Confirmed with Link: Granato Out (Jason Christie & Matt Smith also let go, Ellis being reassigned)

[debaser66]

Its good that it has been done.
Probably should have been done in December to not waste another season.
The next season should be Adams last chance, his inactivity, bad roster management & the Mitts trade are enough bad signs for me.
He is similar to Granato, I dont think he has got the right vision to build a competitive roster.
He needs to bolster the lineup with enough vets.
The jury is out on what he does this summer.

 

[Dreakon13]

Adams: This decision was on me
My reaction: Then why didn't you take action earlier? This was also your decision not to can Donny in October/November/Dec/Jan/Feb/March

Its good that it has been done.
Probably should have been done in December to not waste another season.

Not picking on you two, but just examples of a few people saying this...

I don't think firing Donny was as important as getting the right coach/message coming in. I doubt it would've saved the season to get rid of him in December and have some interim assistant step in while they do their due diligence, at best it might've shook the guys up but that would've lasted 2-3 games before routine and all the same issues crept back in.

Pulling the plug too soon would've been a real knee-jerk reaction considering their (by drought standards) relatively successful season last year, and giving this group one more chance to turn it around on their own. Pulling the plug with 10 games left would've been petty and unnecessary. Neither would be as effective as doing it in the offseason and coming in with a fresh start (new season, new coaches, new message, new approach). I don't think it's hard to see why it was done this way.

 

[BFLO]

Not picking on you two, but just examples of a few people saying this...

I don't think firing Donny was as important as getting the right coach/message coming in. I doubt it would've saved the season to get rid of him in December and have some interim assistant step in, at best it might've shook the guys up but that would've lasted 2-3 games before routine and all the same issues crept back in.

Pulling the plug too soon would've been a real knee-jerk reaction considering their (by drought standards) relatively successful season last year, and giving this group one more chance to turn it around on their own. Pulling the plug with 10 games left would've been petty and unnecessary. Neither would be as effective as doing it in the offseason and coming in with a fresh start (new season, new coaches, new message, new approach). I don't think it's hard to see why it was done this way.

Plenty of real coaches have been hired in season by other orgs and gone on to have success. We're not relegated to promoting Matt Ellis or Appert just because the move was made in season.

 

[Dreakon13]

Plenty of real coaches have been hired in season by other orgs and gone on to have success. We're not relegated to promoting Matt Ellis or Appert just because the move was made in season.

I guess I believe there's maybe a 15 game window where it might've made sense in the middle of the season that could've worked (enough games passed to disregard the successes of last season, enough games left to believe it could've made a difference)... IF they had the right guy already lined up.

Though I think there's more work to do here than a mid-season shake up to turn the team around. A lot of youthful bad habits to work out, a lot of structure to work in.

 

[BFLO]

I guess I believe there's maybe a 15 game window where it would've made sense in the middle of the season that could've worked (enough games passed to disregard the successes of last season, enough games left to believe it could've made a difference)... IF they had the right guy already lined up.

Though I think there's more work to do here than a mid-season shake up to turn the team around. A lot of youthful bad habits to work out, a lot of structure to work in.

Even if it didn't save this season it's still up to 6 additional months in the new coaches system which could lead to more success the following season.

See the Canucks hiring Tocchet with 36 games remaining in the 2022-23 season. They went 20-12-4 under Tocchet but still missed the playoffs.

The following season they went 50-22-9 for 109 points

 

[OkimLom]

Finally got around watching the presser. Wanted to make sure I was watching it with a neutral feeling.

Overall, and I know it worked for others, but this did nothing to build any confidence in him for me. The whole tone that Adams came off was different, but I didn't come away confident in his ability to make the decisions needed where change needs to take place on the roster.

Every single thing he said in it, was said by at least one poster, and the majority of what was said, was said by multiple posters and many times closer to when these things happened.

We'll see where we end up.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

I make fun of myself for my wrongs more than I take credit for when I'm right, so I'm not trying to prop myself up. The Zito thing was taking a shot a rising star that turned out to be right, but my overall point is that I'll always want the shot at the high upside option, not that I'm right when others are wrong. Sorry if it came off that way...

Also, I've never been accused of being a hipster before, that's definitely a new one

I don't think we're hiring Peca, KA said he wanted experience and I believe him. But I like him as an up and comer based on his brief time in Rochester, how he handled himself in interviews, and now his progression under big name coach in Lavi. Peca was specifically tasked with working on the Rangers PP and faceoffs, and they went from 7th to 3rd in PP%, and from 20th to 7th in faceoff percentage. Not to mention they went from 3rd in the division a year ago to winning the presidents trophy this year. The Rangers took some big strides and since their core and coaching staff is largely the same, I'm choosing to give Peca some big credit here.

