The Buffalo Sabres have decided to make a change following their 13th consecutive season without making the playoffs. Head coach Don Granato, assistant coach Jason Christie, and video coordinator Matt Smith were all let go by general manager Kevyn Adams. Granato, who had been with the team since 2019, was promoted to the interim head coach position in 2021 before being given a full-time role at the end of that season. Despite signing a two-year contract extension last year, Granato’s time with the team has come to an end.
Buffalo finished the 2023-24 NHL season with a record of 39-37-6, which was a drop of seven points from the previous year. The team closed out their schedule with a 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Now the Sabres will be in search of their seventh head coach since their last playoff appearance in 2011. Adams has stated that he is looking for a veteran presence to take over behind the bench for the team.
Speculation has arisen that former Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff or Joel Quenneville could be potential candidates for the coaching vacancy. Ruff, who took the team to the Stanley Cup Final in 1999, was recently let go by the New Jersey Devils. Quenneville, a three-time Stanley Cup winner, resigned from the Florida Panthers in 2021 and has expressed his desire to return to coaching. With a young core of talent on the roster, including first-overall draft picks Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power, the Sabres could be an appealing destination for a veteran coach.
The Sabres’ decision to give rookie goalie Devon Levi the starting role at just 21 years old may have contributed to their struggles this season. Levi posted a record of 5-2-0 before getting injured, leading to a revolving door of goalies for the team. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen eventually emerged as the team’s starter, finishing the season with a record of 27-22-4 and setting himself up for a potential raise as a restricted free agent this summer. Granato’s tenure with the team saw a record of 122-125-27 over 274 games, making him the league’s sixth-longest-tenured coach at the time of his dismissal.
With the NHL seeing a flurry of coaching changes last season, the Sabres’ decision to part ways with Granato is just the latest in a series of shifts behind the benches of NHL teams. As the league enters the offseason, more coaching changes are expected to occur as teams assess their rosters and look to make improvements for the coming seasons. The search for a new head coach in Buffalo will be closely watched as the team aims to turn the tide and end their playoff drought.
