Official Don Granato Named New Sabres Head Coach

[Doohickie]

9 hours ago, Claude Balls said:

Wait.....what???? When did that happen? I gotta stop sniffing glue apparently. 

When he first came in... the "misery" was the 12 game losing streak.  Yes, it lasted 6 more games after he started, but that's because he was working fundamentals and basic system like one would do in training camp while the rest of the league was playing mid-season hockey.

Krueger was okay with losing and had the conviction that his system would eventually overcome the losses.  Granato recognized the losing, realized the team had to be better, and improved their play.  Their record thereafter was less than stellar, but the goaltending situation was abysmal.

[inkman]

 

[Claude Balls]

32 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

When he first came in... the "misery" was the 12 game losing streak.  Yes, it lasted 6 more games after he started, but that's because he was working fundamentals and basic system like one would do in training camp while the rest of the league was playing mid-season hockey.

Krueger was okay with losing and had the conviction that his system would eventually overcome the losses.  Granato recognized the losing, realized the team had to be better, and improved their play.  Their record thereafter was less than stellar, but the goaltending situation was abysmal.

Goaltending is a main catalyst in turning this shitshow around. 

[jsb]

8 hours ago, dudacek said:

Me too.

If he succeeds with this roster next year, I will give him a ton of credit. If he fails, I will give him very little blame.

Adams is the one I’ll be be putting under the microscope.

That's a tough scenario for Adams as well. We just endured last place 4 of the past 8 years and we're going to put the burden of he needs to succeed on him?? As far as I'm concerned this is Adams & Karmanos evaluation year. They inherited last years team. With the 2 Stanley Cup finalists in the division plus Boston, Toronto and Florida plus a conference of Washington, NY Islanders, Carolina, Pittsburgh and an up and coming Rangers squad, just playing better than last year will be an accomplishment and don't forget the Senators and Flyers in that same boat. I'll judge them on the return from Jack, Sam and Risto and how they play together and not wins and losses. I'll settle for them looking like an up and coming team as opposed to the train wreck last year was.

[Thwomp!]

Not the splashiest hire.  Not the splashiest team.  I'll continue to be in "prove it to me" mode.

[dudacek]

3 minutes ago, jsb said:

That's a tough scenario for Adams as well. We just endured last place 4 of the past 8 years and we're going to put the burden of he needs to succeed on him?? As far as I'm concerned this is Adams & Karmanos evaluation year. They inherited last years team. With the 2 Stanley Cup finalists in the division plus Boston, Toronto and Florida plus a conference of Washington, NY Islanders, Carolina, Pittsburgh and an up and coming Rangers squad, just playing better than last year will be an accomplishment and don't forget the Senators and Flyers in that same boat. I'll judge them on the return from Jack, Sam and Risto and how they play together and not wins and losses. I'll settle for them looking like an up and coming team as opposed to the train wreck last year was.

It is a tough scenario for Adams, but he is the one who has decided to hit the reset button, decided to hire Granato and will make the decisions on who we acquire.

I mostly agree with your post Im not going to give him a pass or fail based entirely on his record, but I will need to see improvement that includes wins. This is a last place team that was awful last year. Improvement shouldn’t be hard.

[jsb]

24 minutes ago, dudacek said:

It is a tough scenario for Adams, but he is the one who has decided to hit the reset button, decided to hire Granato and will make the decisions on who we acquire.

I mostly agree with your post Im not going to give him a pass or fail based entirely on his record, but I will need to see improvement that includes wins. This is a last place team that was awful last year. Improvement shouldn’t be hard.

That's fair but do you blame him for the reset button. Part of last year's failure does fall on Jack, he comes in hurt, although he toughs it out, the team gets Covid from NJ, he gets hurt again,  is out for the year disappears for the remaining part of the season then blows the top off the lid by his end of the season presser. This is your Captain and he pulls this?? Sam and Risto are in the last year of their contracts, are they wanting to come back?? He's going to have to pull a Houdini to get this team on tract and hopefully he succeeds, as for Granato whether you like the hire or not, he deserves a chance after getting the team to look like one to end the year.

