There is a growing consensus among Buffalo Sabres fans that Don Granato has led the team to a threshold, but a new coach is needed to take them further.
If there is one illogical take coming from a cluster of the Buffalo Sabres fanbase, it’s that head coach Don Granato can only take the team to a certain threshold – like, in outer orbit of the wild card race – but a new coach is needed to take this team to and through the playoffs.
Okay, I don’t know what your take is on the subject, but this is far and away the most illogical idea I’ve heard from anyone all season. And given the fact that the Sabres, on average, have been firing coaches every two seasons over the past decade, yet haven’t made the playoffs since 2011, leads me to conclude that history also is not on their side.
Listen, we don’t know if Granato is the right coach to lead Buffalo to the playoffs. But we also know that the Sabres are going nowhere fast if a young team like this is forced to learn a new system, a new coaching style, and even adopt a new mentality.
Why would the Buffalo Sabres get rid of Don Granato?
Perhaps it’s because they look over at the Boston Bruins, where Jim Montgomery, in his first season at the helm, has Boston on a historic pace. Difference is, the Bruins are one of the oldest, most experienced teams in hockey, the Sabres aren’t.
In fact, Ralph Krueger could’ve gotten the gig and Boston would still be in contention to land a Top 3 spot in the Atlantic. They’re a good, experienced hockey team who would thrive under anyone.
In their first full season under Granato, the Sabres finished 32-39-11 (75 points). This season, the team has improved to 33-28-6 (72 points). They already passed up their number of wins over last 2021-22, and, barring any unforeseen collapse, will shatter that 75-point finish.
That said, Granato has the youngest team in the league, one with four rookies playing regularly, and two players in their first full seasons in Peyton Krebs and Mattias Samuelsson, in wild card contention. And while the Sabres likely won’t be one of the top eight teams in the East, they exceeded just about anyone who knows a thing or two about the sport’s expectations.
Case in point, you don’t fire the coach of the league’s youngest team who turned what was supposed to be a building year into one that saw them playing those meaningful games in March. Well, you can, if you’re interested in waiting a few more seasons for a playoff berth.
Sure, Boston can do this. But again, they could have hired anyone, and they would still be in contention. Experienced hockey teams can withstand it. But as for young teams? It’s typically a different story. So let’s refrain from making that mistake.