By Jordan Long
The Buffalo Sabres decided their next Head coach is going to be Don Granato. He was the interim Head Coach. He took over for Ralph Krueger. Kreuger was fired 28 games into the season. They expect a full season with Granato behind the bench will help turn the team around.
Krueger had been the Head Coach for the Sabres for the past 2 seasons. His record was a disappointing 36-49-12, a winning percentage of .433. Buffalo fired him after a 6-18-4 start to the year. Granato got his shot. The team went 9-16-3 under him to finish the year. Buffalo ended with a record of 15-34-7 for a total of 37 points, the worst record in the NHL.
Buffalo started a coaching search. Plenty of names were out there who could turn this franchise back into a winner. They haven’t made the postseason since 2011. The last time they advanced past the first round was in 2007 when they were knocked out in the Eastern Conference Finals. The possible candidates included Stanley Cup winners John Tortorella, Dan Bylsma, and Mike Babcock. Even Gerard Gallant made sense. He has never won a Cup but knows how to rebuild a team. In the end, Buffalo stayed with Granato.
According to NBCsports.com, Granato said in May, “I think our guys have felt they know they’re building something, and that was great to be a part of. Obviously, I’d like to be a part of moving forward.”
Granato got his wish. He is now going to be the Head Coach of the Buffalo Sabres for this year and hopefully years to come. Granato becomes the 5th Head Coach of the Sabres since 2013. He expects to rebuild this team back into a playoff contender.
The Sabres must play better than they did last year. Madison.com stated in the 28 games Granato coached, Buffalo was outscored 101-76 in those games leading to the 9-16-3 record. The team was still adjusting to his coaching style and it was only 28 games, a small sample size. The skaters will have a full season to understand the way he coaches. That may improve the Sabres but they are not a playoff team yet.
Now that the Sabres have their new Head Coach, they can prepare for free agency and the NHL Draft. They hold the first pick in the NHL Draft when it starts on July 23rd. The top prospect is defenseman Owen Power who played at the University of Michigan. If not him then there is defenseman Luke Hughes or even forward Matthew Beniers. It will all depend on which side of the ice the Sabres want to go. Once the NHL Draft is completed, free agency begins on July 28th.
Buffalo wants to become a playoff team. They anticipate Granato is the coach to lead them there. If not, Buffalo will be looking for a new coach in a few years. Hopefully, Granato can end their playoff drought.
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