Confirmed with Link: Lindy Ruff named Head Coach, Press Conference at 1:00 PM EDT

[Jim Bob]

He's a terrible coach though. Why on earth would he give up a paycheck to go do nothing? Pegula was the only one dumb enough to hire him. Nobody else is.

His Sabres contract is for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons.

His Devils contract was through the 2025-26 season.

I doubt Lindy leaves a significant amount of money on the table if he walks away tomorrow and just retires.

Lindy turns 65 years old next month and has worked in hockey for over 40 years. If he's had a decent financial advisor over the years, he doesn't need to coach to pay the bills.

 

[Tijuana Donkey Show]

Maybe he's done for and this franchise is the end of him. I don't understand why he didn't want to add good assistants before the season, and if he did, why is he just keeping quiet while Adams blatantly lies to all of us at a press conference that Ruff was completely satisfied with this garbage coaching staff.

Publicly saying you hate your support staff is a terrible way to get any productivity from anybody in any org. Whatever you’re seeing now would be 10x worse had he stood up and said that the entire coaching staff needs to be fired.

This isn’t how the world works.

 

[Fjordy]

Publicly saying you hate your support staff is a terrible way to get any productivity from anybody in any org. Whatever you’re seeing now would be 10x worse had he stood up and said that the entire coaching staff needs to be fired.

This isn’t how the world works.

I'm not saying he should do it publicly, although it's weird to keep quiet when your GM is blatantly lying. And it doesn't even mean that this coaching staff is bad, it's just that Ruff wasn't allowed to add personnel, which is just stupid.

 

[Nikolajs Sillers]

Another wrong hire me thinks.

 

[sabresfan129103]

I mean you could have prime Scotty Bowman behind the bench and IDK how much it'll matter if the players stink. I didn't want Lindy as coach because I respect him so much and I didn't want him to deal with this bunch of losers.

 

[Ehran]

Ruff is an okay coach. Not great, not bad.

Just goes to show that the issues with this team go deeper than what one man can resolve.

 

[joshjull]

Please. A hard no to Ruff being POHO or GM. he has never held anything close to those roles. Minus hasek, his coaching career isn't very good at all. It's a terrible joke they would hire him back, but Adams and Terry need their comfort and someone to groom Seth Appert

It would all be pegulas comfort which is the thing that needs to be thrown overboard. Lindy probably has relationships and biases throughout the organization.

They so desperately need someone completely from the outside who can come in objectively and forcibly

What a terrible take.

Outside of the Hasek years Lindy won the Jack Adams with us in 05-06. Then in 06-07 we had the best record in the NHL. Made the conference finals both seasons. Two years ago he coached the Devils to the 3rd most points in the NHL.

The Hasek comment though……….. I don’t know how old you are but Hasek was our starter since the 93-94 season. We didn’t do anything in his first 3 seasons in that role and got to the 2nd round his 4th season (96-97). Muckler was HC first two season and Nolan for the next two.

Lindy was hired for the 97-98 season and we went to the Conference Finals his first season and then Cup Finals in his 2nd (98-99). Lost on 1st and 2nd rounds the next two seasons with Hasek. Then Hasek forced his way out.

The NHL was a very different thing back in that era. The gap in spending between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ was enormous. We were very much a ‘have not’ at the point. There was no cap and the top teams were stacked going into the playoffs. Many having multiple future Hall of Famers. You don’t win in that environment with just Hasek.

I mean Hasek won his first Cup on an absolutely stacked Wings team that had about 8 or so future Hall of Famers and several others who were All Stars on it. It’s somewhat amazing we had the run we did in those two years 97-98 + 98-99.

 

[pigpen65]

Ruff is a terrible coach. Sabres fans are the only ones who don't recognize how terrible he is for some reason. And Pegula is the only owner dumb enough to hire him because Pegula is the only owner dumb enough to make organizational decisions like a fan would.

 

[Fezzy126]

Ruff is an okay coach. Not great, not bad.

Just goes to show that the issues with this team go deeper than what one man can resolve.

I'm not coming with pitchforks or anything, but it's interesting that bunch of our numbers are down from where Granato had this group. I know development isn't linear, but as an overall group we should see a progressive rise in the team numbers as these high draft picks continue to gain strength and experience.

I have my issues with Ruff, I did during his first run and still do now. But regardless, we are stuck with him and have to figure out how to turn it around. The manor in which the organization went about rehiring Ruff and the pressers and social media... we'd look like a complete clownshow if we got rid of him again.

At this point I'd clean house with the assistants, tweak the roster, and hope they can put together some semblance of a successful season next year. This team...

 

[Fjordy]

At this point I'd clean house with the assistants, tweak the roster, and hope they can put together some semblance of a successful season next year. This team...

And who should do this, Terry and his lackey GM? I have no faith in them at all, just zero.

