Speculation: Coaching Search - Part III: Dan Bylsma deal "imminent"

[Sabretip]

Winning in the AHL isn't necessarily the goal. Player development is. The Buffalo Sabres need a guy who can help develop this core if talented but inexperienced players into true NHL players.

Maybe so - and hiring Richardson to run things in Rochester would be a good move. However, since he has no interest in moving if it's not an NHL head coach spot, I cross him off the list.

Hire a guy who can develop the players. Worry about the championship coach down the road.

Sorry but hiring a temporary coach for this "development" phase with the understanding that he should be replaced when the team is ready to contend makes no sense to me. I want the coach who's teaching the young core how to play in the NHL to also be the one to show them eventually what it takes to win and take the next step.

 

[Zman5778]

Sorry but hiring a temporary coach for this "development" phase with the understanding that he should be replaced when the team is ready to contend makes no sense to me. I want the coach who's teaching the young core how to play in the NHL to also be the one to show them eventually what it takes to win and take the next step.

What team has done that recently??

Pittsburgh fired Therrien, hired Bylsma.

LA fired Terry Murray, hired Sutter

Chicago fired Savard, hired Q.

Anaheim lost Babcock, hired Carlysle.

Really, the only coach you can say took a team from young to Cup was Julien.


One coach taking a team out of a rebuild into a Cup is most certainly not the norm.

 

[Bps21*]

Coaches are hired and fired quickly in this league. 14 years of Lindy made everyone forget that. You hire the best guy for the situation you are in now...which is building a team and developing youth. Then...that guy gets a chance to see if he can win. If he can't...you hire the coach for the situation you are in then...trying to take the next step to the cup. Like every team does.

 

[Zman5778]

Coaches are hired and fired quickly in this league. 14 years of Lindy made everyone forget that. You hire the best guy for the situation you are in now...which is building a team and developing youth. Then...that guy gets a chance to see if he can win. If he can't...you hire the coach for the situation you are in then...trying to take the next step to the cup.

Winner winner chicken dinner.

That's why I'd rather a guy like Terry Murray or Luke Richardson or John Stevens.

A guy that has a history of developing players. That's what we need right now beyond anything else.

Once the kids develop, we can see if he has the chops to go the next step. If not, buh bye.

 

[BUFSABES1981]

I think if Tim Murray wants Luke Richardson he would have to do a good sales job on Terry Pegula to convince him. I believe Pegula wants to get as big a name as possible to come to Buffalo. His M.O. appears to be to try and make Buffalo a "go to" destination and is willing to use his money to overcome any perceived shortcomings the Buffalo area has. With that being said I have to think Bylsma is the clear front runner for the job.

On a side note. I see some here putting Randy Carlyle forth as a candidate. I think the chance of that are slim to none. The optics of that would be horrible for the Sabres. After being jilted by Babcock for Toronto I can't see them then going dumpster diving for Maple Leaf scraps.

Not sure this is entirely true. If you look at the timeline with the hiring of Rex Ryan, he wasnt really even on the Bills radar in the beginning. If you review Pegula's recap of the hiring through the press. They made it sound like it was almost just a courtesy interview. But Rex blew them away and closed the deal on the second interview. I think they just did their diligence and thought Rex was the best guy. Same with Babcock, he is the big name sure, but is also a pretty dam good coach.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[Moskau]

Bylsma is probably the biggest name available. Buffalo kind of has to at least interview him at this point.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

The way I look at it, what makes Babcock so much better then Byslma? Because he took 20 of the best 40 players in the world and won olympic gold twice?

Byslma has a higher reg season winning % then Babcock. His playoff win % is higher then Babcocks was in Detroit. They both have a cup even thoughnBabcock coached for nearly a decade longer. But one guy is being cried over a week later and worth 50 mil and the other isn't wanted and thought of as a pariah. I'm fine with Bylsma. Babcock is hardly on a different level.

