Why the Buffalo Sabres Need to Look for a New Coach

I will be the first to admit that what you are about to read could be contradictory, but in the end it is clear. Lindy Ruff has been the Buffalo Sabres coach for fourteen years. Fourteen years! This far exceeds the average life of an NHL coach and maybe that should be the first curious point. What has he delivered in those fourteen years.

To be sure, Lindy is a good coach, a very good coach. The Buffalo Sabres have a history of being a very frugal organization that will be extremely conservative on the players they sign. That said, he did wonders with taking his team to a Stanley Cup finals against the Dallas Stars and was poised to repeat when injuries and illness depleted the squad in the Eastern Conference finals against the Carolina Hurricanes. Other than that, there isn’t much to reflect back upon.

Lindy used to have a knack for getting the players to respond to his message. He would sit stars and mid-level players alike if they were not producing or following his system. Often, when those players returned to the lineup they would produce.

As the years progress, his players seem to be less and less responsive. Think of it as anyone and in any profession. You come to a point where you reach your peak. Your skills, talents and sheer desire will all max out at some point. Ruff has used all of his tools, all his tricks and the players no longer seem to be able to implement his system. Whether it is a lack of willingness on the part of the players or Ruff has no more to give, the results are in this mid season record. They have a losing record.

Their disappointing season comes on the heels of a new owner stating “the reason for the team’s existence is to win the Stanley Cup” and money is no longer the main concern. That set high expectations within Sabres Fans. The team backed those words up with some very high profile signings. Still after all that they have a losing record.

I am convinced that the team has to get another coach in order for the players to respond. If Ruff were to leave, many NHL teams will crawl over each other to get him. He will win with another team. However, the Sabres have hit the ceiling with him behind the bench.


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