 

[Ehran]

I'm not coming with pitchforks or anything, but it's interesting that bunch of our numbers are down from where Granato had this group. I know development isn't linear, but as an overall group we should see a progressive rise in the team numbers as these high draft picks continue to gain strength and experience.

View attachment 958322

I have my issues with Ruff, I did during his first run and still do now. But regardless, we are stuck with him and have to figure out how to turn it around. The manor in which the organization went about rehiring Ruff and the pressers and social media... we'd look like a complete clownshow if we got rid of him again.

At this point I'd clean house with the assistants, tweak the roster, and hope they can put together some semblance of a successful season next year. This team...

I think, as I posted in another thread, Ruff is trying to teach them how to play to actually win in the NHL. Granato's approach could only take them so far but they learned the "fun way" to play but not the "winning way", and its so ingrained ( I mean, who doesn't want to have fun at their job?) that I'm not sure these core players can break the bad habits instilled in them.

So yeah, our numbers are down across the board. Which is to be expected trying to break bad habits.

Unfortunately, the front office hasn't really learned to break their bad habits so the training isn't getting the support it needs. (i.e., vet leaders, effective, experienced, NHL players).

Zucker has been great! But we needed players like that 3 or 4 years ago. He's fighting a losing battle at this point, IMO>

 

[debaser66]

Its a shitty constructed roster not much any coach can do about it

 

[ValJamesDuex]

Lindy is disgusted and sounds like he starting to feel set-up. I hope he pushes KA/TP for a deal or tells them to F off! Appert can take over and we can get a top 3 pick again.

Ruff | Postgame vs. SEA | Buffalo Sabres

Lindy Ruff addresses the media

www.nhl.com

 

[Fjordy]

Lindy is disgusted and sounds like he starting to feel set-up. I hope he pushes KA/TP for a deal or tells them to F off! Appert can take over and we can get a top 3 pick again.

Ruff | Postgame vs. SEA | Buffalo Sabres

Lindy Ruff addresses the media

www.nhl.com

I hope Ruff sinks Adams.

 

[oldgoalie]

I hope Ruff sinks Adams.

you can hope, and I'd love to see it happen, but I don't think Lindy is that kind of employee/person.

 

[Fjordy]

Did Ruff make Dahlin captain ? Cuz that alone is a reason to be fired.

The captain is to blame for the team's results, and not the idiots of the GM and owner? They couldn't win a single game without him. The other players consider him a leader, he does a lot of good things off the ice. Maybe if we had some proven veteran signed for many years he would be the captain, but we don't have him. Dahlin is one of the best defensemen in the league and the best player on the team, the problem is not him.

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

Did Ruff make Dahlin captain ? Cuz that alone is a reason to be fired.

Is Dahlin a great leader? Not in my opinion. Should have an A, not a C. Nobody on the roster jumps out at me as an obvious leader. Dahlin has it practically by default.

Yet again, that's a roster issue - lack of veteran savvy and leadership.

Dahlin wearing the C isn't a grain of sand in the mountain of what's wrong with this team.

 

[joshjull]

I'm not coming with pitchforks or anything, but it's interesting that bunch of our numbers are down from where Granato had this group. I know development isn't linear, but as an overall group we should see a progressive rise in the team numbers as these high draft picks continue to gain strength and experience.

View attachment 958322

I have my issues with Ruff, I did during his first run and still do now. But regardless, we are stuck with him and have to figure out how to turn it around. The manor in which the organization went about rehiring Ruff and the pressers and social media... we'd look like a complete clownshow if we got rid of him again.

At this point I'd clean house with the assistants, tweak the roster, and hope they can put together some semblance of a successful season next year. This team...

Why do you find these numbers interesting? Its seems like an odd framing that does little to inform.

You’re using the last two years of Granato’s tenure (164gms). Not sure why you didn’t just use last season. But either way, those were two seasons with very different expectations and approaches. The first one was the big break out year where we almost made the playoffs. BUT more importantly it was the last season with zero playoff expectations and the players were told to play their games + not to worry about f***ing up. The 2nd season had playoff expectations and Granato came in with a goal to clean up their game. In other words, start worrying about your mistakes and play a more rounded team game.

The start of the 2nd season was a team struggling, especially our top guys. By around Thanksgiving Granato gave up trying to clean things up. Either he couldn’t get through to them or the players couldn’t handle it. So he went back to the approach from the year before. He also had to deal with our top 2 centers shitting the bed and/or being injured. But he had Mitts to try to plug the hole to some extent. It still wasn't enough though.

The big difference in approach is Ruff not relenting on trying to get these guys to play the proper way. Calling them out, sitting guys at times, etc. Whereas Granato threw in the towel after 2 months. I’m not even criticizing him or even defending Ruff. It is what it is.

