Head coach candidates to replace Don Granato, should the Sabres move on

Head coach candidates to replace Don Granato, should the Sabres move on

Sabes head into the allstar break off for a little bit so let’s talk about some big picture stuff today coaching Don Granado and if they were to move on from Granado who could replace him top five coaching candidates should the Sabers let Don Granado go coming up here in the locked on Sabers Podcast your locked on Sabers your daily podcast on the Buffalo Sabers part of the locked on podcast Network your Team every Day and thanks for making locked on Sabers your first listen every day we are free and available wherever you get your podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day today’s episode is brought to you by FanDuel make every moment more right now new customers get $200 back in bonus

Bets if you if your best bet of five or more wins visit fanduel.com Lockton to get started the Sabres head into the All-Star break because of wins by the new uh not the New Jersey Devils the Detroit Red Wings excuse me red team red team I was just looking at some

Other devil stuff the Red Wings nine points ahead of the Buffalo Sabers for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference so despite three out of four two back to back to end this stretch on the road the Sabers find their selves way back of the postseason so they had

To the all-star break and Rasmus D will head to the all-star game which will take place on Saturday February 3rd at 3 o’clock which means we have a week of big picture stuff really to look at here on the show we’ll have a mailbag episode coming up this week I’ve got coaching

Candidates today we’ll check in with some around the league stuff as well the Sabers will return home a week from Tuesday so next Tuesday at home against the Dallas Stars 7 o’clock on February 6th for the first of four straight home games Dallas St Louis La Florida all

Coming to town in the next couple of weeks here but we’ve got a way a ways to go until that before we get to my coach candidates and the idea of firing down Granado which you know that’s a conversation to be had right now he is

The betting favorite to be the next head coach fired who could they move on him for who should they move on from him for if they were to do it I’m not rushing Granado off the stage I like Don Granado I am not confident in their decision- making

If they were to for who they would replace him with I think because of what the alternative likely would be would hang on to dado keep going trust that he’ll figure it out but you have to have the talk and it’s not a crazy idea at all given its results right this league

More than any other sports League likes to cycle through candidates likes to cycle through coaches and when you don’t win you get moved on from that’s how it goes this team doesn’t win so it’s inevitable that this talk was coming the longer these results would go news

Update and then Sabers droughty of the day to get to before we get to coach candidates starting with the news update that Devin Levi has indeed been sent to Rochester which I predicted because it just makes too much sense with he hasn’t played a lot of games recently for the Sabers

He’s only played one game since January 10th in the last 19 days for the Sabres he’s only played one game he went down to Rochester for that that quick stin but now he’s back with the ammer and you get him some games down there I think that naturally was a smart idea given

That not only are the Savers off this week but they also don’t have a backto back games and back-to-back days until March 2nd and 3D against the golden knights and the Winnipeg Jacks March 2nd and third now there are a a handful of games in between there will they play

Lucan in every game I mean they might I don’t know but a month straight of UPL games I mean he of course would have to perform in all of those games as well so I might guess that Levi gets the call at some point during that month that he’s not going to

Sit in Rochester for all of February but I think he might be down there for most of February because that’s where he’s going to get some action now the amirs also have a bit of a mini break you know mixed in here as well they’ll play on Wednesday against Syracuse and then

They’ll play Friday and Saturday against Laval and then they’ll be off for six days so they kind of have that that mix in break as well but they have three games during the Sab off week then the amicks have an off week and then the AMS

Get back in action and I bet they kind of go back and forth Levi stays in Rochester for these three games maybe he gets one or two of them then he comes back with the Sabers maybe he backs up maybe plays a game and then goes back

Down to Rochester where he plays a bunch um in the month of February that’s a guess at how they’ll go about it but I think they’re going to be playing this this song and dance with Levi the rest of the way to ensure that he is the guy

Playing for the Sabers when it’s not Lucan in and at the same time he’s getting enough starts between Buffalo and Rochester to further along his development I think that’s the game you got to play with Devon Levi droughty of the day this one is also a little bit

Newsworthy because former NHL now Zack Cassian has signed in czechia the Czech Formerly Known Czech Republic with Sparta praha he is done in the NHL he is in the he’s done that thing that a lot of nhlers do where you’re in the Twilight of your career and you can’t

