BillsFan4

I do agree about not hiring someone out of fear of losing out. But sometimes you need to act quick when there’s proven coaches available. If we miss out on AV too, then I agree there’s no longer any rush. I really don’t want another assstant coach though. Not right now anyway... Washington was in a much different position than us, with a veteran team coming off a Cup win. I still think they were nuts for letting Trotz go. But a BIG reason they were willing to let Trotz walk is because their owner is cheap and wasn’t willing to pay Trotz what he deserved. They were only willing to give him something like a $500k raise and he was already making a low salary (MILLIONS less than the top coaches). They also felt very very strongly about Todd rierden. They were blocking him from interviewing for years. He was an in-house candidate the team knew very well. Detroit has yet to recover since Babcock left. Their fans hate Blashill. They’ve finished near the bottom of the NHL basically every year since he was hired. But again, he was another in house candidate that has been groomed by the team for many years. They even brought him up to learn from Babcock before sending him to coach in the AHL. They were here very sad to see Babcock leave, btw. Ken Holland tried everything he could to get Baba to stay. I followed that whole story very closely. I also disagree about Q, McLellan and Alain Vigneault being just some crappy veteran retreads. All 3 are distinguished veteran NHL coaches with proven track records of success. Q had 3 Cups. 2 of AV’s 3 teams have made the Cup finals and they’ve won 2 presidents trophies. Hisnteams have made the playoffs 9 of the last 10 years. McLellan is the least distinguished of the 3 (which is why he was my 3rd choice behind Q and AV) but he still has a proven track record of success. His San Jose teams made the playoffs every year. Had 3 division wins in 6 years. Made the conference finals twice. Took a historically inept Edmonton franchise to a game away from the conference finals in his 2nd year there. As ive said before, I feel that the Buffalo job is quite clearly a heavy lift. I really think we need someone who’s been there and done it before. Not another first time trying to learn on the job. This job has overwhelmed every coach to take it so far. I want someone who’s shown that they can take over a team and improve it. Someone with a track record that will give him instant respect in the Sabres locker room. The Sabres job is a different situation than most jobs out there. We have a team that has been proven to be difficult to coach. They go off script a LOT and throw the coaches game plan right out the window. We don’t have that experienced veteran leadership group to keep all the kids in line. Thats is a big reason why I think we need a proven veteran coach. Someone that’s a leader and will command the respect of that locker room and change this losing culture, similar to what Babcock did in Toronto or Trotz did with the NYI. Or AV IN Vancouver or NYC i think we need someone with some real credibility, that can actually get these p,Ayers to fully buy in to what they’re doing, and keep that belief if/when times get tough. Still have some hope that we can land AV... though I haven’t heard anything about a possible interview or him being interested. I worry that he’s not (interested) I’m not so sure how attractive a franchise we are right now, to be perfectly honest, and you know I’m normally a pretty positive guy. We’ve fired 5 coaches and 3 GMs just since 2013 (about every 2-3 years). Our current GM is in year 3 and already on his 2nd coach. 3 last place finishes in the past 5 years. Havent finished better than 8th last since 2012. We have multiple ex-players recently talking about how depressing and soul crushing it was to play in Buffalo. Having said all that, I will find reasons to get excited about anyone we hire. I always do. I am a “look on the bright side”type of guy. I will get on board with whoever we hire. Sometimes I just need to vent is all.

If true, now what? Really, the only veteran left is AV (who I’d be happy with, but I have a feeling he’s not interested. Or at least that my worry...). Gonna suck to hire another rookie, or some crappy 3rd-4th choice veteran coach. Buffalo probably isn’t the most desirable team at the moment, though. Edit - sounds like this is true. They are saying it was announced on TSN radio.

Crazy that this was leaked. The tweet was from just under 30 mins before it was broadcast. Someone is getting fired! lol

Wow. I didn’t know that. I still feel lucky lucky that we won the Dahlin lottery. I would 100% take the win last year vs. this year. Dahlin would easily be the consensus #1 pick in every draft ranking again this year.

I remember that from the McDavid year. Everyone was pissed at Edmonton, myself included (I still am! lol) but it was actually Toronto that was next closest to winning him. They were only 1 number away from McDavid. Buffalo still was 2 numbers away when Edmonton won. I was absolutely livid he went to Edmonton. I can’t even imagine my outrage has Toronto won.

