Doc Brown Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 5 minutes ago, Buffalo Barbarian said: Surprised more people aren't talking about this. Fans must really be done with this team. The ten game winning streak where we looked like playoff locks followed by an awful second half of the season will do that to you. Plus, can you blame people for being tired of "rebuilding" for the last six seasons? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Barbarian Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 Just now, Doc Brown said: The ten game winning streak where we looked like playoff locks followed by an awful second half of the season will do that to you. Plus, can you blame people for being tired of "rebuilding" for the last six seasons? i hear ya frustrating as hell. We better never tank again as it destroys the team and takes years to recover and it shows that we haven't. im not a huge hockey fan but im still interested in big moves like this. I dont know the X&Os of hockey but im tired of the same old BS. We should really give Gronborg a shot. He has coached and won big over there, how much different can it be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Brown Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 9 minutes ago, Buffalo Barbarian said: i hear ya frustrating as hell. We better never tank again as it destroys the team and takes years to recover and it shows that we haven't. im not a huge hockey fan but im still interested in big moves like this. I dont know the X&Os of hockey but im tired of the same old BS. We should really give Gronborg a shot. He has coached and won big over there, how much different can it be. It would be a bold move given he has no NHL experience. The ideal scenario would be for Gronborg to work as an assistant coach for an NHL team to acclimate himself into the NHL. However, if Pegula/Botteril is willing to stick his neck out and bank on his ability to develop young talent I'd be all for it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Barbarian Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 3 minutes ago, Doc Brown said: It would be a bold move given he has no NHL experience. The ideal scenario would be for Gronborg to work as an assistant coach for an NHL team to acclimate himself into the NHL. However, if Pegula/Botteril is willing to stick his neck out and bank on his ability to develop young talent I'd be all for it. I think he should come straight in , dont want him tainted by NHL coaching. If hes so innovative, lets see what you got. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Brown Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 8 minutes ago, Buffalo Barbarian said: I think he should come straight in , dont want him tainted by NHL coaching. If hes so innovative, lets see what you got. I'd at least give him an interview. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Barbarian Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 37 minutes ago, Doc Brown said: I'd at least give him an interview. absolutely. hasnt he had some offers to come over here in some capacity? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 (edited) 10 hours ago, JohnC said: . I'm not making any prediction That's good cause you are usually wrong? I kid i kid!!! Could have saved a year if they listened to me a fired after opening night agisnt the Bruins. 3 hours ago, Buffalo Barbarian said: i hear ya frustrating as hell. We better never tank again as it destroys the team and takes years to recover and it shows that we haven't. i 1 tanking works great if you execute after the tank, the Sabres have not. Chicago, Pittsburgh, The Caps, The Astros..they all would tank again in a heartbeat Edited April 9, 2019 by plenzmd1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 1 hour ago, plenzmd1 said: That's good cause you are usually wrong? I kid i kid!!! Could have saved a year if they listened to me a fired after opening night agisnt the Bruin There are plenty of credible experienced coaches floating around that the Sabres can choose from. That's not what I'm concerned about. The onus is on the GM to bring in talent to make this a more complete team. In my mind unless a credible second line is constructed and more scoring comes from the lower lines this team will continue to falter. We have emerging young talent in Mitts, Tage and Olofsson. Mitts and Tage were in elevated rolls that they were not ready for. I consider Oloffsson already a capable second-line talent. The primary debilitating issue was about the talent level. How that chasm is filled is what I will be watching for. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 8 hours ago, BillsFan4 said: 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. Your above response is very sharp and keen. Botterill made it clear what he found most untenable was that the same defensive mistakes were made throughout the season. There was no learning curve. The GM acknowledged that the roster didn't have sufficient secondary scorers. And the onus was on him. That issue can be addressed by bringing in more talent and further development of the youngsters. But what he was not going to accept is the repeated same defensive lapses from the same collection of players. The next coach is going to be less tolerant and more demanding. If the players can't execute a basic defensive system in their zone they won't be playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 I love how we always hear that such and such coach is looking for a team that is close to cup contention. That has to be almost as rare as a #1 defenseman or center in free agency. Those teams aren't typically in the coaching market. Sure, every now and then someone like the Craps last year needs a coach, but you'll have, what, maybe 1 of those openings every 5 years or so? It was all the talk with Quenneville and look where he wound up. Maybe they're a team on the rise, I doubt it, but they're still multiple years away from being a contender. So yeah, a coach might be a bit skeptical about a team like Ottawa that has just started bottoming out (and without their top pick). When it comes to a job like Buffalo, there's at least something to work with there in the form of Eichel and the most hyped defensive prospect since the Nixon administration. Add on top of that an owner who is not afraid to spend and