Find NHL team to take you so let me go travel around Europe and play a little bit of hockey that’s the stage of Zack cassian’s career droughty of the day goes to Zack Cassian today in the course of the Sabers drought Zack Cassian has been an elite OHL junior hockey

Player become a bar calling Milan Lich super Prospect right remember he got everyone was like oh this guy’s going to be Lich that was during the drought that we were he had hadn’t played yet for the sabes and we were all talking about how good he was so in the drought start

Becomes a star Luchi style Prospect he makes his NHL debut gets traded for Cody H Cody Hudson goes on to have a 600 plus game NHL career and now rides off into the sunset and Europe all during the course of the Sabers drought you can fit Zack cassian’s entire NHL and really

Hockey career into the Buffalo Savers drought that’s how long it’s been sorry to depress everybody all right let’s get to the coaching element of today’s show Don Granado all right let’s play the wh if game I don’t want to see them fire him I I would I would listen to it of

Course and if you brought me the right candidate and there might be a few of those I’m like sign me up if you told me right now this guy is going to replace Don Granado I’m in but top five coach candidates to replace Don Granado in a combination of both the likelihood of

This happening and how good of an idea I think it is let’s get into it let’s start off with number five and this guy makes the list more so because to me the likelihood of it than how good of an idea it is number five is Seth eert the

Head coach of the Amar 10 years in college before the amirs with I don’t even know how to pronounce the college renauraa the ecac which the other teams in the ACAC we’re talking about Quinn Pak we’re talking about Princeton Yale Dartmouth Harvard like the IV leagues are really what we’re

Looking at and he never finished higher than fourth in that conference in a decade that he was there he worked before that the US u8 team this is a developmental coach and maybe he’s good at developing players but we don’t have a lot long track record of winning even

At those levels in fact maybe this goes to his credit and why he would be in the running the most success he’s had in terms of his team success is the amirs last year making their run deep into the cder Cup playoffs into the Conference Finals Apert to me makes this list

Because he’s the most likely candidate to replace Don Granado if they should fire Don Granado he is cheap that’s a big thing here I mean he’s already under contract I don’t know how much appetite the Savers have to pay more coaches not to coach for them so you’ve already got

This guy under contract you’re already paying this guy it would be an easy business decision to elevate him he’s already familiar with a lot of the players spent time at the Sabers in training camp I think he has to be on this list at number five because I think

He would be the favorite to be the coach should they fire Don Granado number four on my list this one I go back and forth on Gerard Gant former head coach of well way back when Columbus but in recent years which is where I really want to you know point

The analysis here is of course with Florida with Vegas and with the New York Rangers in the last 10 years since the 20145 season let’s just look at that I don’t want to dive too much into his time with Columbus in 2003 and evaluate how good a coach he is based on that

Let’s just do the last 10 years Gerard Gant in that time the last decade 313 189 and 64 that is a 99o head coach per 82 games coached in the last 10 years you’re getting 99 points from Gerard Gant he has made the playoffs in all but three

Seasons in that 10-year stretch uh so nine Seasons worth he made the playoffs six missed it three times including two deep playoff runs took the Rangers to the Conference Finals took the golden knights to the finals of course but with Gant you never had him coaching a young

Team in Florida maybe the Florida was the closest you had to this but they had a lot of veteran players and he turned them into a division winning team that hadn’t made the playoffs in forever so it kind of ended a drought there then it goes to Vegas because of expansion draft

I mean Vegas was more of a veteran team they got pieced together um and Gant took over a team though that was pretty much an established veteran team that had already by the way been to the finals so I don’t necessarily or no they had

Not been to the finals yet sorry uh that was the out the outset the original golden knights um and then he goes to the Rangers again an aged veteran team had some success there he’s the drill sergeant type you know he’s the hard ass type and maybe that’s your cup of Team

Maybe you think that’s the kind of coach that could whip the boys into shape but I don’t know I don’t have a lot of track record with him that says he’s the right type of coach for the youngest team in hockey and I think I want to read into

At least a little bit this guy wears out his welcome everywhere he goes for all the success he has everywhere he’s gone at the first chance to get rid of the guy that those teams get rid of the guy Florida had had a decade of being terrible and Gant finishes in first

