The Buffalo Sabres GM said he has a plan on the kind of coach he wants and if that plan moves quickly, the better it is.
Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams made it clear on Tuesday why he decided to fire head coach Don Granato.
“We just didn’t play well enough. Period,” Adams said. “We did not play well enough. From Day One of training camp, I don’t think we had our standard high enough. Our expectations inside the room need to be raised and there needs to be accountability across the board, and that starts with me. I take responsibility for this.”
The results of a disappointing season in which the Sabres finished with a 39-37-6 record, 84 points in the standings, and another season without a playoff appearance required action. That it’s been 13 years since the last playoff appearance only magnified this season’s short comings, but after the team came so close to the postseason a year ago, how things played out this season made it impossible to sit tight and hope for better things next season.
“I thought it was the right thing for us to take the next step,” Adams said. “I certainly wanted to give this every single opportunity to succeed and work and in many ways, as I mentioned, we took a lot of positive steps over the years, but there were times where we were creeping back in and we were just getting on the edge of the playoffs and getting back in that fight and we just weren’t able to win that next game or get ourselves to the next spot, but I wanted to give our team every chance to do that. That’s why, I think, in general, I’m patient. I go through my own process when evaluating, making decisions like this or any decision, really. I certainly wanted to make sure I did that, and here we are today.”
Here we are today. Again. For Adams it’s a not exactly a new experience. He was the GM who fired Ralph Krueger and hired Granato after he took over as the interim head coach. But that time around he opted to stick with the guy he knew as opposed to hiring from the outside. From what he said on Tuesday, that’s about to change. And there’s one thing that the next head coach will have above all else.
“Experience,” Adams said. “I want the next head coach to be someone that has experience and can push this group to the next level. And win hockey games. And I think that’s – I have it in my mind exactly what I’m looking for and that’ll be starting today.”
More ahead on the desire for experience, the road that lies ahead for familiar names, and the direction this really seems to be going in.
The content below was originally paywalled.
It’s certainly well beyond obvious that everyone in and around Buffalo feels like this is all headed towards Lindy Ruff becoming the Sabres head coach once again. It’s very difficult to ignore that possibility given his standing in the franchise, his record during his tenure here previously, and the fact that he interviewed for the position when it opened up in 2019 following the firing of Phil Housley.
Granted that interview happened with then GM Jason Botterill, Ruff’s record since he was fired by former GM Darcy Regier in February 2013 has been strong.
In four seasons with the Dallas Stars, he took them to the playoffs twice and compiled a 165-122-41 record. In three-and-a-half seasons with the New Jersey Devils, they went 128-125-28 and made the playoffs once, last season, in which the Devils were among the best teams in the NHL with a 52-22-8 record and 112 points, third most in the league. He was fired by the Devils 61 games into this season. When asked by Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic if Ruff is one of the candidates, Adams sternly replied.
“I’m not going to get in the names,” Adams said. “I think it’s a challenge to do that and unfair. I think what you need to know is that as I walk out of here, know I have a plan.”
So, what does that experienced coach need to do to help this “not young” (Adams’ words) Sabres team to take the next step? One of the critical points he made in discussing what happened with this year’s team was their inconsistency in competing. Does that inspiration to compete have to necessarily come from the head coach lighting a fire under the team or does that have to come from the players doing it themselves and having an ass-kicker in the room?
“You have to have that willingness to compete and then the skill comes out,” Adams said. “And I think sometimes this year, what I saw was, we’re going to show how skilled we are and that was the leap. And I just think we had it as sometimes out of order. Like let’s compete first and then let’s let your talents go from there. And so, the answer is it’s both. It’s the players making that choice and it’s the coach and the coaching staff, being on that every day, every single day. And knowing it’s a long season, and I understand sometimes you can really, really push guys and sometimes you have to pull back, but that’s what I’m talking about—an experienced coach in terms of what I’m looking for someone that has that. All the data is great. All the science is great. But sometimes you have to have that feel too and that’s something that I think is important.”
Which experienced available head coaches offer that sort of appeal? We know about Ruff, but does Craig Berube do that? What about Bruce Boudreau? Gerard Gallant? Is it someone like Scott Arniel who has only a little bit of head coaching experience but a ton as an assistant?
You could say Joel Quenneville does, but he hasn’t been cleared by the NHL to coach again and what team will want to face up to the landslide of issues surrounding potentially hiring him? I would imagine the Buffalo Sabres do not want to deal with that given their lot in hockey life right now.
There are loads of current NHL assistants with head coaching experience but wrestling with those teams who have them currently employed could potentially cut into the time frame Adams has in mind.
But what about an internal hire? We talked about Seth Appert earlier today and the case he presents, but it would seem that while they love the work he’s doing in Rochester, they’d rather not interfere with that at the moment.
“He’s done a phenomenal job (in Rochester). He’s got a bright future,” Adams said. “My biggest thing with Seth right now is I want him to be completely focused and locked in on Rochester. They have three games left here, which are critical games, and they have, I truly believe an opportunity to do something special in the playoffs with the talent they have on the roster. And I also know how much that’ll help our guys.
“But… big, big believer in Seth Appert.”
Our suggestion earlier today was for Appert to be in consideration for an assistant job with the Sabres. Given the state of the assistants right now with Marty Wolford, Matt Ellis, and Mike Bales still in place, it opens up at least one spot on the bench to go with the next head coach.
But Adams said their roles will be up to the next head coach which means guys on the bench could get moved to being coaches upstairs depending on the roles that coach wants them to play. It also means the next head coach will have almost a full replete of assistants waiting for them. If an experienced guy has people he wants to be with him in a new venture, there’s at least one spot ready for them.
It’s difficult to decipher if all of the signs pointing towards Lindy Ruff make the most sense or if it’s the biggest red herring you could pull out of the water. After all, the job just opened up and Adams joked he had his “do not disturb” turned on with his phone to keep from being inundated with calls about the position. It’s a desirable position. It’s arguably the most desirable job in the league given the talent load and any experienced coach looking to get in on something that could be very good should want it.
But it’s a position that comes immediately with a massive amount of pressure from the outside to succeed immediately and now that Adams has put this on himself to be better and to handle his position in a better way, there’s pressure that comes from up top as well. That also means he’s going to make sure to get the guy he wants and trusts the most. Considering he was an assistant coach for Ruff in his final year and a half coaching the Sabres… perhaps it’s a decision that’s already been made.