Harrington tweet indicates DG will be back next year with a new assistant staff

[SwampD]

38 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

It's been awhile since I saw a DG "presser." Reading his quotes, he doesn't sound coherent. If he can't communicate with the fans...

I kinda want him to get fired for his sake. The Sabres aren’t healthy for anyone, let alone for someone with pre-existing conditions.

[PASabreFan]

9 minutes ago, SwampD said:

I kinda want him to get fired for his sake. The Sabres aren’t healthy for anyone, let alone for someone with pre-existing conditions.

Unsure about laugh reaction.

[That Aud Smell]

1 hour ago, nfreeman said:

I totally agree, and this is a roster construction flaw that KA is accountable for.

Agreed. I've posted here about the Sabres having too much of the same kind(s) of guy(s). "Good vibes only."

GM KA has assembled talent. He has not built a team.

[Thorny]

I don’t think Harrington actually knows. My reading was that he’s assuming the assistants would be gone, under the situation where Granato was back.

Then again, he’s been firm on the idea Terry won’t pay another coach.

I think it’s pretty clear objectively that Granato needs to be replaced going in to next season, just looking at the results with an unbiased eye and the way this team consistently struggles to get off to good starts

Maybe it works out fine, maybe we win the cup next year, but I think it’s pretty quickly becoming apparent that the “Economic, efficient” Terry-doesn’t-wanna-spend-money-here things represents a solid Occam’s razor should Granato be back next year.

Adams is the guy who said he could do it for less, when Botterill wouldn’t trim down, right? We should probably just listen to what they say.

Winning would be nice, but the focus is being economic - that’s the primary quest of the team

I keep saying that as fans our kin is other fans, the current employees that wear the colors are just that: our aims don’t even truly align 

Edited February 12 by Thorny

[Thorny]

18 hours ago, Taro T said:

Yes.

But am still very disappointed that when Bob Woods became available that they didn't make a play for him immediately.  If the Pegulas or management really love them some Matt Ellis he could've been reassigned to the Amerks, development, or something in the HSBC Center.  

Personally, do expect major changes at the assistant level this season and if that and other moves this off-season don't right the ship, expect Granato gone at the end of that season.  But doubt that Adams is out the door unless they fail an additional season.

Really like Granato as a person.  But am at the point where it'd be fine to punt Donnie this off-season as well.  How friggin' cool would it be if Brind'Amour actually decided to leave Carolina?  (Yeah, that ain't happening.  But it sure would be sweet.)

Honestly, if you gave me 6 years to make the playoffs, I could be GM. That’s too long of a timeline for Adams 

There’s no argument to bring him back if you miss the playoffs your first 5 years 

[Warriorspikes51]

Any other franchise in the league would have changed coaches a month ago 

[Thorny]

1 hour ago, PASabreFan said:

It's been awhile since I saw a DG "presser." Reading his quotes, he doesn't sound coherent. If he can't communicate with the fans...

That’s what I mean he sounds totally lost. That’s sort of my defining factor for why I’m saying he should go now after being reluctant to say it definitively until now: even HE doesn’t think he has any answers 

3 minutes ago, Warriorspikes51 said:

Any other franchise in the league would have changed coaches a month ago 

Many franchises would have already* changed GMs

(*im speaking from the perspective/under the assumption that we miss the playoffs this year - many GMs wouldn’t get a 5th year with this sort of poor league-relative performance

Edited February 12 by Thorny

[That Aud Smell]

12 minutes ago, Thorny said:

I think it’s pretty quickly becoming apparent that the “Economic, efficient” Terry-doesn’t-wanna-spend-money-here things represents a solid Occam’s razor should Granato be back next year.

Adams is the guy who said he could do it for less, when Botterill wouldn’t trim down, right? We should probably just listen to what they say.

Winning would be nice, but the focus is being economic - that’s the primary quest of the team

Hmm. Interesting. I'd lost sight of that dynamic surrounding the hiring of GM KA.

[Thorny]

6 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

Hmm. Interesting. I'd lost sight of that dynamic surrounding the hiring of GM KA.

Someone like Brawndo can correct me if I am wrong, but I think it’s an actual established fact that Botterill would have kept his job had he been willing to cut staff.

It’s basically saying the quiet part out loud: it struck me at the time and I said as much. Botterill wasn’t being fired for performance. Performance wasn’t a sticking point to Terry. The money was.

