Official Don Granato Named New Sabres Head Coach

[kas23]

2 minutes ago, Eleven said:

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

Yeah? What were Adams’s qualifications to become a GM? Any prior AGM experience? Anything special in his past for him to be hired without a search?

[Eleven]

22 minutes ago, kas23 said:

Yeah? What were Adams’s qualifications to become a GM? Any prior AGM experience? Anything special in his past for him to be hired without a search?

Go through the thread concerning the hiring of Adams if you want; I'm not going through the exercise again here.

Edited June 30, 2021 by Eleven

[PASabreFan]

On 6/29/2021 at 12:42 PM, LGR4GM said:

How are you so fast!?!?!?

It's both remarkable and intriguing.

[PromoTheRobot]

I see this thread is devolving into why we are doomed with Adams, Granato and Power. Carry on.

[Gatorman0519]

27 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

I see this thread is devolving into why we are doomed with Adams, Granato and Power. Carry on.

I am actually quite hopeful. I spent a couple hours listening to Granato's hockey clinic and researched his resume. This man knows hockey. I'm not saying it is a guarantee but I am very hopeful. Something I have not been with any of the hires since Lindy left.

[LabattBlue]

Help me out...was Granato interviewed for a previous Sabres HC opening?

[FogBat]

[FogBat]

6 hours ago, bunomatic said:

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.

Are you only referring to their NHL track record? Because, as things look right now, only 8.5 miles away as the crow flies, the results have been much different.

Edited June 30, 2021 by Crosschecking

[bunomatic]

1 hour ago, Crosschecking said:

Are you only referring to their NHL track record? Because, as things look right now, only 8.5 miles away as the crow flies, the results have been much different.

Yeah 100% nhl. Don’t follow the nfl much. I know they’ve had success but some say they got lucky too. We’ll see. Their track record as nhl owners is abysmal.

[FogBat]

56 minutes ago, bunomatic said:

Yeah 100% nhl. Don’t follow the nfl much. I know they’ve had success but some say they got lucky too. We’ll see. Their track record as nhl owners is abysmal.

I'll be honest with you: I'd rather have them as owners of the Bills over JBJ and his friends and - even worse - the PrimaDonald, who might have been Rigas 2.0.

[PASabreFan]

Presser today at 11? Why am I not seeing any confirmation of it on sabres.com or their Twitter page?

[sabrefanday1]

1 hour ago, PASabreFan said:

Presser today at 11? Why am I not seeing any confirmation of it on sabres.com or their Twitter page?

apparently Arizona has one for 11? They are set to announce their new coach...

[PromoTheRobot]

1 hour ago, PASabreFan said:

Presser today at 11? Why am I not seeing any confirmation of it on sabres.com or their Twitter page?

J'accuse!

[PASabreFan]

1 minute ago, PromoTheRobot said:

J'accuse!

If it was any other poster, you'd agree it's weird. I've had The Instigators on, mostly on mute, and there also hasn't been anything on the screen indicating a presser. (Yes, I know it's happening.)

It's either being kept deliberately quiet, which makes no sense, really, or it's an indication of how much the Sabres take their fans for granted and have little interest in growing their fan base (or, you could argue, putting a decent team on the ice in the short term). Like, Sabres fans will find out... somehow. They've got MSG or WGR on 24/7.

[PromoTheRobot]

3 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

If it was any other poster, you'd agree it's weird. I've had The Instigators on, mostly on mute, and there also hasn't been anything on the screen indicating a presser. (Yes, I know it's happening.)

It's either being kept deliberately quiet, which makes no sense, really, or it's an indication of how much the Sabres take their fans for granted and have little interest in growing their fan base (or, you could argue, putting a decent team on the ice in the short term). Like, Sabres fans will find out... somehow. They've got MSG or WGR on 24/7.

Well there you go. You're not listening. I am. They mentioned it several times in the past hour and The morning show mentioned it in every sports cast. If they are trying to hide it they are doing a terrible job. 

You are entering tin foil hat territory, PA.

[Thorny]

On 6/29/2021 at 8:14 PM, PromoTheRobot said:

I bought into him, yeah. Former Sabre great. Looked like a decent resume. Didn't care for his politics. McDermott was impressive early on though the local media was having a good laugh at his process mantra back then. I like Donnie because of what he was able to do with a broken team. Grant it he didn't get to the cup finals which I'm guessing was @Thorny and @pi2000 benchmark.