Apparently Peca soured on the organization and refuses to work with the Pegula Sabres again under any scenario, so I think you can cross that one off for the long term as well.

 

[Dreakon13]

Even if it didn't save this season it's still up to 6 additional months in the new coaches system which could lead to more success the following season.

See the Canucks hiring Tocchet with 36 games remaining in the 2022-23 season. They went 20-12-4 under Tocchet but still missed the playoffs.

The following season they went 50-22-9 for 109 points

Not saying it's never worked. Just that I can understand them waiting until the offseason if they did want to give them the benefit of the doubt for their relative successes last season, if they didn't have the right guy lined up yet, and/or if they knew that this group was probably more than a switch flip away from that kind of productivity.

 

[Chainshot]

Apparently Peca soured on the organization and refuses to work with the Pegula Sabres again under any scenario, so I think you can cross that one off for the long term as well.

Need a source on that.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Need a source on that.

Reported as fact, not a rumor. He seems to have a source.

 

[MeenOlViks]

25 years since "NO Goal"
Lindy's coming home.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

I'm one of the few people who thought the roster construction was a much bigger issue than coaching, so hiring Lindy or Berube doesn't really give me a lot more hope for next season...I'm more interested in Adams roster changes/improvements.

 

[Dingo44]

Reported as fact, not a rumor. He seems to have a source.

I am just finding out there is both an Instigator podcast and an Instigators podcast.

I've never heard a negative thing about Peca and the Sabres since he held out and forced a trade so I'm still going to question the source.

 

[Chainshot]

Reported as fact, not a rumor. He seems to have a source.

How far in? Also odd that there is no mention of this anywhere in their blog ever.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

I am just finding out there is both an Instigator podcast and an Instigators podcast.

I've never heard a negative thing about Peca and the Sabres since he held out and forced a trade so I'm still going to question the source.

I don't see it as negative about Peca. Sounds like his feelings were hurt or whatever, and he prefers not to come back. Most people don't go back to ex-employers once they leave because they left for a reason. Doesn't seem the slightest bit strange to me.

How far in? Also odd that there is no mention of this anywhere in their blog ever.

Pretty far in -- probably towards the end?

 

[Beerz]

I don't see it as negative about Peca. Sounds like his feelings were hurt or whatever, and he prefers not to come back. Most people don't go back to ex-employers once they leave because they left for a reason. Doesn't seem the slightest bit strange to me.


Pretty far in -- probably towards the end?

I mean he left for a promotion

 

[Chainshot]

I mean he left for a promotion

And he left as part of the process laid out by Lavi to get to being an assistant - go to the AHL and be a behind the bench assistant. That's what Laviolette told him to do and what he did, did it well, and then came back to Lavi's staff in his next stop. I'm 46 minutes in and haven't heard it mentioned.

 

[Dingo44]

And he left as part of the process laid out by Lavi to get to being an assistant - go to the AHL and be a behind the bench assistant. That's what Laviolette told him to do and what he did, did it well, and then came back to Lavi's staff in his next stop. I'm 46 minutes in and haven't heard it mentioned.

I finally got to that part. Basically sounds like "I heard a guy who said he heard from a guy who said he doesn't want to come back to the Sabres" which isn't all that convincing.

 

[Chainshot]

49 minutes they start talking about Peca.

I feel played.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

49 minutes they start talking about Peca.

I feel played.

You're the one who insisted on hearing it for yourself.

I finally got to that part. Basically sounds like "I heard a guy who said he heard from a guy who said he doesn't want to come back to the Sabres" which isn't all that convincing.

So you think it's more likely that Peca wants to come back to Buffalo after asking for a promotion and being rejected?

 

[Chainshot]

"I'm not telling you it's gospel, it's what I heard that Peca has no interest in coming back to the Pegula Sabres" at 51.5 minutes. 'mkay.

There are so many folks who I trust in terms of what they know about what happens around the team and I don't have this guy in my group of them so I'll take it in and add it with a grain of salt. Peca was part of the Jr. Sabres for years and years and the path to being an assistant involved the organization doing him a solid to give him an AHL assistant job so that he could go work for someone else in the league.

 

[Chainshot]

I keep coming back to this and doing a little happy dance in my office chair -

 

[Zman5778]

I keep coming back to this and doing a little happy dance in my office chair -

Ellis is fine as a development coach.

Him getting out from behind the bench is music to my ears.

 

[Chainshot]

Ellis is fine as a development coach.

Him getting out from behind the bench is music to my ears.

I don't even know if he's a good development coach. But he can't be behind a bench at this level.

 

[Chainshot]

Reported as fact, not a rumor. He seems to have a source.

Okay, so I listened to the whole thing and I keep coming back to how my ex (who does podcast production) and another Sabre podcaster had told me years ago that I should have done that.

At least I got in a walk with the dogs.