This is pretty compelling to me. People will refer to context, to the Covid situation perhaps, but it doesn’t appear the mode of operation has changed, since. Until otherwise, it would be tough to form a cohesive argument, imo, for why winning is as important to this is franchise as its performance in a business sense, up to and including cost of payroll 

I could be wrong; I just don’t think so. I think that’s what we are seeing 

Edited February 12 by Thorny

[That Aud Smell]

11 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Someone like Brawndo can correct me if I am wrong, but I think it’s an actual established fact that Botterill would have kept his job had he been willing to cut staff.

It’s basically saying the quiet part out loud: it struck me at the time and I said as much. Botterill wasn’t being fired for performance. Performance wasn’t a sticking point to Terry. The money was.

This squares with my memory. I recall the discussion here about how the scouting department was being gutted, whether the Sabres were going to the "video scouting" model, the role that analytics would play in creating player evaluation efficiencies (Karmanos? (sp?)), and so on.

This would also square with Adams' having assembled talent but not built a team.

[Thorny]

12 minutes ago, That Aud Smell said:

This squares with my memory. I recall the discussion here about how the scouting department was being gutted, whether the Sabres were going to the "video scouting" model, the role that analytics would play in creating player evaluation efficiencies (Karmanos? (sp?)), and so on.

This would also square with Adams' having assembled talent but not built a team.

And we’ve upped the scouting since: which I think represents the “regression to the mean” from Covid: but much of the spending practices appear to have remained the same 

Edited February 12 by Thorny

[SwampD]

1 hour ago, SwampD said:

I kinda want him to get fired for his sake. The Sabres aren’t healthy for anyone, let alone for someone with pre-existing conditions.

It's okay. You can laugh. I include me in that "someone with pre-existing conditions" and I think it's funny.

Edited February 12 by SwampD
Wrong part in quotes.

[Marvin]

The worst part is that the Sabres allegedly have a reputation around the league of firing guys too fast.

Let us look at us logically.

First, the positive.  Miraculously, just before the All Star Break, the Sabres were 16th in regulation wins.  Also, just before the break, the Sabres were NHL .500 against the top 12 teams by points in the league and can strangle the best offences in the league. The Sabres are apparently positive on 5-on-5 goal differential.  Ukko Pekka-Lukkonen is in the top 25% of goalies in save percentage.  These look like the statistics of a team who should be in the conversation for a playoff spot.

Now, the negative.  They are inexplicably horrible at home for the 2nd straight season.  They are awful in the first period.  The power play is execrable.  Defencive awareness, let alone coverage, is spotty at best.  Face-offs are at best a problem.  They are dead last in forcing OT when behind by 1.  Back-up goaltending has been spotty.  The team looks unsure of what to do when they have the puck.  They often look like a team that is plunging in the standings.

What do the above tell you about the coaches?  One thing it tells me is that the fundamental structure of Donnie's system is solid, but the players have not internalised their roles and responsibilities within the system.  There is something fundamentally wrong with mental game-day preparation.  Not only do the players and prospects seem to have the same strengths, but they also appear to have the same weaknesses.

[PASabreFan]

4 minutes ago, Marvin said:

The worst part is that the Sabres allegedly have a reputation around the league of firing guys too fast.

Let us look at us logically.

First, the positive.  Miraculously, just before the All Star Break, the Sabres were 16th in regulation wins.  Also, just before the break, the Sabres were NHL .500 against the top 12 teams by points in the league and can strangle the best offences in the league. The Sabres are apparently positive on 5-on-5 goal differential.  Ukko Pekka-Lukkonen is in the top 25% of goalies in save percentage.  These look like the statistics of a team who should be in the conversation for a playoff spot.

Now, the negative.  They are inexplicably horrible at home for the 2nd straight season.  They are awful in the first period.  The power play is execrable.  Defencive awareness, let alone coverage, is spotty at best.  Face-offs are at best a problem.  They are dead last in forcing OT when behind by 1.  Back-up goaltending has been spotty.  The team looks unsure of what to do when they have the puck.  They often look like a team that is plunging in the standings.

What do the above tell you about the coaches?  One thing it tells me is that the fundamental structure of Donnie's system is solid, but the players have not internalised their roles and responsibilities within the system.  There is something fundamentally wrong with mental game-day preparation.  Not only do the players and prospects seem to have the same strengths, but they also appear to have the same weaknesses.