How do you figure? It doesn’t work like that. Like I said, each team is assigned number combinations. They are not determined by draft spot. Only the amount of # combinations is. The actual number combinations are determined randomly. So each time they are assigned, teams would get a different set of numbers. If we had finished at #3, the number combinations we got would have almost definitely been different than the number combinations NJ got. We don’t automatically end up with the winning numbers...

I was hoping to stay at 5, or ideally move up to #2 (I really wanted Kakko) but I’m happy at #7. The only thing I didn’t want to happen is to get pushed to #8 (and even then, chances were that one of the top 7 would fall to #8). There are 3 tiers in this draft - #1 and #2 are tier 1 #3 - #7 is tier 2 #8 - #9 is tier 3 So we stayed in that 2nd tier where there are some really, really good players with top 6/top 3 potential.

I used to think that too, but it’s not really true. Each team is assigned a certain amount of 4 number combinations. Had we finished with the top 3 lottery odds, we would have had more number combinations assigned to us but that doesn’t mean we would’ve automatically had the winning set of numbers. That number combination could have still very easily went to New Jersey.

The draft lottery is tonight. It came fast this year! NBC sports is having a 1 hour special starting at 8pm. Last year they did the lottery during a game and dragged it out. They did picks 15-3 in the 1st intermission and then picks 3-1 in the 2nd or 3rd intermission. So there was quite a wait to find out where the Sabres drafted. So at first I was excited hearing that it was tonight, since there’s no games being played. I was thinking maybe it’d just be a quick 15min thing. But of course not... With it being a 1 hour draft special, we pretty much know for sure it’ll be dragged out again. But i’ll gladly take the suspense of waiting until the end of the show to see where the Sabres draft because that would mean we got a top 3 pick! Fingers crossed. Not that I’m all that superstitious, but everyone do whatever they did last year leading up to the draft! lol

I watched the Joel Quenneville press conference yesterday and he swore up and down numerous times that he thinks Florida is a cup contender. He said that it reminds him of the 2008 Blackhawks team he took over. He said there are are a lot of parallels and he thinks this team is poised to win now. He also said that he 100% meant it when he said he would just stay retired and wouldn’t take a job if he didn’t see a path to the Cup and he sees that in Florida. So whether it’s true or not, Quenneville 100% believes it is. Florida is actually a very talented team. The last time they had a good coach (gallant) they were 1st in the Atlantic with 105+ pts.

I feel like, for the most part, he has been proven right in not playing the kids he didn’t play. Most of them still haven’t done anything. Who didn’t he play that has proven to be good? Who’s really blossomed away from AV? The only one I can really think of is Jimmy Vesey. But it’s not like he is noticeably better. He is getting about 2 mins more ice time and producing almost exactly the same as under AV. All his underlying numbers are about the same. His o zone and d zone starts are about the same. It’s hard to say he’s really doing any better. I dont follow the rangers all that closely, so maybe I am forgetting someone? Honestly, I don’t really pay too much attention to fans complaining about a coach playing a veteran over a kid. You go on any teams message board or talk to any fan of another team and by far the most common complaint is that the coach favors some veteran they hate. And 2nd is probably line combinations and in game adjustments. you have to remember, any veteran coach that is available is going to have some knock against him. There is a reason he was fired. There is no perfect coach. The Sabres aren’t looking for a coach to put them over the final hump and get them to a Cup. They are looking for someone that can take them back to respectability and get them consistently competing for a playoff spot. AV’s teams have made the playoffs in 9 of his last 10 seasons and he took 2 separate teams to the Stanley Cup finals in the past 8 years. He has been considered among the better coaches in the NHL for damn near a decade. We would be lucky to have him. I havent really heard anything about the Sabres interviewing him though, and I read/heard somewhere that he may be looking for a team that’s somewhat close to Cup contention. So if that’s the case I don’t see him even having interest in Buffalo anyway.

I definitely still think LA is in the mix. I just meant take it with a grain of salt that McLellan will pick LA over Buffalo, since he’s a beat reporter for LA. It didn’t seem like he was basing it on anything other than thinking LA was the better destination. Id be happy with Vigneault though. I’d actually somewhat prefer him, though I do think McLellan could be a good fit.

interesring interview with dahlin. It’s in Swedish but subtitles are available if you click on the video options/settings and enable cc.