Oh I forgot Bylsma has an Adams and Scotty Bowman Jr Babcock doesn't. A Jack Adams isn't the end all be all of a coachs success but if Babcock is such an incredible coach you'd think in 13 years he would have one.Oh and since Bylsma became a head coach

# of 1st round exits:

Bylsma : 2 out of 6 years
Babcock: 3 out of 6 years


Babcock hasn't had an elite team since 2009. I laugh at all the hoopla over him. While I would have taken him as our coach you can try and find a post where I fawned over him. Good luck because I never did because I really don't care. He isn't elite. Making the playoffs every year in Detroit is nothing special.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[Zip15]

I just heard you guys were looking into Byslma and I'll give you a heads up now, you want to avoid that guy if you want the rookies to be well trained and developed.

Who were all these wonderful young players with whom he was endowed from Shero? Beau Bennett? It's high time that Pens fans realize he's just not very good. If you can't produce with Crosby or Malkin, it's not the coach's fault.

Bennett was the only forward selected in the 1st round during Bylsma's tenure. The only forward selected in the 2nd round while Bylsma was there, Teddy Bluger, just finished his junior year at Mankato. That ain't much to work with.

The Pens as an organization did not provide Bylsma with high-end prospects up front to develop. As for the defensemen, other than Despres--who Shero repeatedly passed over for callups, and his successor eventually traded--Bylsma did pretty well with young defensemen, especially Letang and Maatta.

He tends to pick favourites and even when he realizes he's wrong, he tends to be stubborn and stick with it regardless, prime example to me was Simon Despres who was miserable under him and a lot of fans and friend in penguins would agree with this. If anything I'd say go for someone like Paul Maclean or so. Cheers.

Every coach has favorites. Lindy Ruff had Matt Ellis. Babcock had Dan Cleary. Dave Tippett has every grinder who has ever played for him. If Julien gets in the mix, B's fans will be in here telling us how he's overplayed Chris Kelly the past two seasons.

This is not a disqualifying characteristic.

I agree for sure but he just doesn't care if he sees the results aren't coming. At one point the penguin brass was frustrated with him doing almost the same treatment to Olli Maata.

What? Maatta played 19 mins/game as a 19-year-old rookie in the NHL on a division-winning team.

 

[7 11 14]

1. Julien if he becomes available
2. Tippett if he becomes available
3. John Stevens if LA would even let us interview
4. Dineen
5. Hynes

Would be my top 5

 

[Snippit]

The way I look at it, what makes Babcock so much better then Byslma? Because he took 20 of the best 40 players in the world and won olympic gold twice?

Byslma has a higher reg season winning % then Babcock. His playoff win % is higher then Babcocks was in Detroit. They both have a cup even thoughnBabcock coached for nearly a decade longer. But one guy is being cried over a week later and worth 50 mil and the other isn't wanted and thought of as a pariah. I'm fine with Bylsma. Babcock is hardly on a different level.

Oh I forgot Bylsma has an Adams and Scotty Bowman Jr Babcock doesn't. A Jack Adams isn't the end all be all of a coachs success but if Babcock is such an incredible coach you'd think in 13 years he would have one.Oh and since Bylsma became a head coach

# of 1st round exits:

Bylsma : 2 out of 6 years
Babcock: 3 out of 6 years


Babcock hasn't had an elite team since 2009. I laugh at all the hoopla over him. While I would have taken him as our coach you can try and find a post where I fawned over him. Good luck because I never did because I really don't care. He isn't elite. Making the playoffs every year in Detroit is nothing special.

Bylsma also had Crosby and Malkin. Pittsburgh in Crosby/Malkin's prime really should have won more than one cup. Look at that roster in 2013...how on earth did they get swept? That Philly series too...something was wrong with the coaching, IMO, and there's a reason Bylsma got hated as much as he did.

 

[Del Preston]

Would they have any interest in Todd Nelson?

 

[Bps21*]

Bylsma also had Crosby and Malkin. Pittsburgh in Crosby/Malkin's prime really should have won more than one cup. Look at that roster in 2013...how on earth did they get swept? That Philly series too...something was wrong with the coaching, IMO, and there's a reason Bylsma got hated as much as he did.

In the conference finals?