You are a brilliant man.

[PASabreFan]

57 minutes ago, Thorny said:

I don’t think Harrington actually knows. My reading was that he’s assuming the assistants would be gone, under the situation where Granato was back.

Then again, he’s been firm on the idea Terry won’t pay another coach.

I think it’s pretty clear objectively that Granato needs to be replaced going in to next season, just looking at the results with an unbiased eye and the way this team consistently struggles to get off to good starts

Maybe it works out fine, maybe we win the cup next year, but I think it’s pretty quickly becoming apparent that the “Economic, efficient” Terry-doesn’t-wanna-spend-money-here things represents a solid Occam’s razor should Granato be back next year.

Adams is the guy who said he could do it for less, when Botterill wouldn’t trim down, right? We should probably just listen to what they say.

Winning would be nice, but the focus is being economic - that’s the primary quest of the team

I keep saying that as fans our kin is other fans, the current employees that wear the colors are just that: our aims don’t even truly align 

Thank you for that. And for the opening to say something that's been on my mind: I think the aim of any player drafted by the Sabres is to use the opportunity to develop one's game in a pressure free environment, then either cash in in Buffalo and enjoy the good hockey life or force one's way out or find one's way out to play for a real team and maybe win something, if that fire burns in one's belly. Either way the Sabres are happy to oblige.

So you are absolutely right Thorny. The fans are the only ones feeling screwed here.

Edited February 12 by PASabreFan

[Marvin]

10 minutes ago, PASabreFan said:

You are a brilliant man.

Thank you very much, kind sir.  That is very flattering and you rarely say things like this.  I am touched.

[PASabreFan]

1 hour ago, Marvin said:

Thank you very much, kind sir.  That is very flattering and you rarely say things like this.  I am touched.

You had me at execrable.

[Buffalonill]

Everyone should be fired after this year.

Granato can Go back to the united states Program or whatever

 

[PromoTheRobot]

On 2/11/2024 at 3:22 PM, nfreeman said:

Gee, I wonder how this is going to work out?
 

 

That's just an educated guess, but likely.

[FrenchConnection44]

If Granato is back the franchise is doomed. 

 Sabres are poorly coached, poorly motivated, and with no real system. We need a legit NHL level coach whom the players will respect. And strong player development. Skating is slow. Play strength is weak.
 

Do they have a weight room? 

The Sabres players need a legit offseason program / plan for each with serious expectations to add strength, size & speed. Don’t show up unless you’ve done that. For example, Power should get to 225 next year (without increasing his body fat), eventually 230. He should be stronger, a better skater, and faster. Hire some really good skating teachers for the off season. 

They must get a strong NHL coach who holds them accountable & has a legit system. Get serious about internal player development, expectations, & accountability. If not met, bench ‘em. I don’t care who it is. Use this next year with a new, veteran coach to rough these guys up. This is the NHL, not junior hockey!  

They also need a captain who is one of the best players in the team & the hardest working. 

There is talent, but these guys need a coach and program that busts their butts. 
 

Id rather see a Vince Lombardi cutout behind the bench than Granato. lol. 

[sabremike]

How I feel about this pile of horse ***** organization right now:

 

[SwampD]

3 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

You had me at execrable.

Me, too!!!

[Crusader1969]

On 2/11/2024 at 4:44 PM, Weave said:

I am OK with this on one condition, KAs and DGs career depend on it working out.

If it fails, bloodbath in the front office.

Yes.  One last chance.  But they need to hire assistants who have experience. ....lots of experience.   
honest question, could they hire Peca away from Rangers if they place assistant head coach on him? 

[Weave]

41 minutes ago, Crusader1969 said:

Yes.  One last chance.  But they need to hire assistants who have experience. ....lots of experience.   
honest question, could they hire Peca away from Rangers if they place assistant head coach on him? 

So much for your lots of experience requirement, eh?

[Carmel Corn]

54 minutes ago, Crusader1969 said:

Yes.  One last chance.  But they need to hire assistants who have experience. ....lots of experience.   
honest question, could they hire Peca away from Rangers if they place assistant head coach on him? 

No chance they'll succeed if they bring him back.  The players need to hear a completely different voice....and I don't mean one that says similar things as DG or Krueger.  They need somebody who has a pulse who keeps it simple....not the word salads we have heard the past 3 or 4 seasons.   Every single coach including DG should be replaced.