Curt

I really think the article is only talking about discussions 2 years ago regarding the AHL job, and is just poorly worded. If it had come out that this was actually happening now, it would have been reported somewhere. I Googled “Leaman Sabres Head Coach”. The first result was an article about Jacob Bryson, Sabres prospect who played for Leaman at Providence. The second result was.........this thread on Sabrespace. Call me unconvinced.

This is old, outdated information. I know it’s on NHL.com, but I’m 95% sure that it’s incorrect. There is other info on NHL.com which contradicts it, and describes the way the draft order has been set since the current CBA went into affect. The conference finalists get the last 4 spots, and then it’s decided by points after that. Just look at how the draft has been the past few years. The process hasn’t changed.

This would be fine with me. Is this article actually saying that Buffalo has spoken with Leaman in the past couple weeks regarding the HC position? Or are they only referring to the talks a couple years ago about the AHL job? It’s not entirely clear to me.

Totally different situation in my eyes. NFL Off/Def Coordinators make close to $1M/yr, with some of the top guys well over that. AHL Head Coaches and NHL assistants make considerably less, I believe in the 150-300k range. That’s nice money, but you can’t retire off a few years of $200k. However, if you can secure a 3yr NHL HC contract, at $1.25M per, that is truly life changing money, not just for you, but for your family. For these guys there is no guarantee that another NHL HC job offer comes along. Say you are DJ Smith, Babcock’s AC in TOR. You turn down the Sabres HC offer in 2019. Next year TOR loses in the first round again and Babs gets canned. Dubas gives Keefe the HC job. Keefe doesn’t really want you on his staff though, looking for someone more experienced to help the first time HC. So you have to go find a new job anyway. Lamarello liked you as an AC from when he was GM in TOR so he offers you the AHL HC job there. It’s a good job but the team doesn’t have a lot of talent and can’t get them anywhere in the AHL playoffs. NHL GM’s aren’t really falling over themselves to hire AHL coaches who aren’t winning big. You get 1 or 2 HC interviews over the next few years but they go to other people. You decide that if you are going to get noticed you are going to need to make a change and you are able to get a job as an NHL AC in BUF under HC Grönborg. They are one of the best teams in the league and the GM Botterill has always liked you (he once offered you the HC job after all). So you stay in BUF as an AC for a few years, you win the Cup with them in 2026 and are able to get a HC job in Columbus after the 2027 season! 3 years at $1.75M per, $5.25M guaranteed money! Finally, you’ve made it! I got a little creative here, but I hope my point was clear. This scenario I laid out would not be particularly uncommon (apart from a BUF winning the Cup of course). There are no guarantees for these guys that the job they chose to stay at will still be there 1-2 years from now. They don’t have much job stability even if they decide pass on that HC job that they could get fired from in 2 years. There is no guarantee for these first time guys that another HC opportunity comes along or if it does it could 5, 6, 7, 8 years from now. What if you turn down a big money job like that, then a few years later come down with cancer or are in a serious car accident. Your family would never have that money. Unlikely, I know, but real people think about stuff like that when they are making major decisions. Add in that this is probably a lifelong dream for these guys and I would be shocked if guys turn down what would be their first NHL HC job with any regularity. I won’t say never, but I would guess that it’s an extreme exception. I agree that previous HCs who have made millions already are probably more picky.

Would you uproot your family for 2 years if it would ensure financial security for the rest of your life? That’s the worst case scenario. Other potential outcomes include wildly advancing your career, fulfilling lifelong dreams, even more money, etc, etc

Really? Is it? To take a job which would triple/quadruple your salary, along with a title that you have been desperately wanting, in a world where only 31 of these jobs exist. It’s literally a wonderful, life changing event. I have a very difficult time imagining that many (any?) first timers would turn down the opportunity to coach the Sabres.

They don’t even have the option of talking to DJ Smith or Keefe yet, well I guess Smith can as of last night. Those guys have been working. Also it’s hard to invision one of them saying no thanks to even interviewing for a job that would be a massive massive promotion and pay raise, as well as fulfilling a major career goal.

That was Nicushkin maybe? He hasn’t been particularly good.

Legitimate question: Why is Jacques Martin a bad coaching choice? I want actual reasons relating directly to Martin himself. Just to clarify, I’m not in favor of Martin, but I would like to hear actual opinions of him as a coach.