Place in the division and then the next year they start 11 and 10 500 and they left him on the tarmac in Carolina they didn’t even bring him on the plane they hated him so much they kicked him off the plane basically and that was for going 500

They wanted him out at the moment they could do it how about Vegas Vegas starts their franchise they go to the cup the next year they go to the playoffs win 43 games the next year they go they start the year 249 and six and they fire them

They were in first place when they fired him that’s not even like your first chance that’s just we got to get rid of this guy we hate him and then with the Rangers the last two years 52 and 24 47 and 22 one deep playoff run and then a

First round exit get out of here I don’t know I think there’s a some personality questions here with J Gerard golant that he F finds a way to get kicked out even when he’s winning games like that not my cup of tea but I’ll listen to any idea

Right now when we come back number two and three three on our list and then you got to stick around for number one number one on my list I don’t think is who you think it is and I’m really excited to get to it so that’s coming up

Here in the lockdown Sabers podcast as we talk about coaching candidates here on today’s show we are presented by on the lockon Savers podcast by eBay Motors passion drive and patience what brings home the winning trophy is also what keeps your ride or die alive eBay Motors

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With us be sure to go make locked on sports today your next listen check them out on YouTube they’re the first ever National Sports 247 streaming Channel on YouTube spending plenty today on Champion Championship Sunday with the Chiefs and the ners advancing to the Super Bowl go to lockdown sports today

On YouTube subscribe to the first ever National Sports 247 streaming Channel also be sure to check us out on our text line join subtext Edon saers you can sign up there and then from there on it’s just me it’s just texting on your phone uh we’re

Going to do a mailbag episode so throw your questions in there uh and we’ll uh be answering them this week on the show let’s get back into my top five coaching candidates that hypothetically would replace Don Granado and let’s now get to number three we five was Seth aard four

Was Gerard Gant I kind of wanted to mix it up a a different type of Coach uh at each rank here number three let’s go the assistant coach route Mark sard former Boston bruan skilled player playmaker he is now the assistant coach of the Calgary Flames and it’s not necessarily

Going great in Calgary in terms of Team success I mean we talk about them a lot in terms of how everybody wants out of Calgary the Flames this season 2222 and five they’re Five Points out of a playoff spot sard is coming off a nice little career as the head coach of the

Windsor Spitfires in the OHL so had success at the junior level in his 40s so a younger coach not the retread type hasn’t got the crack yet at being an NHL head coach and he’s probably going to get it at some point in time he gets a

Lot of credit reading about him for the purpose of this podcast in terms of his creativity for the offensive side of the game and what he’s done for power Place both at the junior level and now with Calgary in terms of being creative mixing things up and that isn’t that’s

Why I picked him over other assistant coaches for this ranking is that exactly s what the Sabers need right now is a guy to spark the power play and listen I don’t necessarily know if I want to go right back to another firsttime head coach Ralph Krueger was kind of a

First-time head coach I mean we talked 40 games with Edmonton right like it wasn’t much before he became the coach of the Sabers uh Phil Howley was the first time NHL head coach coach for the Savers Don Granado was a first-time NHL head coach since Dan BMA they’ve consistently gone for inexperienced

Types I don’t mind that I usually like that but I don’t know if that’s where my mind is at for the next guy if they were to let go don Granado but if they were going to go back for firsttime head coach I think saard is a reasonable idea

Because of the power play acument the offensive element of the game you know working with young players with Winsor and he’s a respectable idea uh respectable name in the league not just somebody that just you got the street that’s number three number two you might be thinking that number two was going to

Be number one all along I got number one you’re I don’t think you’re going to see coming maybe you will number two Rod brind demore this is the guy this is the guy we are going to talk the most about that we’re going to be tracking the most

When it comes to rumors and reports Rod brymore why are we talking about Rod brymore who is currently the head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes if you missed our conversations about him before he’s on an expiring contract and there have been rumors and reports over the last couple of years about a disconnect

Between brinda Moore and Don juandell the the owner of the Carolina Hurricanes and that maybe that’s not the greatest working relationship so his contract expires at the end of the year and of course the natural tie-in for the Sabers is his relationship with Kevin Adams and they played together of course they were

