kas23

This is a good point and often overlooked. Obviously players that we signed for professional deals have a good degree of talent. That is, our FO agrees that everyone they sign has a chance (maybe small though) of making an an NHL roster someday. It’s then up to the coach to nurture this talent and put them in the right position to succeed. Or, the coach is a very big factor of whether a player has “talent” (in the way fans judge it) or not. There are exceptions though. One big one is if a team is trying to tank or the owner is overhanded in having younger, less developed players on a roster instead of more established players.

It’s very commendable he has turned a horrible program into a perennial winner. Maybe that is the type of coach we should be seeking. One that built up a program, not continued to win within an organization that has a history of winning. An example of a coach NOT like this would be Babcock.

It’s not unheard of for NFL “hot assistants” to turn down NFL coaching jobs/interviews. Some even quit before even starting (McDaniels). Why? Maybe they are afraid of failure, that their incompetences will get exposed. Maybe they want the perfect situation for their first time. Maybe they only want to go to a stable organization with a history of winning. One thing is sure, their old jobs won’t be held for them if they decide to come back and it’s possible they may never get another chance to be an NHL HC again. This is just for rookie coaches. The retreads we are looking are probably already financially set and are likely still getting paid by the team that fired them.

Agreed. Due to Botterill being moving closer to the hot seat, maybe candidates are seeing that 5 year contract as really a 2 year one. The rebuild is nearly done. I’d say Botts has 2 years to be a decent playoff contender or he’s out. Sure, coaching contracts are guaranteed money, but who really wants to uproot their family for 2 years into an unstable situation.

Unfortunately, I just JBotts knows he’s on the hot seat now. This is his last coaching hire. People in these types of situations usually act differently than they did when they were hired. There’s no more taking chances, like Housley. I bet he goes for a self-preservation safe pick, like JM. He’s not spectacular or a sexy pick, but he won’t likely get you fired because they’ll make the playoffs (and that’s about it).

I don’t think there would be any animosity towards the Sabres organization, he should understand the hiring. But if the Sabres hire Keefe, then the writing is on the wall. That he basically has no future in the organization above his current position. Maybe he’s OK with that. But, I wouldn’t be surprised if he jumped to another AHL team where he could build a career.

Agreed. It would be a very tricky situation to hire Keefe, but not promote Taylor from within. That said, after looking at their coaching experiences and past success, you can see that Keefe has had more sustained success at multiple levels. Plus, he has 2 years more experience coaching in the AHL as a HC and has won a Calder Cup. He’s definitely more qualified than Taylor, but it also sends Taylor a clear message; that Taylor will never have a chance to be promoted to HC in Buffalo. If Keefe becomes successful, then he’ll be locked in at HC for a long time. If Keefe bombs out, we definitely won’t be hiring an AHL coach next time around and besides, the whole organization (including Jbot and likely Taylor too) will likely be cleaned out as well.

Contract or not, I can’t see how someone can be legally compelled to work for a certain employer, especially when better opportunities exist. It certainly works the other way, coaches are commonly “relieved of their duties”. Players can get their contracts terminated. Of course, teams are compelled to continuing paying them. It seems to me, this is something that could be negotiated for if we really wanted him. That later 1st round draft pick could come up.

So, someone help me out with the Sabres speaking with Keefe. Toronto can say “no” and that’s it? What if he quit and then was hired? Or, is it the interview part?

So, remember when McLellan to the Kings “could be as early as tomorrow morning”?

Don’t forget Quennville.

I dunno. It wasn’t just this thread. It ended up on the front page of TBNs website, calling him the “leading candidate to become Sabres coach”.

True. But I meant it’s an abrupt end to this saga. Next up.

Oh damn.

I sure hope they are interviewing other candidates during this wait. Let McL know he’s not the only show in town, which may help him with his indecision.

I don’t think his agent would leak this information to the press. He wouldn’t have to. Behind closed doors, he’s allowed to share contract information with any team he wishes. He probably already faxed the Sabres contract to the Kings.

This is another aspect not being discussed. Do you think Jbot is prolonging his own job security by offering a prolonged deal? Indirectly, this may also give him a 5 year deal considering it’s unlikely he survives another coach firing. In reality, if Jbot is fires after 2 years, so will McL.

Keefe sounds like an excellent coach. However, are you worried about his age? Maybe it’s my perspective, but I’m 40 and can’t realize someone younger than myself taking on the responsibility of coaching an NHL team.

Anyone else find it ironic we are waiting for our next coach to be fired so we can sign them?

I’m all for hiring Michael J Fox.

True.

Correct. If he didn’t contact Q’s agent a week ago, I’d say he’s incompetent. That is, if Q signs with Florida, it doesn’t mean we were late to the game, it means he didn’t want to sign here.

This is a good point. I have to give Teddy a pass for his last stint here. He was set up to assuredly fail, which I’m sure killed a guy like him. Remember GMTM kept on dealing away his hot goalies? He’s used to getting the most out of his players and wouldn’t mind if he came back...to win this time. I think the bridge is burnt though.

At one point in this season, our roster contained the league leading goal scorer. Skinner was at the top. How did that work out for us? Do you honestly think plugging in a player who has experienced nothing but losing is going to automatically help us? I don’t have these answers. Again, to let you know where I’m coming from. I was a huge tank proponent. People said it will taint the team by instilling a losing culture. I laughed at this and called BS. Today, I’m not so sure. I see the same teams winning each year and I see the same old teams losing each year. There’s little movement between the groups, despite having very different drafting positions.

EDM is not just a “losing team”. That team is downright cursed and it’s not because they don’t have the talent. They certainly do. Draisaitl would probably do very well on a winning team, surrounded by people interested in winning, which would eventually rub off on him. This does not describe the Buffalo Sabres.