If Botterill could get Miller and Cirelli for Risto, that would be a heck of a deal. Those are two 2nd line players (3rd line on an amazing team). Not futures, but good, skilled, gritty, young NHL players both with several years of team control.

This should really only come into play for guys who could take more than 2 years before they are ready for pro hockey. Anyone drafted at #7 will be expected to be NHL ready within 2 years, and if not, then AHL ready at least. It’s the 3rd round and later picks that the CHL becomes a bit of a disadvantage, because a large percentage of those players could take 4 years (age 21/22) before they are ready for the AHL/NHL. The CHL players need to be signed, or not, after 2 years, while college or Euro players have 4 years before they need to be signed. At least this is my understanding of things.

Yes, I believe it was more a decision to play “his game” and fit that into the system, as opposed to trying to be a robot within the system. He has been a much more effective hockey player since, so it definitely seems to be working. Unless you want to assume the worst about every situation. In that case you can just assume that Reinhart meant “Screw the coaches, I’ll do whatever I want, whenever I want.” But I hope that we collectively are more nuanced than that.

Reinhart 2018 Locker Cleanout https://www.nhl.com/sabres/video/sam-reinhart-4918/t-277822758/c-59734503

Krebs! I think he is right there with Cozens, Dach, Boldy and Zegras.

How can you agree to a $ amount but not term? Changing the term would generally change the $ amount.

Hard disagree. He has led the team to their top three regular seasons in franchise history and to the eastern conference finals three times in six years. I'd like to see what he could do with a less stacked lineup, but some of the reasons that team has developed such a stacked lineup may be due to his coaching. The team/players were not that good when he took over. He helped mold them into the team that they are today.

I really like Beecher too. Wouldn't be disappointed if Buffalo took him with their 2nd 1st rounder. Or even better if they traded back from 19 for a couple picks in the 25-50 range and snagged him with one of those plus another guy who slides.

He’s taken two other teams to the Stanley Cup Finals though. A Flyers team with Michael Leighton/Brian Boucher splitting playoff starts in goal, and Nashville a couple years ago.

This is a shortlist of my favorite candidates. I wouldn’t exclude all others, because what do I know, but this is what I’ve come up with. I have no problem with Botterill taking his time. Some of these guys are still involved in the playoffs. Unemployed: Dave Tippett(Probably committed to Seattle), John Stevens, Rikard Gronborg NHL Assistants: Todd Richards, Todd Nelson, DJ Smith, Kris Knoblauch AHL HC’s: Dallas Eakins(Probably committed to Anaheim), Sheldon Keefe, Chris Taylor NCAA Coaches: Scott Sandelin, Nate Leaman

I know it wasn't you who said it, but the SYR Crunch's coach is Benoit Groulx, not Giroux

Does anyone think there is a chance that Laviolette is relieved of his duties as head coach if Dallas beats Nashville? Because that is a guy that should be perused heavily if he becomes available.

How about this one. So we know that Botterill loves his Finns and his Swedes. What is even better? How about a Finnish player whose name is ‘Swedish’? How could you not sign a guy like that? Seriously, this guy Ruotsalainen, his last name is ‘Swedish’ in Finnish. Ruotsalainen translates to ‘Swedish’. Got it? He is Finnish and his name is literally Arttu ‘Swedish’. Botterill just wrote a blank check.

Objectively, Ruff’s resume is not more impressive than, or at least pretty comparable to Therrien, Martin, or Carlyle’s.

Nice. Gotta take your chances on guys like this, college and euro free agents. Casey Nelson, CJ Smith, Evan Rodrigues, Victor Antipin, Lawrence Pilut. Sometimes they turn into nothing, sometimes good AHLers, sometimes legit NHL players.

Even when coaches are relieved of their duties, the team is still obligated to honor the contract and pay them. Generally if a team has an assistant coach, they will grant permission to interview them. Just because its the ethical thing to do. If you repeatedly hold back your employees from advancing their career, not a lot of good people are going to want to work for you in the future. I know that 2 years ago the Leafs declined to let Dubas interview for Buffalos GM job, but that was because there was already a set plan in place for him to take over for Lamarello the next year.guess I guess this is the long way of saying that teams generally do grant permission for their assistant coaches to be interviewed for head coaching positions. Also, there generally is not compensation (such as draft picks) involved in such instances. I'm not even sure if it is allowed under NHL rules any longer.