Lindy Ruff officially hired as Sabres HC

[Doohickie]

45 minutes ago, ... said:

That second pair needs a testosterone injection. The third pair won't make it 10 games without an injury that keeps one of them out (Muel) for 10 weeks. 

I fully expect Johnson to be a top sixer this season anyway.

26 minutes ago, triumph_communes said:

Lindy Ruff is the guy who made this happen.  Our team full of Nordic kids are in for trouble 

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/news/ville-leino-depicts-third-season-sabres-jail-clothing-design-185834130.html

Ville Leino made this happen.

[Doohickie]

6 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Jokiharju needs replaced and I'd look to upgrade Bryson. Johnson is a top 6 defender unless your team is run by idiots. 

"in whatever combination"... meaning, yeah, Johnson in the top six.  I think Bryson is fine as 7D.  He played well to close out the season.  Replace Joki with an upgrade?

But I don't see the D in general as seriously lacking.  I don't mind an upgrade but it's not the top priority.  Replacing Mitts is the top priority in my book, and getting a 4th line that other teams hate playing against.

Edited April 24 by Doohickie

[Doohickie]

The Hockey Guy's take (just click it, it's cued up to the right spot)

 

[...]

Essential listening. Two former Lindy players talk uncensored about what having Lindy back could mean.

 

[Gatorman0519]

An older and a bit toned down Lindy… but at least he’s a legit NHL level coach. 

[Pimlach]

5 hours ago, JohnC said:

As you point out, regardless who the coach is, the critical issue relates to the composition of the roster. That includes bringing in talent and better balancing the roster so it is not simply a collection of players but the proper construction of a team. It's about getting players slotted into the right roles. In my view, getting the right players to play in the lower lines is more important than addressing the top two lines. It is these lower lines that will determine whether the Sabres become a more rugged and difficult team to play. 

The Okposo and Olofsson spots will need to be filled. And most likely players such as Rousek, Jost, Robinson and maybe Girgs and Krebs spots will be open. That means that somewhere in the range of 4-6 positions will need to be addressed. These types of players are available at a reasonable price. It's a question of smartly using your assets to get the right type of support players on to your roster. I'm not looking for blockbuster Jack-like deals; I'm looking for judicious deals that makes this a more competitive team. 

They need a center to replace Mitts.  

After that, the the middle and  bottom 6 must be improved.   Lindy wants a face-off guy.  He wants someone to put out for key draws, especially in the defensive zone.  We also need one tough SOB that can also play hockey and will pound people if need be.  We have a middle weight in Clifton that handles some things.  Now gimme a heavy weight too.  It's not Greenway, Tuch, or anyone else.  

Then there is backup goalie.  Bring one in and let Levi start in the AHL?    If you can swing that insurance then why not.  

Edited April 24 by Pimlach

[PerreaultForever]

8 hours ago, Pimlach said:

Hmmmmmm. Ruff is not going win that much more than Granato did if they roll back the same roster.  Maybe enough to make a wild card, sure. 

Ruff talked about the little things, winning key face offs, protecting leads, winning puck battles, having leaders call out players, goaltending, building from the defense and out.   All great stuff.    They still need more players that have done that and will show the way.  
 

 

My favourite line from him was one I've said here many times "it's not just about goals". 

Lindy will tell them and show them all the little things they need to do to turn into winners. Whether or not they do it is another matter. 

This is why I also want Tuch as captain now more than  ever. He's going to  tell the rest of them to "listen to Lindy, he knows what he's talking about". 

[dudacek]

Comparing this year's 84-point roster to the one Lindy Ruff led to 89 points in his last full Sabres season:

 

• Thompson  Roy
• Mittelstadt Leino
• Cozens Adam
• Krebs Gaustad
• Jost Ellis

 

• Tuch Pominville
• Greenway Stafford
• Okposo Ennis
• Olofsson McCormick
• Quinn Kassian

 

• Skinner Vanek
• Peterka Boyes
• Benson Gerbe
• Girgensons Kaleta
• Robinson Tropp

 

• Dahlin Ehrhoff
• Power Myers
• Samuelsson Regehr
• Jokiharju Sekera
• Clifton Leopold
• E. Johnson Weber
• R. Johnson Gragnani
• Bryson McNabb

 

• Luukkonen Miller
• Levi Enroth
• Comrie McIntyre

 

[Demoted]

5 hours ago, ... said:

Essential listening. Two former Lindy players talk uncensored about what having Lindy back could mean.