You'll take your 9 wins and no playoffs for 10 years and be happy, dammit!

All I've done is express the opinion that Granato is a reasonable choice for a team looking to rebuild and take a step back. My thoughts on the choice of strategy have been made clear as well. The fact you take issue with the fact I think it should be pointed out that A) Granato's NHL sample size with the Sabres this year was Rolston-small and that B) his results were not exceptional is weird to me. 

We don't need to be confident he'll be a great NHL coach based on what we saw him commit to record with the Sabres - it doesn't garner that at a base level. He seemed to be ok - let's just see what happens. 

Most of it comes down to Kevyn Adams and his roster anyways. 

Edited July 1, 2021 by Thorny

[Thorny]

On 6/29/2021 at 10:47 PM, pi2000 said:

I hated the Housley hire from the get go.   Inexperience.

Granato has plenty of pro coaching experience which I'm going to try and remain optimistic about, but the results last season speak for themselves, nine wins in 28 games? Not exactly setting the world on fire.  Rolston was 15-16 in 31 games to end the season. 

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.

I agree. The entire flavor of the social media response is that we should be jumping for joy we hired this guy. He's got a funny nickname - that's really swell. It's like they functionally require the fans to celebrate the most mediocre accomplishments. 

[Thorny]

On 6/29/2021 at 11:02 PM, SwampD said:

I like listening to Granato talk about hockey, both the human side, and the Xs and Os side.

I don't think I have thought that about anyone since Ruff.

This is a great point - he's really nice to listen to , on the ears - that, more than anything I saw him accomplish behind the bench last season, actually gives me hope for him as coach. 

The difference between listening to him and Adams talk is a chasm. 

[Thorny]

On 6/30/2021 at 8:11 AM, 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.

[Doohickie]

40 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Most of it comes down to Kevyn Adams and his roster anyways. 

I'm kind of glad Donny Meatballs was announced prior to the big trades.  He won't be able to keep Jack or Reino or Risto if they're going out the door but hopefully he can influence the type of players coming back... as in, "Do you want Player A or Player B, Donny?"  Or if there is someone proposed that he knows he doesn't want to work with he can tell KA to get someone else instead.

(I trust Donny to know the current crop of prospects better than Krueger did.)

[Thorny]

1 minute ago, Doohickie said:

I'm kind of glad Donny Meatballs was announced prior to the big trades.  He won't be able to keep Jack or Reino or Risto if they're going out the door but hopefully he can influence the type of players coming back... as in, "Do you want Player A or Player B, Donny?"  Or if there is someone proposed that he knows he doesn't want to work with he can tell KA to get someone else instead.

Could be. They've already proved they'll funnel roster decisions through a coach, primarily. Have to say I'm a lot more comfortable with that being Granato than Krueger, and if it comes down to a difference of opinion between Granato and Adams, to me that also seems to be quite an easy choice. 

[Radar]

2 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

If it was any other poster, you'd agree it's weird. I've had The Instigators on, mostly on mute, and there also hasn't been anything on the screen indicating a presser. (Yes, I know it's happening.)

It's either being kept deliberately quiet, which makes no sense, really, or it's an indication of how much the Sabres take their fans for granted and have little interest in growing their fan base (or, you could argue, putting a decent team on the ice in the short term). Like, Sabres fans will find out... somehow. They've got MSG or WGR on 24/7.

It's true you're very predictable on criticising. It isn't any other poster and you had to have your head under a rock as it's been all over WGR and the Instigators. Seems you almost tried to find where it wasn't promoted so we'd endure another bashing of a team you're having a hard time convincing me to you're not  hoping they fail. Sorry but it's so old.

[PASabreFan]

2 hours ago, Radar said:

It's true you're very predictable on criticising. It isn't any other poster and you had to have your head under a rock as it's been all over WGR and the Instigators. Seems you almost tried to find where it wasn't promoted so we'd endure another bashing of a team you're having a hard time convincing me to you're not  hoping they fail. Sorry but it's so old.

***** right off.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Man, it's going to be a long and steamy summer.

[Radar]

1 hour ago, PASabreFan said:

***** right off.

Your purpose for being here is a personal agenda against the owners. Secondary to that is the Sabres. Check your own posts. And as to this response...... Rich and back at you. Ignore feature activated.