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Buffalo Sabres: Granato’s extension proves team is on the right path

By Sion Fawkes

Nov 16, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato (left) talks to the Sabres during a time-out against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Buffalo won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 16, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato (left) talks to the Sabres during a time-out against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Buffalo won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Buffalo Sabres signed head coach Don Granato to a well-deserved contract extension just 36 hours before the season’s opening faceoff. 

Lately, I’ve talked about the Don Granato Effect, and how it helped turn around several careers within his 1.5 seasons with the Buffalo Sabres. Granato resurrected Kyle Okposo and Jeff Skinner from the brink of irrelevancy, he turned Tage Thompson into a top-tier center, and defenseman Rasmus Dahlin into an All-Star.

Granato, who has extensive experience coaching young hockey players thanks to stints in the USHL, ECHL, and the AHL, was a perfect fit to fill in as interim head coach in 2021 following Ralph Krueger’s much-needed firing. Granato coasted the Sabres to a 9-16-3 finish that season, before he became the full-time coach and flipped the script in 2022. That year, he finished 16-9-3, placing the young team in the top half of the league points-wise between March and April.

Don Granato’s extension shows stability for the Buffalo Sabres

Earlier in the year, the Sabres signed general manager Kevyn Adams to an extension. And with Granato now firmly entrenched in the driver’s seat for the Sabres, they have franchise stability for the first time since the Lindy Ruff Era that feels like it occurred an eon ago.

The extension also shows the Sabres believe in their coach and his “play fearless” mentality. And what is perhaps Granato’s most remarkable trait is the fact that he doesn’t succumb to adversity, something we saw during the Sabres run last season after they were a team that appeared down and out when March 1st rolled around.

Last year, injuries and COVID decimated the Sabres roster. Their goaltenders never seemed to get healthy, and we routinely saw them suffer blowout losses. But Granato never blinked and had this team playing until the final whistle in their unforgettable overtime win against the Chicago Blackhawks.

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Now that the Sabres have Granato locked in, the endless cycle of coaching changes, dubbed The Curse of the Pegulas, appears to be over. Sure, an epic collapse this season can change things, but don’t expect it. Instead, look for Granato to continue shaping the Buffalo Sabres into a winning franchise.

Article Source: Sabres sign Granato to multi-year extension by Jourdon LaBarber

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