The Buffalo Sabres made a surprising announcement on Tuesday as they fired coach Don Granato, marking the seventh coach to be ousted during the team’s NHL-record 13-season playoff drought. This decision came after the Sabres closed their season with a win against Tampa Bay, finishing with a 39-27-6 record and already being eliminated from playoff contention. Granato, who took over on an interim basis in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic-shortened 2021 season, was completing his third full season in Buffalo after Ralph Krueger was initially fired.
The Sabres had high expectations at the beginning of the season, with general manager Kevyn Adams declaring the window of contention as being open. However, the team stumbled through the season, only managing to win three consecutive games twice and struggling to overcome slow starts. This was a significant departure from the previous season, where the Sabres narrowly missed the playoffs by two points. The team’s playoff drought now ties with the New York Jets as the longest active drought in North America’s four major professional sports.
Challenges Faced
Throughout the season, the Sabres encountered various challenges, including injuries to key players, inconsistencies in goaltending, and a decision by the front office to add more youth to what was already the NHL’s youngest roster. Granato also made a questionable change in coaching philosophy by transitioning the team to a more defensive style of play. As a result, the Sabres’ offensive production dropped significantly, currently ranking 22nd in the league in goals scored, compared to finishing third the previous season. On the defensive end, they improved from allowing the fourth-highest number of goals last season to ranking 11th this season.
Granato’s coaching decisions, such as implementing a more defensive style and struggling to address poor starts in games, contributed to the team’s disappointing performance throughout the season. Despite his efforts to focus on improving the Sabres daily, the results on the ice did not meet the organization’s expectations. Granato’s record of 122-125-27 in Buffalo ultimately led to his dismissal, along with the firing of assistant coach Jason Christie and video coordinator Matt Smith.
With Granato’s departure, the Buffalo Sabres now face the challenge of launching yet another coaching search. Granato was the team’s sixth coach since Lindy Ruff was fired two months into the lockout-shortened 2012 season. The organization will need to regroup and reevaluate its coaching strategies to steer the team in a new direction and hopefully end the prolonged playoff drought that has plagued them for over a decade. As they look towards the future, the Sabres will need to make significant changes to regain competitiveness in the NHL and give their fans something to cheer about once again.
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