The Buffalo Sabres have not seen a playoff appearance since 2010-11, so the fanbase has a right to be frustrated. But they also need to be sensible.
I’m going to start off today’s article with a quote by one of the most influential people from the 20th century:
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. – Martin Luther King Jr., via NPS.Gov."
The same should be said regarding fanbases, and thus far, the Buffalo Sabres fanbase is one of the least tolerable in sports. They booed Jack Eichel and rained obscenities on the guy, completely forgetting that true power lies in those who move on and open new doors, as opposed to holding grudges for the long haul.
To make matters worse, the same fans who bought into the Adams/Granato combo during the offseason, preseason, and during that 7-3-0 start for the regular season now want at least Granato thrown to the wayside after a meager 18 games.
All because the guy refuses to show that he hates losing in his words and body language. Do the math: 18/82 equals 0.219. This translates to 21.9% of the way through the season, and you already want a coaching change?
Buffalo Sabres fans need to chill out and learn from history
They say those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it, and the Sabres fanbase seemingly has no qualms ignoring these words of wisdom. Either that or they simply just don’t want to consider this fact.
But what has firing coaches every two seasons led to? Only the longest playoff drought in league history. Two seasons ago, we heard the Fire Krueger chants. And I get it, Krueger never should’ve been hired in the first place. Now, it’s Fire Granato. And I’m curious: How many of you said, Fire Housley, or Fire Bylsma?
General manager Kevyn Adams and Granato are taking the long view, the right view. They realize that, to build a team that’s going to contend for five to seven seasons includes building the league’s top prospect pool, it includes building a team of youngsters, saving cap space, and signing those youngsters to long-term deals so when they turn the corner, they have experience playing together as a unit.
But if you want to lack patience and see the Same Old Sabres five years from today, then by all means, keep trying to boo Granato out of town like you booed the previous three coaches out of town. Tell me how good the Sabres are in 2027-28. Odds are, they’ll be entering the sweepstakes of drafting some kid first overall who was born the year before they last made a playoff appearance.
I’ve said my piece, so the choice is yours. Either get behind the coach and general manager amidst the tough times, or lobby for owner Terry Pegula and Adams to hand Granato his walking papers and take in another two-year rental at head coach until you lose faith in them after 130 measly games amidst a planned rebuild.
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