BUFFALO, N.Y. — With Ralph Krueger being dismissed on Wednesday, Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams is now the guy in charge.
I’ve confirmed that in a meeting with Terry and Kim Pegula, Adams outlined his vision for this organization, and the Pegulas put the team in his hands. Originally they gave Krueger the same type of power they gave Sean McDermott, and they found out quickly that it was an utter failure.
Adams is going to do a thorough search for a new head coach, but in the meantime, it’s Don Granato. I totally applaud this approach because with failures like Ron Rolston, Dan Bylsma, Phil Housley, and Krueger, this team can’t afford to get it wrong.
Adams confirmed that he’s close to hiring an assistant general manager, and Sportsnet reports that it’s former Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes assistant GM Jason Karmonos. Karmonos was with the Canes when Adams was a player there, and they won a Stanley Cup together.
I think with the way the Pegulas have gutted this organization in the name of money, Adams is going to have a tough time attracting a top coach here.
What coach wants to come to an organization that fires coaches every two years, has no boots on the ground in the scouting department, and has everybody in the hockey department doing their job for the first time in their careers? I didn’t even mention that it’s a team that hasn’t been in the playoffs for a record-tying 10th straight year.
When Krueger wanted Chris Taylor gone, he brought in a college coach in Seth Appert, who had four winning seasons in 11 years at RPI. His record with the Engineers was 152-221-48, and he was fired after the 2016-17 season, when he posted a record of 8-28-1. He was hired for the Amerks because he came cheap and was no threat to Krueger.
Former Canisius coach Dave Smith took over for Appert at RPI, and after two losing seasons he has turned the program around, going 17-15-2 this season.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Adams knocked on the door of Providence coach Nate Leaman or Minnesota Duluth coach Scott Sandelin. Sandelin won three NCAA championships in nine seasons with the Bulldogs, including 2019 in Buffalo. He has always turned down inquires from NHL teams, but who knows when he might be ready to make the jump.
Leaman was also in Buffalo for the Frozen Four with the Friars. He has won one NCAA championship with Providence.
If Adams goes the college way, it would be cheaper, and we all know money drives all decisions when it comes to the Buffalo Sabres these days.
I would have the same questions about two highly successful college coaches. If they decide to jump to the NHL, would they want to put their reputations on the line with a team that has gutted its hockey and scouting departments?
It may boil down to candidates who are desperate to get a NHL head coaching job. That could be Providence Bruins coach Jay Leach. Leach has been a highly successful regular season coach in his three seasons with the Bruins, but he lost in the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs in his two seasons in the playoffs.
Interim coach Don Granato has only been an assistant in the NHL with Buffalo, the St. Louis Blues, and the Chicago Blackhawks. As far as head coaching experience, he spent three years in the USHL with the Green Bay Gamblers. In his last season he lost in the Clark Cup Finals.
Next was three seasons in the ECHL with the Columbus Chill and Peoria Rivermen. He won the Turner Cup with Peoria.
Granato spent six years as a head coach in the American Hockey League with the Worcester IceCats and Chicago Wolves. The best he ever did there was lose in the second round of the playoffs.
He then went back to the USHL for three seasons as coach of the U.S. National Under-17 team, and in his last two seasons he had a combined record of 36-12-0.
Yes, I know, former NHL coaches Bruce Boudreau, Gerard Gallant, and Claude Julien are out there, but I think they would cost way too much money to bring in here.
In 14 seasons, Boudreau has a points percentage of .635 with the Washington Capitals, Anaheim Ducks, and Minnesota Wild.
In 19 seasons, Julien won the Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins. His overall points percentage with Boston, the Montreal Canadiens, and New Jersey Devils is .587.
Gallant has spent nine seasons coaching in the NHL with the Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, and Columbus Blue Jackets. His career points percentage is .550.
Both times Adams spoke in the past two weeks, he got angrier and angrier when it came to the players on this team. The GM has watched the same thing that we have seen the past month, a team that goes through the motions with no emotion and no direction.
Adams is going to be addressing the team on Thursday, and his message is going to be crystal clear.
Adams said it will be a very honest conversation about having some pride in the jersey, having some pride in the fact that you’re an NHL player, and having some pride in the history of the team and city you play for.
There are players on this team who wouldn’t know Gil Perreault if they fell over him, nor do they care. Adams has a Stanley Cup ring and was one of the captains of that Hurricanes team.
That has never mattered to some of these players as they ignore and scoff at players who are long time and respected leaders in this league. They have all the answers, and good luck to Adams trying to get through to them.