Both lead ERS on that 0506 hurricanes team I know it’s our least favorite sports team ever and the idea of the two two guys from that team running the show here in some way does make my stomach turn but anything to get them back on track right and brendam Moore there’s

Nobody they could hire that is at all reasonable to me or like you can imagine them hiring that I think would be a more respected name in the league than this guy they can’t do better for League circles they if they hired Ron bremore Universal love from everybody

The the Greg wasinski at the SPN the Elliot freedman’s at sportset the talking heads on TV everybody that covers or talks about hockey would love this move for the Buffalo Sabers and brendam Moore is already a drought breaker he walked into Carolina and the Hurricanes were on a 9year playoff

Drought and in his first season he broke it year one he kicked that nine-year playoff drought out the door and they’ve made the playoffs five for five times since that happened he makes the playoffs every year consistent winner he’s done well by the way to get the

Most out of a young group in Carolina they’re more of a veteran group now but in the first couple years of his tenure in Carolina that was a young team and he found a way to maximize it he found a way to get them to the postseason to

Have sustained success UC they haven’t quite won a cup yet I mean obviously they haven’t won a cup yet but they’re a team that’s knocking on the door year after year after year and You’ obviously sign up for that if you’re the Sabers it would be a dream I think the reason I

Don’t have him number one is I doubt the Sabers can pull it off I I I’m skeptical this team H they’ have not earned the respect of getting a coach like that you have to think about it from both angles okay if you’re the Sabers why would R want rod bremore

That’s easier to answer if you’re Rod bremore why would you want the Sabres man you better be best friends with Kevin Adams if that’s what’s going to really get you to go to Buffalo because the crowds have disappeared not to blame them they should have they should have

Long ago because of how bad the team’s been but there’s not there’s no atmosphere there’s no energy in the city or the fan base for the team right now and there’s the team itself like I don’t know is it’s probably hard to buy into the team having sustained success but

Maybe he sees it as a challenge maybe you know the money could entice him I don’t know would theber would Pula not want to pay a coach unless it’s a guy like brymore right we thought they were gonna have an internal salary cap once

Upon a time but then oh well we can get Taylor Hall oh okay I might want to I’ll spend money but for that and that’s where I wonder like Pula might not want to spend a ton of money on a coach unless he thinks he can get Rod brinda

More and then maybe he gets enticed to do it that’s where I think it could be possible I think it’s more likely brendam Moore would use the Sabers as leverage that’s what I think if if he gets available the offseason you’re going to see reports and rumors about

Him interviewing and be rumored to go to the Sabers and that whole time in the back of my head I’m going be thinking I wonder if this is just brendam Moore using the Savers to get more money out of other teams but I hope they can pull

It off he’s number two I don’t think you see number one coming maybe you do let me know if you saw it coming the whole way number one on my Sabers coach candidate list if they if they should move on from Don Granado after this you’re in the lock on Sabers podcast we

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Sabers podcast Tech uh hit up our text line join sub text.com lockon saers become a sorty today and let me know if the Sabers were move on from Don Granado who you would like to see be their head coach number one on my list because it’s a proven winner it’s a guy

Who very recently found lots of success with a very young hockey team a guy that would come to Buffalo to me undoubtedly would come to Buffalo and I think’s got just enough juice left in the tank to see this actually happening Lindy Ruff that’s right the homecoming I’m going I’m going to hit

You in the fs here with this one I’m going to really pull your heartstrings with number one on my list potenti Granado Replacements with Lindy I think you’re allowed to have a Lindy rough conversation here because I referenced earlier Don Granado is the favorite to be the next coach fired in

The NHL want to know who number two is Lindy Ruff Lindy Ruff is the second leading favorite I’ve seen on Twitter Devil’s fans back in their Camp of wanting to see Ruff fired because they’re having a bad year they have not overcome their injuries I saw even them

Wondering about whether him and Jack Hughes mesh well together uh I I kind of doubt that last year it sounded like it was all fine and Rosie when they were winning the devils are currently six points out of a playoff spot they’ve lost seven of their last 10 and that

Team because of how great they did last year has expectations so I could see them firing Lindy Ruff maybe after the season I want him to keep climbing that alltime wins list so I I hope not but can’t you imagine if the Sabers move on from Granado and Lindy ruff’s

