We have our first head coach firing of the offseason, as the Buffalo Sabres announced the firing of Don Granato on Tuesday morning after another disappointing season that led to their 13th-straight year out of the playoffs.
But was it the right call? Frank Seravalli and Colby Cohen talk about whether or not the Sabres made the right decision moving on from their head coach.
Frank Seravalli: This is a bit of a surprise to me. I know the reaction from Sabres fans on social media was that this had to happen. I look at Don Granato’s tenure in Buffalo, who has two years remaining on an extension that hasn’t even started yet, and I say that the Sabres had 91 points last year and that since January 1st this season they played at a 92-point pace, which would have been good enough for this year’s playoffs.
I don’t think Don Granato suddenly forgot how to coach, I think this is a roster construction issue. They made bets on too many young players that didn’t come to fruition and now the coach pays the price? That doesn’t seem right to me, what say you?
Colby Cohen: I think that you wonder what Kevyn Adams is thinking, you wonder where his head’s at. I remember when Kevyn Adams got hired being confused just because he went from a business ops position directly into the general manager chair without that hockey ops or assistant GM or head of something role, so I remember thinking that was a little bit of a head scratcher.
Then he goes out and brings Granato in, who injects a ton of life into the organization. He really does. Players love playing for him. He’s a very well-respected guy. I remember last season talking to Craig Anderson, who was the elder statesman of that group and a guy that I played with in Colorado, and he just raved about Granato.
Here’s why I believe he got fired: I do not think that the management in Buffalo felt that this team was responsible defensively. I don’t think Kevyn Adams is willing to look in the mirror and say it’s a personnel issue. I think he thinks they have enough personnel and that they’re defensive zone structure and coverage was missing a lack of commitment and I don’t think he feels strong enough about that. I think he thinks that offensively they’re in good shape, but defensively they have a lot of problems. Ultimately, I think it’s partially that and partially a show for the fans. At the end of the day, I think those things really do fall into place.
You can watch the full episode here…
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