[Pimlach]

Guys, you measure improvement in the standings, in the W/L record. 
 

If they play better hockey, show pride and passion, play for each other, it will reflect in the standings.  I don’t expect to make the playoffs next season but they cannot have another last place finish.  

Signing Ullmark and adding another goalie just as capable is a MUST to get this team out of the basement.  Replacing the point production of Eichel and Reinhart won’t happen in one year, especially if we acquire mostly picks and prospects. Therefore, we must be better on the defensive side of the game.  

Adams and Granato goals: 

Year 1 - get out if the basement and stop being soft and easy to play

Year 2 - challenge for playoff spot right to the end, see improvement in all facets, be hard to play against every night

Year 3 - Be a playoff team 

[bunomatic]

Its looking like I’ll hit 60 before this team sniffs the playoffs. 3 to 4 years before they take that step ? What with Adams reboot. Some are saying improvement shouldn’t be hard with where we’re at. I like Donnie as a hire but look at the Pegulas track record of hires. Its a wasteland of has beens, never beens and yes men. It accomplishes one thing and that is control. Well that and it strokes the Pegulas ego. I’m afraid this team won’t win until they shuffle out of Buffalo.

[CH Eyes]

Kind of reminds me in the mid eighties when the Bills hired a coach with a 33-48 record (2-5 Bills interim mid season replacement) who prior, was serving as a team paid pre-season announcer. Many fans at the time (me included) felt that the owner was a cheapskate who put a bandaid coach with a scrub roster and the franchise had not bottomed out yet. Next two years they drafted a lot better, got their #1 QB set, and things eventually worked oir pretty well. Same here? maybe, maybe not. But sooner or later something has to work.

[French Collection]

I hope the team competes every night so that a loss will not sting as badly.

Like others have stated, goaltending is a key in stabilizing the team. Ullnark/Mrazc?

I watched a lot of the Norrhern division games and liked that Ottawa was a pain to play against and was not a gimme 2 points. The Sabres need to have that attitude and build on it.

[SabresVet]

10 hours ago, pi2000 said:

I mean, just... yeah... it sucks nobody decent wants to coach this team, and I don't think that will change while Pegula is running the show, unfortunately. 

They're going to have to catch lightning in a bottle to get out of this mess... Is Granato that guy?   I hope so, but damn, try and do better for once.

The Pegula's are beginning to mirror the decisions of the late Ralph Bills years.  After hiring outside their universe executives and coaches who didn't produce, the circle of trust narrowed.  GM and HC searches were then limited to people whose relationship to ownership is already strong or they're a known entity.  Avoid outside candidates at all costs.  Mediocrity ensues.

Except this time, owners are likely there for the long haul.  I'd love to see Don Granato win as much as anyone, but it's hard to trust the Pegula's or their hand-picked leaders anymore.  Adams still comes off as the "we knew him" hire and it's clear owners are laser-focused on reducing costs.  Much like those late Ralph years.

It's also likely they're not considering outside people because they're not interested.  Meddling ownership combined with reduced staff budgets are not the scenario I would think proven GM's and HC's would seek out.  Especially when the best players want out.   

[WildCard]

8 minutes ago, bunomatic said:

Its looking like I’ll hit 60 before this team sniffs the playoffs. 

Same here

[PASabreFan]

11 hours ago, LabattBlue said:

Indifference.  That is my response to this hire. 

To anyone who can get worked up in a positive way over this meh hiring, you have survived this 10 year nightmare better than I have. 

I'll add to this. No one should get worked up in a negative way either.

People would be advised to hold their powder (on either side of the coin) and wait 20 games or whatever and see if anything from the spring takes hold in the fall.

Edited June 30, 2021 by PASabreFan

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, SabresVet said:

The Pegula's are beginning to mirror the decisions of the late Ralph Bills years.  After hiring outside their universe executives and coaches who didn't produce, the circle of trust narrowed.  GM and HC searches were then limited to people whose relationship to ownership is already strong or they're a known entity.  Avoid outside candidates at all costs.  Mediocrity ensues.

