Buffalo Sabres: Is Don Granato on the hot seat heading into 2022?

Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato is just 41-55-14 as he heads into his second full season with the team. Is he on the hot seat?

After witnessing how short the Pegulas are with head coaches, one would think Don Granato won’t last beyond 2022-23 without a winning record or even a playoff appearance for the Buffalo Sabres. But this is also a different era in Sabres hockey. One that does not require a fast turnaround but instead, steady improvement.

So will Granato be with the Sabres following the season if they don’t see significant improvement? It is likely, but also situational. Let’s explore whether you will see Granato coaching the blue and gold in 2023-24.

Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato can most certainly find himself on the hot seat and even out of a job following the 2022-23 season.

For Granato to find a place on the hot seat, the Sabres would need to regress. This is a far more talented hockey team than we have seen in the past and while no one is expecting playoffs, everyone is expecting improvement.

To keep his job, Granato must a) show everyone that the Sabres are a better team than they were in 2021-22, and b) to back that up with a better wins/points total. If Granato leads the Sabres to at least 85 points, he will keep his job and you will see him leading the team in 2023-24.

But his seat will grow hot if he and the Sabres struggle this upcoming season and they backslide. This means they need to win once more in March and April, and they cannot experience any major slumps like the ones that occurred between November 2021 and February 2022.

Of course, the latter was not just Granato’s fault, as injuries and COVID-19 hit the Sabres. If something similar occurs this season, Granato may get a reprieve. But to keep himself off the hot seat, Granato must ensure the Sabres show linear progression this year and are good enough to at least stick around in the playoff race.

In 2021-22, wins and losses didn’t mean a lot. But starting this season, the W’s and L’s will hold substantially more weight.