there's more than enough draw for that job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 14 minutes ago, shrader said: I love how we always hear that such and such coach is looking for a team that is close to cup contention. That has to be almost as rare as a #1 defenseman or center in free agency. Those teams aren't typically in the coaching market. Sure, every now and then someone like the Craps last year needs a coach, but you'll have, what, maybe 1 of those openings every 5 years or so? It was all the talk with Quenneville and look where he wound up. Maybe they're a team on the rise, I doubt it, but they're still multiple years away from being a contender. So yeah, a coach might be a bit skeptical about a team like Ottawa that has just started bottoming out (and without their top pick). When it comes to a job like Buffalo, there's at least something to work with there in the form of Eichel and the most hyped defensive prospect since the Nixon administration. Add on top of that an owner who is not afraid to spend and there's more than enough draw for that job. I understand your point but in a certain respect I disagree with it. In hockey compared to most pro sports (football, basketball and baseball) a new coach can come to a staggering team and reinvigorate it with some personnel and structural adjustments. Make no mistake what I am saying. I'm not saying that a new coach can make a mediocre team a cup winning team but a new coach bringing in a tight playing system can elevate a team from being outside the playoffs into the playoffs. Being a cup contender is not what is expected for a new Sabre coach. What is expected is employing a system and utilizing the personnel smartly so that it can get to the stage of qualifying for the playoffs. That's not an exotic expectation. We have enough core pieces (as you pointed out) that there is enough to work with to move up the ranks. I'm not disagreeing with your point. What I am saying is that with the right coach and player additions making the playoff as a fringe qualifier is doable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BADOLBILZ Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 2 hours ago, plenzmd1 said: tanking works great if you execute after the tank, the Sabres have not. Chicago, Pittsburgh, The Caps, The Astros..they all would tank again in a heartbeat Exactly. The Sabres issues for the past few decades can be summed up by the fact that they are arguably the worst team in the NHL at drafting and developing players over that period. Anyone can draft well when they get top 3 picks..............but it's utterly uncanny how they never get ANY really good talent outside of very high picks. The few good teams they've had in those years were built on stand-on-head goaltending(mostly) or trades and free agent acquisitions............never would have guessed this organization wouldn't be able to draft after their strong organizational start in the 70's. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted April 9, 2019 Author Share Posted April 9, 2019 1 hour ago, shrader said: I love how we always hear that such and such coach is looking for a team that is close to cup contention. That has to be almost as rare as a #1 defenseman or center in free agency. Those teams aren't typically in the coaching market. Sure, every now and then someone like the Craps last year needs a coach, but you'll have, what, maybe 1 of those openings every 5 years or so? It was all the talk with Quenneville and look where he wound up. Maybe they're a team on the rise, I doubt it, but they're still multiple years away from being a contender. So yeah, a coach might be a bit skeptical about a team like Ottawa that has just started bottoming out (and without their top pick). When it comes to a job like Buffalo, there's at least something to work with there in the form of Eichel and the most hyped defensive prospect since the Nixon administration. Add on top of that an owner who is not afraid to spend and there's more than enough draw for that job. 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 8 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said: 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. And Florida is about to get a lot better when Panarin and Bobrovsky sign there as free agents. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 43 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said: 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. Every single one of these things you're mentioning fall under the label of "things he's supposed to say". I really don't know how much to take away from it. But let's face it, more than just a path to winning played a big role here. The dollar signs are a huge plus. The familiarity with Tallon is another. Then there's living in Florida, which does mesh pretty well with the whole retirement thing. Even while coaching he can probably have a more relaxed lifestyle when he's out of the office. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 54 minutes ago, BillsFan4 said: Florida is actually a very talented team. They'll be a lot more talented when they sign Artemi Panarin this summer. I'm sure that's what has Q (and Panarin) excited about the Florida opportunity... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan4 Posted April 9, 2019 Author Share Posted April 9, 2019 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Who Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 Let's see, I wallowed in despondency and certitude the lottery would never be kind to the Sabres. As a result, I didn't watch the proceedings and was greatly surprised and briefly euphoric when I discovered Dahlin was destined for blue and gold. So, I've got the wallowing in despondency down pat. Easy enough not to watch. You fellas let me know if it works. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPS Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 Hopefully lightning will strike again and they'll win it 2 years running. Either 1 or 2 would be great, since there is a clear separation between the top 2 picks and the field. Their odds are 17% for that to happen. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted April 9, 2019 Share Posted April 9, 2019 Let's go random luck! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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