Except this time, owners are likely there for the long haul.  I'd love to see Don Granato win as much as anyone, but it's hard to trust the Pegula's or their hand-picked leaders anymore.  Adams still comes off as the "we knew him" hire and it's clear owners are laser-focused on reducing costs.  Much like those late Ralph years.

It's also likely they're not considering outside people because they're not interested.  Meddling ownership combined with reduced staff budgets are not the scenario I would think proven GM's and HC's would seek out.  Especially when the best players want out.   

The Sabres hired Jason Karmanos from outside the org like 2 months ago. 

Adams was definitely a "we trust him" hire. 

[Eleven]

1 hour ago, PASabreFan said:

I'll add to this. No one should get worked up in a negative way either.

People would be advised to hold their powder (on either side of the coin) and wait 20 games or whatever and see if anything from the spring takes hold in the fall.

We don't even have the faintest idea what the roster will look like, either.

[SabresVet]

16 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

The Sabres hired Jason Karmanos from outside the org like 2 months ago. 

Adams was definitely a "we trust him" hire. 

No front office is going to be purely in-house hires.  Key is that the decision makers, i.e. the GM and above, are found inside. 

[LGR4GM]

15 minutes ago, SabresVet said:

No front office is going to be purely in-house hires.  Key is that the decision makers, i.e. the GM and above, are found inside. 

... well above the GM is the owner so that's always going to be inside. 

I think Karmanos is a decision maker considering it sounds like he will be running the draft. 

[Doohickie]

  

1 hour ago, SabresVet said:

Mediocrity ensues.

Mediocrity is a big jump from where they are right now so.... yes, please.

Edited June 30, 2021 by Doohickie

[LGR4GM]

1 minute ago, Doohickie said:

Mediocrity is a big jump from where they are right now so.... yes, please.

? i didnt say mediocrity ensues 

[Doohickie]

Sorry... edited the post for proper attribution.

Edited June 30, 2021 by Doohickie

[Kruppstahl]

No surprises with this announcement; Pegula likes small names under him; easier to control that way.

And now we move one step further to trading Eichel and/or Reinhart without first acquiring a proven NHL HC.

And some wonder why this team has missed the playoffs for a decade.

Expect more failure soon, Sabres fans! 

 

 

 

[kas23]

16 hours ago, Claude Balls said:

Well McDermott had absolutely no head coaching experience, whereas meatballs was at least interim for a bit, so we kinda gotta a taste. But I don't expect much improvement with Granato unfortunately. Mcdermott was a diamond in the rough. Hopefully Donnie Meatballs can turnout the same. But I'm not holding my breath with this shitshow of a franchise.

McDermott is a competent HC, but I think you’re giving him a little too much credit for the Bills success. His roster is stacked, thanks to Beane. And if Allen was a bust, McD likely would be looking for a new job. Sure, he played a role in developing Allen, but the majority of the heavy lifting was done by Daboll, Palmer, and Josh’s own natural ability. Behind every great coach is a great QB. What a coincidence. 

[kas23]

5 hours ago, jsb said:

That's a tough scenario for Adams as well. We just endured last place 4 of the past 8 years and we're going to put the burden of he needs to succeed on him?? As far as I'm concerned this is Adams & Karmanos evaluation year. They inherited last years team. With the 2 Stanley Cup finalists in the division plus Boston, Toronto and Florida plus a conference of Washington, NY Islanders, Carolina, Pittsburgh and an up and coming Rangers squad, just playing better than last year will be an accomplishment and don't forget the Senators and Flyers in that same boat. I'll judge them on the return from Jack, Sam and Risto and how they play together and not wins and losses. I'll settle for them looking like an up and coming team as opposed to the train wreck last year was.

We also need to realize that Adams was not hired for his ability to be a GM. He was hired because he was a trusted lieutenant. So, will he be judged going forward based on his success/failure as a GM or his ability to say yes?

[Eleven]

11 minutes ago, kas23 said:

We also need to realize that Adams was not hired for his ability to be a GM. He was hired because he was a trusted lieutenant. So, will he be judged going forward based on his success/failure as a GM or his ability to say yes?

We don't need to "realize" any such thing.  That's the hypothesis some people have put forward, is all.