Available couldn’t you see it happening in part if you’re looking around at Proven Winners right retread guys veteran coaches guys that have consistently made the playoffs Lindy’s maybe the best they can get their hands on I don’t even know that Gerard Gant would want the saber job I don’t know that Brenda

Will want the save her job I don’t know how good a job it is especially given the questions of how much they might want to pay if they’re already paying Granado who’s just signed an extension Lindy though you know he’s upset by the state of the Sabers you know he wears

This city like a badge of honor on his chest and you if you went to the Rick jennerette Memorial at the arena during the offseason Lindy you could see you could see how happy he was when he thought at the time that Don Granado had this team on track you could see when

Talking about the history of the franchise in RJ how much this team means to him even still I mean he’s going to live here when he’s done coaching in the NHL and if I’m Lindy Ruff and my this is a total guess I don’t know Lindy like

This obviously and I don’t haven’t heard this from anybody if I’m just guessing at what’s going on in Lindy’s brain he would look at the saber job and go my last act in the National Hockey League cuz 63 years old you know coaches can go to 70 in the NHL Ken Hitchcock Bruce

Brro these guys have coached in their late 60s but if I’m Lindy at 63 I’m thinking this is my last act in the NHL what better last act than let me get this franchise that I spent four decades with 40 years as a player and a coach

Let me get them back on track and then I’ll ride off into the sunset from there hell hell maybe if it goes really well I’ll take one last stab at winning a Stanley Cup but I’m going to get this team back on track and from the Sabers pers that’s from Lindy’s perspective

From the Sabers perspective I think Lindy’s recent success in New Jersey is enough to get me to he’s a reasonably good idea to be the head coach he’s maybe the right mix of Veteran coach that you might want to be a little harder on the players a

Little harsher on the players to kind of hold them responsible if you will in certain moments discipline them in the right spots while at the same time we’ve heard about Lindy over the recent years that he’s kind of adapted he’s kind of you know with the Devils last year and even

With Dallas a to a lesser extent before that he’s been more of a modern coach you know he’s not he’s not always bag skating these guys like torella used to do um he’s maybe a little bit more able to coach a young team like that I mean

Last year is a great job by Lindy that team was as young as the Sabers were that Devil’s team and they were one point from beating brinda mois hurricanes to win the division they had 112 points last year so I think what he just did with the Devils is enough to

Show hey this guy thrived with a young team and it was two years ago that he did that I think it’s a good enough idea and I think it would kind of re-energize saber fans you know certain segment I don’t think it would be a universally loved idea I think other people would

Feel like we’re just going backwards right we’re going back into the past to try to fix things and I could I could listen to that as a counter to this but I love Lindy and I think he’s a good he’s a damn good head coach even still

In the NHL and he’s my number one number one in uh not in- house but a number one candidate because of the likelihood and because of the coaching Acumen to replace Don grenado should they move on from Don grenado Lindy at number one let me know again what your thought would be

On that because I don’t think that would be a universally loved idea Lindy back with the Sabers all right and let me know who your coach candidate would be locked on Sabers on our text line join sub tex.com locked ons saers that’s going to do it for us shoot those

Mailbags over we’re going to have a mailbag portion of the show coming up next next and we’ll talk some Allstar stuff as the weekend gets closer with the allstar game coming on Saturday skills competition on Friday Rasmus Dalene will be participating for Buffalo thanks for listening to lock on Sabers

Go check out lockd on sports today for all your football coverage 247 streaming Channel on YouTube the first ever like And subscribe on YouTube where and also listen wherever you get your podcast we’ll talk to you next time here at the lockon Sabers podcast part of the lockdown podcast Network your team every

Day

Heading into the All-Star break, Sabres head coach Don Granato is the betting favorite to be the next coach fired in the NHL. If they do it, who should and who would replace Granato? The big name is Rod Brind Amour, who’s expected to be available this offseason. Could Kevyn Adams really sway his old teammate to come to Buffalo? Is Gerard Gallant too much of a drill sergeant for a young Sabres team?

And Sneaky Joe makes the case for a reunion with Lindy Ruff, if he’s fired by the Devils.

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