They scored 2 goals in 4 games. That's how they got swept. You can blame Bylsma if you want for that...they weren't even really outshot in the series. They just went dry. They scored at will the first two rounds and in the regular season.

EDIT: Found it...they scored 2 goals on 136 shots in that series. A sub 1.5% shooting %. That's how. They outshot Boston in the series. Guess he should have coached them to finish more.

 

[flashsabre]

I think John Stevens is a terrific option if L.A. lets him interview. I thought he got a raw deal in Philly and he works well with younger players. Shoots to the top of my list if available.

If Tippet was thinking of opting out of his deal the time is now. SJ, Buffalo, and NJ available and possibly Boston. Once those get filled he will have to wait until next season for another opportunity. I don't think he leaves though.

 

[Shmuffalo]

Why am I seeing John Stevens name?

He bad.

He real bad.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

Bylsma also had Crosby and Malkin. Pittsburgh in Crosby/Malkin's prime really should have won more than one cup. Look at that roster in 2013...how on earth did they get swept? That Philly series too...something was wrong with the coaching, IMO, and there's a reason Bylsma got hated as much as he did.

And Babcock had Dats/Z and Lidstrom and only won "one" cup. Come on, if the Sabres only win a single cup in Jack Eichels career here people will be ecstatic. The fact is Bylsma won a cup and that's all that matters. Yeah Bylsma had Crosby and Malkin. Who else? An oft injured Letang? Playoff sieve Fleury? The worst prospect pool in the league?? You need a team to win the cup. Even with the 2 best players in the world that's not enough. You could add Stamkos to the Pens duo and even with the 2 best players in the world and a top 5 forward they wouldn't win a cup. I like how they get bounced in the first this year and yet people complain about Bylsma even though 2/3rds of his coaching career he made it past the first round.


Bylsma is a great coach. Bad coaches don't win cups, break records (fastest to 250 wins) and win a Jack Adams.

 

[jBuds]

He bad.

He real bad.

To be successful without two key components - that of a competent netminder and a semblance of a D corps - indicates you can work well with what you have and you're a good coach. Players love him. He knows the game. He implements systems. His PP was always good. PK too. Has the Calder Cup. LA is enamored with him for good reason. And six years ago, before he was LA starbitten, I liked the idea of him working with a younger team at the NHL level.

 

[Sabre Dance]

Would you trade a 2nd(51) for Claude Julien?

 

[CaptPantalones]

Would you trade a 2nd(51) for Claude Julien?

Standard compensation is a 3rd round pick.

 

[flashsabre]

Until a hiring is made it will be "insert coach's name here" is a terrible choice because he was fired, because he doesn't change his game plan, because he plays the wrong players, because I watched a game and he got out coached, because he doesn't play the kids enough of the time, because his teams advanced stats were weak on Tuesday nights in March. Because his team earned 100 points but that had nothing to do with him but two years later they had 75 points and that was all because of him, because he won a Cup but that doesn't count because his team won in spite of him.

Hopefully a hiring is made soon so we can just focus on why that one head coach will be such a terrible choice.

 

[Sabre Dance]

Standard compensation is a 3rd round pick.

Does that mean we cant trade a 2nd?

 

[TalkingProuder]

Until a hiring is made it will be "insert coach's name here" is a terrible choice because he was fired, because he doesn't change his game plan, because he plays the wrong players, because I watched a game and he got out coached, because he doesn't play the kids enough of the time, because his teams advanced stats were weak on Tuesday nights in March. Because his team earned 100 points but that had nothing to do with him but two years later they had 75 points and that was all because of him, because he won a Cup but that doesn't count because his team won in spite of him.

Hopefully a hiring is made soon so we can just focus on why that one head coach will be such a terrible choice.

Pretty Much. And if we hire someone inexperienced the narrative from the get go will be he is in over his head and ruining the team.

 

[CaptPantalones]

Does that mean we cant trade a 2nd?

As is my understanding yes

 

[Karate Johnson*]

Is Pittsburgh really even a well built team?

I'm sure DB made some mistakes, but he was also coaching a flawed team.

In addition, people learn from their mistakes.

If he's the choice I'm totally fine with it.