 

I don't want to listen to some podcast just tell us what they said.

[Doohickie]

2 hours ago, Demoted said:

I don't want to listen to some podcast just tell us what they said.

Yep.  While their takes might be interesting I'm listening to those two buffoons for an hour.

[Doohickie]

6 hours ago, dudacek said:

Skinner Vanek

And interesting couplet.

Vanek had a reputation as a floater who would score goals.  So does Skinner.

As much as some want Skinner gone I just don't see it happening this year, and depending on what he does under Lindy he may be able to play out the contract as a contributor.  No matter who the new coach was going to be I think one challenge the incoming coach would have is how to handle Skinner and get the most out of him.

[PASabreFan]

Ruff talked a fair bit about skills sets and knowing your role. Contributing in your way to team success. I don't think that goes hand in hand with turning Skinner into a Selke candidate.

[Weave]

10 hours ago, triumph_communes said:

Lindy Ruff is the guy who made this happen.  Our team full of Nordic kids are in for trouble 

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/news/ville-leino-depicts-third-season-sabres-jail-clothing-design-185834130.html

I laughed

[Archie Lee]

3 hours ago, Demoted said:

I don't want to listen to some podcast just tell us what they said.

It can be hard to get a clear sense of their views. My summary, from the pod after Granato was fired AND the pod after Ruff was hired, is:

- Peter’s was convinced it would be Ruff from the moment Granato was fired. Though part of the reason he thought this was what I think is a complete misunderstanding on his part of how coach contracts work in the NHL. He has a complicated history with Ruff, but respects him and thinks he will do a good job

- Rivet did not think it would be Ruff and is a bit disappointed that there was not an actual search. He does think that Ruff will do a good job, but I sense he would have preferred someone else. 

- The most damning thing was Peters’ reference to the opinion of alumni. He indicated his texts blew up with the news with lots of former teammates texting including some he forgot had his number. He did not give names but referenced a few texts. The theme was that former players see this as the Sabres playing it safe, living in the past and generally continuing to not function like a normal NHL team. 
 

Again, this is my take on their comments. 

[Doohickie]

15 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

The theme was that former players see this as the Sabres playing it safe, living in the past and generally continuing to not function like a normal NHL team. 

So... pretty much the same as the overall Sabrespace take.

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, PASabreFan said:

Ruff talked a fair bit about skills sets and knowing your role. Contributing in your way to team success. I don't think that goes hand in hand with turning Skinner into a Selke candidate.

I think this is a good point. I doubt he goes all Krueger on him.

i think it was Friedman who said Lindy has 3 rules he leans hard into in terms of discipline: be a “good person”; be on time; and the discussion and variation happens before the team locks into a course of action, once it’s decided, you do it.

Its the application of the latter where Lindy and Skinner may clash, the consistency. I think he’ll ask Jeff to play a game Jeff can succeed at. Where they’ll clash is those times when Jeff freelances.

In my view, Granato coached Skinner to his best season ever last year because he succeeded with the above strategy.

Edited April 24 by dudacek

[SwampD]

14 hours ago, Thorny said:

Hope you are correct. One of the best things I inferred (perhaps incorrectly) from yesterday, truth be told, was that there was going to be literally no hedging on the standard this year, sort of an all-in agreement that playoffs are the only marker and indeed what job retention would be based on

This should only be the case if the phantom internal cap is lifted. Which, we all have to pray, is.

[Archie Lee]

27 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I think this is a good point. I doubt he goes all Krueger on him.

i think it was Friedman who said Lindy has 3 rules he leans hard into in terms of discipline: be a “good person”; be on time; and the discussion and variation happens before the team locks into a course of action, once it’s decided, you do it.

Its the application of the latter where Lindy and Skinner may clash, the consistency. I think he’ll ask Jeff to play a game Jeff can succeed at. Where they’ll clash is those times when Jeff freelances.