To be fair, this guy’s an LA kings writer, so I take it with a grain of salt.

That makes a lot more sense. I was very surprised to read that the Bills were interested. Doesn’t seem worth the headache.

Id be ok with him. He’s not my first choice but he checks a lot of the boxes I’d be looking for. He’s won a Cup (as an assistant), worked/learned under an excellent coach in Babcock, has over 800 NHL games coached and has proven that he can be a successful coach in the NHL. He was an excellent coach when he was with the Sharks. He has a winning record every year he was there and made the playoffs 6 out of 7 seasons. They were an offensive powerhouse almost every season under McLellan. They won a presidents trophy as the NHL’s best team and routinely finished with 100+ points. He was my 2nd choice in 2015 when the Sabres went after Babcock. But Edmonton snatched him up very quickly, before Babcock had even started interviewing.

Yeah me either. As I said, there are still 7 head coaching vacancies (including the Sabres). I think we are higher on the list than Ottawa, but other than that I’m not sure. The Sabres have fired a lot of head coaches in recent years and haven’t f8nished better than 8th last since 2012. They have to get this hire right though.

From yesterday - I also read that they were in on Q. But he already had a good relationship with Dale Tallon. Tallon was the one who hired him in Chicago. Twice (once as a scout right after he was fired in Colorado, and then again as a head coach). Philly was in on him too and missed out. Theres a lot of coaching vacancies and there are better teams than buffalo looking for a coach. Unfortunately, I am not sure how high on any list we are right now. I guess we will find out soon.

juat listening to the Risto locker clean out interview now and I haven’t heard anything even close to the stuff ROR said last year. Risto gave no reason to overreact and ship him out. So there is no excuse for Botterill to screw a Risto trade up. The ONLY way I trade him is if some teams offers us a Taylor Hall type 1 for 1 trade (like Edmonton offered for Risto a few years back). I am legitimately worried that Botterill will make Risto a scapegoat. player exit interviews ongoing

The Atlantic division is gozing to be absolutely brutal for a while, I think. We already have Tampa (who just tied a record (with the dynasty redwings) for best regular season Ever, in NHL history), Boston, Toronto. Montreal has a top tier coach in Claude Julien and are taking steps forward. Now Florida has Q. They have talent, and just a few seasons ago (when they still had a top tier coach (Gallant)) they finished at/near the top of the division. I fully expect them to become a very good team again. Word is they want both Bobrovsky and Panarin too (and Panarin supposedly loves playing for Q and was already interested in a Florida before he signed, so...). Edit -forgot to mention the rumors of Steve Yzerman heading to Detroit this offseason... if it happens, I fully expect him to turn Detroit around. Word is that as of yesterday, LA was already in contract talks with Todd McLellan. Teams are moving fast on these good veteran coaches, and there’s what, 8 coaching vacancies? Whatever happens, Buffalo absolutely has to get this hire right if we want any chance at competing in our division, let alone playoffs.

well, we can officially forget about Q

not sure how much stock I put into Jeremy White’s super secret source. But I figured I’d share anyway. Some people seem to believe he does indeed have a Sabres source

I’m starting to like the idea of a possible Alain Vigneault hire, if Q to Florida really does happen as soon as tomorrow. AV has coached over 1,200 NHL games. He has the experience. He’s been there and done it before - taken over crappy teams and made them better. This wouldn’t (or shouldn’t, in theory) be an overwhelming task for him. He’s won the Jack Adams (as NHL’s best head coach) at least once and been nominated for it at least 3x. His teams have won a number of presidents trophies as the NHL’s best team (Vancouver won it back to back when he was their HC). He was great in Vancouver and left as the franchises winningest head coach. The Sedin’s developed into super stars under him. The first 4yrs of their career they were 30-50pt 2nd liner types, until AV took over. Ryan Kesler went from an ok 3rd line C to an elite #2C under AV. He got an ok NYR team to within a game of a Stanley Cup. That team was good, but not elite by ay means. He has shown the ability to adapt his system to the team he has. He’s had teams that were very defense 1st and he’s has teams that led the league in offense. He is also said to be a commanding presnce in the locker room and a leader.

I honestly think that until that crazy March collapse, botterill planned on keeping Housley. I’m sure you remember that interview at the end of February/beginning of March. Plus every insider (Friedman, McKenzie, LeBrun, Dreger etc) was saying Housley was safe.