Were the Buffalo Sabres wrong to extend Don Granato?
Visit the forums, and you will find Buffalo Sabres fans claiming they were right when they said the Blue and Gold should not have extended Granato.
Last month, the Buffalo Sabres extended head coach Don Granato’s contract by two years, indicating that they wanted him to be the team’s leader moving forward. But after riding a five-game losing streak and making unnecessary changes through the lineup, especially at forward, many in the fanbase are pointing fingers at Granato for the team’s misfortunes.
Honestly, it’s WAY too premature to say bringing back Granato was a mistake. Sure, the Sabres are struggling right now, and it’s frustrating to see the team, once again, take a step back in November after a red-hot October.
But let’s look at what Granato is working with before we call for general manager Kevyn Adams and owners Terry and Kim Pegula to hand Granato his walking papers after 15 measly games.
Buffalo Sabres are going through growing pains under Don Granato
At the beginning of the season, the average age of the Buffalo Sabres was roughly 24, making them the youngest team in the NHL. They also have three players on the roster who are playing in their first full NHL seasons: J.J. Peterka, Jack Quinn, and Owen Power.
Not to mention they lost Henri Jokiharju, Mattias Samuelsson, and Ilya Lyubushkin to injury, which decimated their defensive rotation before the season really started to heat up. While Lyubushkin returned, he was not 100% and he may even still not be there. They also lost Rasmus Dahlin for a game.
Oh, and they also have a 41-year-old and a career backup rotating in and out at goaltender. So combine a young team that is going to make mistakes, a decimated defensive rotation forced to play AHL talent early in the season, plus lack of a franchise goaltender, and this situation isn’t going to be ideal for even the most experienced coach.
Though when it comes to goaltending, I heard some kid over at Northeastern is supposed to be pretty good. Maybe you’ll see him in the blue and gold for a trial period late this season if the situation calls for it?
Anyway, the answer is no, the Buffalo Sabres did not make a mistake extending head coach Don Granato. Given his sound experience coaching young talent, there is no one better suited to help the team navigate this storm. He has a young group and he is also instilling his system into that group.
Related Story. 3 serious issues plaguing the Sabres after fifth-straight loss. light
If the Sabres fired Granato at the end of this season, they are only setting themselves back further. So once again, no, they did not make a mistake with the extension. When this team is not missing massive puzzle pieces, they have proven time and again that they can win hockey games, even with a young team. And those wins will start rolling in again, guaranteed.
Article Source: Buffalo Sabres sign coach Don Granato to two-year extension by Associated Press
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