In my view, Granato coached Skinner to his best season ever last year because he succeeded with the above strategy.

Well put. While I do think it is time to discuss a Skinner buyout, I also recognize that Ruff had Afinogenov for 9 years. He can manage Skinner for 2-3  I think. 

[Thorny]

5 minutes ago, SwampD said:

This should only be the case if the phantom internal cap is lifted. Which, we all have to pray, is.

No it’s the expectation regardless 

[...]

47 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

A. - Peter’s was convinced it would be Ruff from the moment Granato was fired. Though part of the reason he thought this was what I think is a complete misunderstanding on his part of how coach contracts work in the NHL. He has a complicated history with Ruff, but respects him and thinks he will do a good job

B - Rivet did not think it would be Ruff and is a bit disappointed that there was not an actual search. He does think that Ruff will do a good job, but I sense he would have preferred someone else. 

C - The most damning thing was Peters’ reference to the opinion of alumni. He indicated his texts blew up with the news with lots of former teammates texting including some he forgot had his number. He did not give names but referenced a few texts. The theme was that former players see this as the Sabres playing it safe, living in the past and generally continuing to not function like a normal NHL team. 
 

A. Mostly accurate. However, Peters understanding of coaches contracts or lack thereof really has little to do with the content of the past two episodes on coaches and, specifically, Lindy.

B. Accurate.

C. The texts from the players is a small part of the last show and there is no way I would characterize the little that Peters shared of those texts as the "theme" suggested here. If memory serves "playing it safe", "living in the past", and "generally continuing to not function like a normal NHL team" aren't even paraphrases of the content.

Maybe I heard it all wrong, though.

[Doohickie]

45 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Where they’ll clash is those times when Jeff freelances.

Part of any high-performing offensive player is creativity.  Doing the unexpected gives an offensive player an advantage.  I think Skinner's version of creativity is off the map compared to what other players do.  For a period during the 2022-23 season, Skinner's linemates were in sync with his style and the Tuch - Tommer (/Mitts) - Skinner line was wildly successful at scoring goals.

So we know Skinner can be part of something like that.  But his linemates need to have some idea what he's going to do, and he needs to support what his linemates are doing, for the line to excel.  It's that latter part that Skinner struggles with (and part of that is team defense).

Edited April 24 by Doohickie

[bunomatic]

12 hours ago, Flashsabre said:

 

I can picture Friedmans heavy lower lip as I read that statement about Adams not contacting anyone. He does tend to throw things out there when he has nothing. Maybe he can do the work and ask his contacts in the coaching world who are currently without jobs if they were contacted.

[thewookie1]

13 hours ago, Flashsabre said:

 

Frankly this seems nothing short of petty by Friedman. 

Its far too absolute to be true and I highly doubt Adams was outright lying when he said he spoke with double digits of candidates. Its far more believable to say Adams is stretching the truth or using a technicality than it is for him to blatantly lie to the press and fans while doing little to nothing for the past week.

Plus we know for a fact Friedman holds a grudge against Adams and the Sabres due to our rather tight lipped front office and the whole Eichel situation in which Friedman carried Eichel's agents viewpoint at every turn.

[Doohickie]

If Kevyn decided to replace Donny, say, as a result of how he handled the player revolt against the fans, he had a month or so to talk to coaches that were unemployed.  I would imagine that in those discussions he stressed that any conversations had to be kept confidential; you don't talk about replacing a coach before that coach is fired.  Granted, leaks happen, but just because Gallant, Berube, Boudreau, etc., kept their mouths shut doesn't mean they weren't interviewed.

[LGR4GM]

17 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

If Kevyn decided to replace Donny, say, as a result of how he handled the player revolt against the fans, he had a month or so to talk to coaches that were unemployed.  I would imagine that in those discussions he stressed that any conversations had to be kept confidential; you don't talk about replacing a coach before that coach is fired.  Granted, leaks happen, but just because Gallant, Berube, Boudreau, etc., kept their mouths shut doesn't mean they weren't interviewed.

I don't think all of them were truly interviewed. They wanted Ruff and got Ruff.