What pisses me off going over these seasons is Adams’ reaction to Granato giving up on cleaning up their game last Thanksgiving. It was pretty obvious there was a problem. Is it the Coach? Is it the players? Or both? But Admas did absolutely nothing until the trade deadline. When he traded our best performing center for a dman we didn’t need. Then Adams makes a rage inducing after firing Granato last offseason. That a change was probably needed around last Thanksgiving. But he thought he’d let them see if they could play their way out of it.

It seems pretty obvious at this point that the problem is the roster construction, in other words the players. I don’t expect Adam to do anything. Or if he does, he won’t do the right thing.

 

[Archie Lee]

Why do you find these numbers interesting? Its seems like an odd framing that does little to inform.

You’re using the last two years of Granato’s tenure (164gms). Not sure why you didn’t just use last season. But either way, those were two seasons with very different expectations and approaches. The first one was the big break out year where we almost made the playoffs. BUT more importantly it was the last season with zero playoff expectations and the players were told to play their games + not to worry about f***ing up. The 2nd season had playoff expectations and Granato came in with a goal to clean up their game. In other words, start worrying about your mistakes and play a more rounded team game.

The start of the 2nd season was a team struggling, especially our top guys. By around Thanksgiving Granato gave up trying to clean things up. Either he couldn’t get through to them or the players couldn’t handle it. So he went back to the approach from the year before. He also had to deal with our top 2 centers shitting the bed and/or being injured. But he had Mitts to try to plug the hole to some extent. It still wasn't enough though.

The big difference in approach is Ruff not relenting on trying to get these guys to play the proper way. Calling them out, sitting guys at times, etc. Whereas Granato threw in the towel after 2 months. I’m not even criticizing him or even defending Ruff. It is what it is.

What pisses me off going over these seasons is Adams’ reaction to Granato giving up on cleaning up their game last Thanksgiving. It was pretty obvious there was a problem. Is it the Coach? Is it the players? Or both? But Admas did absolutely nothing until the trade deadline. When he traded our best performing center for a dman we didn’t need. Then Adams makes a rage inducing after firing Granato last offseason. That a change was probably needed around last Thanksgiving. But he thought he’d let them see if they could play their way out of it.

It seems pretty obvious at this point that the problem is the roster construction, in other words the players. I don’t expect Adam to do anything. Or if he does, he won’t do the right thing.

My take is that Granato understood his roster and was coaching them to be successful at what they do best (which is, what a coach should do). Ruff has basically been coaching really bad defensive teams for almost all of his last 10 years as a head coach. We are on pace to have 5 fewer points than we had in yr 1 under Granato, when our roster featured Hinostroza, Asplund, Bjork, Pysyk, Hagg, Tokarski, and Dell. There is no getting around these two things:

- Our current roster is not good enough. I think, generally, it is because we are too young and inexperienced, but there are also some balance issues with the roster; and
- Ruff has done an objectively awful job.

 

[Fjordy]

My take is that Granato understood his roster and was coaching them to be successful at what they do best (which is, what a coach should do). Ruff has basically been coaching really bad defensive teams for almost all of his last 10 years as a head coach. We are on pace to have 5 fewer points than we had in yr 1 under Granato, when our roster featured Hinostroza, Asplund, Bjork, Pysyk, Hagg, Tokarski, and Dell. There is no getting around these two things:

- Our current roster is not good enough. I think, generally, it is because we are too young and inexperienced, but there are also some balance issues with the roster; and
- Ruff has done an objectively awful job.

Adams did a terrible job and Ruff wasn't allowed to hire his guys. I think Wilford and Appert are doing a bad job. Maybe Ruff isn't right for this roster, but it's not his fault, this roster sucks and I don't like it, it's poorly built.

 

[Archie Lee]

Adams did a terrible job and Ruff wasn't allowed to hire his guys. I think Wilford and Appert are doing a bad job. Maybe Ruff isn't right for this roster, but it's not his fault, this roster sucks and I don't like it, it's poorly built.

Adams was clear in stating (at his recent press conference or the recent WGR interview, I can't recall which), that Ruff was free to make changes to the coaching staff and opted to work with what was here. Maybe Adams was lying, but I would only think less of Ruff if he:
1.) Accepted the job with the understanding he had no control over the coaching staff; and
2.) Allowed his boss to openly lie about who was responsible for the assistant coaches.
Ruff, at the very least, is complicit in this mess.

 

[Fjordy]

Adams was clear in stating (at his recent press conference or the recent WGR interview, I can't recall which), that Ruff was free to make changes to the coaching staff and opted to work with what was here. Maybe Adams was lying, but I would only think less of Ruff if he:
1.) Accepted the job with the understanding he had no control over the coaching staff; and
2.) Allowed his boss to openly lie about who was responsible for the assistant coaches.
Ruff, at the very least, is complicit in this mess.

Probably lied and Ruff just took the job because it was Buffalo and he wanted to help fix it. The main blame goes to the owner and GM for me.