurricanes were to make that move, I am not sure he immediately shuffles off to Buffalo for another opportunity while his youngest is only 12 and his current wife is a native Carolinian.

I won't get into how much he dislikes Skinner as a personnel impediment to all of this either.

I could see this play out like with other type A head coaches in various sports. They sit at home, miss the juice they get coaching, and they take a job to get back into it.

It wouldn't be the first time and it wouldn't be the last time something like that happened.

There are all sorts of reasons that it might not happen. But, I do think that Adams might have some hope that he could make it happen.

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

Brind'Amour calls out Hurricanes: 'I've never seen our team play this brutal'

Rod Brind'Amour has never been afraid of the truth, so he didn't mince words during an in-game interview Wednesday night while his Carolina Hurricanes trailed the Edmonton Oilers 5-0.

www.sportsnet.ca

I am sure that Adams is keeping track of the relationship between Rod and the Canes. He is the one coach that I would expect Adams to fire Granato to hire at this point.

One wonders if the thought of a coaching change, even bringing in different assistants, has crossed Adams' mind yet. If it has, we've heard nothing about it.

 

[Zman5778]

If it has, we've heard nothing about it.

And I'm not sure if we'd hear anything about it even if the thought was there.

 

[Tatanka]

I mean, he already hates the top line LW and has said so publicly. Paraphrasing - Skinner is not a player you win with.

How come RBA says that and he is collecting chel money and I say that and get flamed by fellow fans? That’s whack bruh.

 

[Tatanka]

One wonders if the thought of a coaching change, even bringing in different assistants, has crossed Adams' mind yet. If it has, we've heard nothing about it.

I doubt it has. I think the delay in removing Granato’s interim tag was due to exhausting every phone number in the currently available for hire book to no avail. I thought Peca was a lock for a promotion and that didn’t happen.

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

And I'm not sure if we'd hear anything about it even if the thought was there.

True. Even his most enthusiastic detractors should admit that Adams runs a very tight ship that never leaks rumors.

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

I doubt it has. I think the delay in removing Granato’s interim tag was due to exhausting every phone number in the currently available for hire book to no avail. I thought Peca was a lock for a promotion and that didn’t happen.

I thought it was more a matter of the team is improving, so better to just stay the course with Granato.