Phil Housley's Future as Sabres Head Coach

[Kruppstahl]

What's your vote? 

[pi2000]

I never liked the hire, didn't like the way the team responded to him from day 1 last season... 

https://www.sabrespace.com/community/topic/25237-phil-housley-your-feelings-after-preseason/?tab=comments#comment-981222

...that said, he's only in his second year and he's JBOTs first hire so I don't see JBOT firing Phil at any point this season.

 

[Radar]

I was fine with the hire but since then my fear is he was wrong guy for wrong team at the wrong time. Hope I'm wrong

[ubkev]

He sucks and he's not going anywhere yet...

[Hoss]

He’s got much more security than the first dozen or so games.

[Doohickie]

Good lord.  Another THE SKY IS FALLING thread.

[North Buffalo]

I no longer think he is the right guy.  I think he is trying, but I think he is struggling to figure out how guys fit into style he wants to play. I like the uptempo style, but I am not sure he gets the limits and talents of the guys he has and how to fit them together.  Like one of those thousand piece puzzles.  Its there but what is the fastest and best strategy to make them all fall together.  Not sure he has a clue. Suggestion start with end pieces, corners and group pieces with similar backgrounds.  Steve Smith I think is a good start putting D pieces together.  Need a better assistant for the forwards though.

[PASabreFan]

56 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

Good lord.  Another THE SKY IS FALLING thread.

You do this every year. Then the sky falls. Perhaps you are the man manning the marionette?

[gilbert11]

This is the 3rd straight season with a West Coast trip in October.  NHL not doing them any favors with this schedule.  At least this season they have the 4 home games before heading West.

In 2016 they did well to get 4 pts in 4 games out west with only one game prior.  Last year a little worse with 3 pts out West in 4 games.

I think they need to get at least 4 pts in these 4 home games and hopefully the same for the 4-game trip which maybe will provide some team bonding (didn't work the last 2 years).  A record of 2-6 or worse through the trip will again be difficult to overcome and should put Housley on thin ice.

[eman]

2 hours ago, Doohickie said:

Good lord.  Another THE SKY IS FALLING thread.

Because it is. If they get blasted by the Rangers Saturday you'll have your answer. All I'm seeing is excuses from posters here. Many years of excuses, 'we lack talent", they haven't gelled yet because too many new faces", "too many young guys haven't caught up to the NHL level yet". There is some decent talent on this squad. It lies in the coach, honestly. People don't want to believe that because "how can a club screw up coaching hires so many times"? This management/ownership group has. Again, we'll all see it soon enough. No excuses against NYR. If they aren't prepared to start that game with a solid effort, it's on the coach. Here's hoping they come out flying!

[Randall Flagg]

1 minute ago, eman said:

Because it is. If they get blasted by the Rangers Saturday you'll have your answer. All I'm seeing is excuses from posters here. Many years of excuses, 'we lack talent", they haven't gelled yet because too many new faces", "too many young guys haven't caught up to the NHL level yet". There is some decent talent on this squad. It lies in the coach, honestly. People don't want to believe that because "how can a club screw up coaching hires so many times"? This management/ownership group has. Again, we'll all see it soon enough. No excuses against NYR. If they aren't prepared to start that game with a solid effort, it's on the coach. Here's hoping they come out flying!

Wait, how is "the coach" any less of "an excuse" than any other reason that any poster might have for a loss?

I think posters are all just saying what they think is wrong with the team. They could all be equally viewed as excuses by people who think different things are problems. 

[matter2003]

Lots of new guys again. Might take a little time to gel. We have some talent we will not be as bad as last year by a long shot.

I'm expecting a big surge after the all star break by this team

[CallawaySabres]

I give him 10 games and if this team looks the same as last night, he should be fired immediately after that.

[PerreaultForever]

meh.

[GASabresIUFAN]

He isn’t getting fired anytime soon, but his line combos are a disaster.  

While is one of our best offensive drivers, Erod, centering the 4th line?  Why is the new guy on the 3rd line?  Why put the new guy who adds no offense pn a line with your rookie scoring forward? It doesn’t make any sense.

 

[LGR4GM]

8 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

He isn’t getting fired anytime soon, but his line combos are a disaster.  

While is one of our best offensive drivers, Erod, centering the 4th line?  Why is the new guy on the 3rd line?  Why put the new guy who adds no offense pn a line with your rookie scoring forward? It doesn’t make any sense.

 

Yup. Putting an offensive passenger on a rookie line forces that rookie to drive play more. He's not ready for that and needs help. 

[bob_sauve28]

Young team, patience is needed. I mean a few years of patience. This is a long term project. 

 

I hate saying that, but it's just true. 

[Jacque Richard]

Patient that’s all I ever hear. I don’t  have anymore . Just hoping that might be competitive again.

[PASabreFan]

13 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Young team, patience is needed. I mean a few years of patience. This is a long term project. 

 

I hate saying that, but it's just true. 

Obviously the Sabres love it when fans buy into this. Occasionally, in the course of franchise, of course it has to be true. But when it's a constant state of "rebuilding," something is very wrong.

[bob_sauve28]

12 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

Obviously the Sabres love it when fans buy into this. Occasionally, in the course of franchise, of course it has to be true. But when it's a constant state of "rebuilding," something is very wrong.

I know, but when one rebuild fails, what do you do? Start over. I just hope we don't get trigger happy and trade away assests. Jack might never be Crosby, but in a few years he will be one of the top players in the league. Hopefully surrounded by others that are highly talented. That Boston team was older, they were a team with chemistry and talent. That takes time to get there. 

 

Me and you you are still here. After all these years of losing.  I hope the team leaders just realize that we are probably never leaving. So they need to realize that and just take a long term approach, slowly keep adding talent and hope that adds up to a great team in four or five years. 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

The Sabres have not been and are not in a constant state of rebuilding.  It just seems like it.  Really, it has been about 10 years since their last cusp.  And it did not take very long to go from their last final appearance to that cusp with a pretty much brand new team of players.

Edited October 6, 2018 by N S
easier comprehension for the reader ... maybe ...

[irregularly irregular]

He has a very long leash. JBots is going to give him as much leash as he can, without damaging the team. It will be at least Thanksgiving before any move is made. And if it were to happen,  it will have to be extremely obvious to everyone at the time that the move HAD to be made.

I believe JBots has a long leash as well. Like 5 years long, but he can't be burning through coaches in the process. The Pegula's are trying hard to not be churning through GMs and coaches for both the Bills and the Sabres. They need to show they can endure the hardships and support their hires, not cut and run when things don't go as well as they think they should be going. Both leagues are watching and they have little room for error given the past few years with both teams.

[erickompositör72]

I think the first indication that Housley is over his head will be if he can't figure out good line combos. And it will be obvious to everyone watching.

 

Especially if he stumbles onto really good line combos and then arbitrarily keeps changing them.

[Two or less]

Regardless of the result, i think it's a safe bet he will still be coaching when the team arrives from the west coast trip, but tonights game will tell us a lot i think. If they're flat and offense struggles again, i think he'll be a goner much sooner then most think. Otherwise i think somewhere in January or Feb if they remain in poor form.

[Radar]

I can't see Housley not getting the full season. I feel without improvement then he's gone. Of course too many stinkers like opening night could shorten his leash.