Goodbye Captain...

Well Jason Pominville is now officially a member of the Minnesota Wild. Darcy Regier has already given multiple interviews following the trade and he keeps using the words "we" "we're" and "us"... Attaching himself to the future of our team, whilst he butchers the roster and rips the heart out of the fan base. The core of this team is gone, Lindy Ruff and Jason Pominville are just the first 2 of what is sure to be a BIG change in Sabre's hockey for years to come. There is no return or recovering from this, and the audacity of Terry Pegula to leave this man in charge and parade himself in front of the media is a perfect example of a young owner who is making rookie mistakes. Ted Black and Mr. Pegula are no where to be found, yet just a few months ago he was grinning like child meeting his idols soaking up camera opportunities with Lindy Ruff and Darcy Regier. Pominville gave his heart and soul to this hockey team and community, and this is how you repay him? By telling him first that there is no deal in the works and then that your just doing your job. How do you expect to sign top free agents in the future He's willing to trade the leader of his team to save his own job? Players are surely losing respect for the aging tenured GM and quite frankly this fan base is near lynch mob. He also claimed in his press conference tonight that the way to win is build around the draft and then add talent specialties through free agency and trades, saying that the sabres had never followed that formula before. When a reporter posed the fact that the sabres had done this with pominville, vanek, stafford, briere, drury, he thought about it and bashfully admitted they had used this formula before and it didn't work. So what leads anyone to believe that this story has any other ending?

The best way to kill a snake is to cut off the head.

Earlier today it was reported that Sabres captain Jason Pominville was asked to provide his list of 8 teams he would not waive his no movement clause for. Just a few hours later Robyn Regehr was moved to Los Angeles, whom along with TJ Brennan and Jordan Leopold became the 3rd defensemen traded this season by GM Darcy Regier.  Leopold and Regehr would be UFA's after this season and likely would have moved on as the Sabres appear be to amidst a rebuilding phase. I think these were necessary moves for Darcy Regier who is hoping to keep his job this summer, however axing Pominville may not be the best decision. Especially if your not getting a prospect along with a pick to possilby of replacing some of the 70 or so points Pominville has averaged the past 5 seasons in Buffalo. While you want to get as many pieces for the future as possible, at what cost are you willing to do so? Pominville and Vanek are 2 of the few contracts on Regier's recent resume that make sense. The blunders of Ville Leino, Drew Stafford and Tyler Myers aren't going any where, and the inability to retain top talent has littered his past, yet Terry Pegula continues to let this hazardous decision making continue. Part of being an owner or "boss" is knowing when enough is enough, and being able to see when someone in management is at their wits end pulling at straws. Regier is in survival mode, hes willing to part ways with the only valuable assets to this team, in an effort to save himself. I understand you have to be willing to sacrifice now to win later, but shouldn't the guy who's made these deals and dug this hole be first one to go. At least if you are going to ruin this team for the next 5 years let someone who isn't on life support do the decision making. Your not saving face or being "classy" by keeping this man around. After hes traded all the talent away and all that remains is the over paid and under performing few will be eager to join his squad. It's not as if Regier is amazingly successful in the draft as of late, 5 years ago we had a bunch of talent coming up through rochester/portland, thats not so much the case anymore. Of the past 3 draft classes Mikhail Girgorenko is the only player to record an NHL point for the sabres. So who should really be getting the axe... Darcy?

Guess who?

            There is a very good chance the Buffalo Sabres will go from having the same coach for 16 years to having 3 coaches in less than 12 months. Although its possible Mr. Rolston will turn the team around force Terry to keep him behind the bench for a while, I wanted to take a look at him and the other possible and somewhat probable candidates. I've also included links to their HockeyDB pages so you can check out their résumé's.

Ron Rolston

Let's start with the guy currently behind the bench, He got the call just 2 days ago, having less than 12 hours to prepare himself for his first NHL coaching appearance. The team hasn't helped him much, but Coach Rolston has held it together nicely, handling the media train fairly well for a coach in his position. He's spent 2 years behind the bench in Rochester coaching many of the same players he will in Buffalo, including Ryan Miller. Prior to that he spent 7 years working with US national team development program, getting teams ready for international tournaments, coaching his teams to 3 gold medals in the IIHF U-18's. He's also coached for Boston College. Ron Rolston brings to the table the seemingly limitless ability to progress and excel a young players career, which he has done countless times preparing players for the blue and gold. His hockey sense and simplistic approach may make it a little easier on the transition. If ownership decides to keep him in Buffalo they need to be sure of his ability to deal with superstar and professional talent. Ego's and attitudes are magnified especially in physical sports. Whether or not Rolston will handle them fluently, only time will tell. Although superstars weren't always far away, he is the older brother of Stanley cup winning Brian Rolston.

Phil Housley

Housley is an ex sabre captain, and NHL veteran. A Sabres first round draft pick in '82 who played with the team for 8 years, and spent 20 years in the league. Most recently he coached the U.S. juniors team a gold medal at the 2013 world juniors in Russia. Housley played with Ruff his entire time in Buffalo. His relationship with the team and his coaching career seemingly just beginning its hard not to connect the theoretical dots. Limited experience behind the bench leaves the possibility of assistant or associate at first. Maybe the core veterans on this team could use someone else who's been through it. 

Randy Cunneyworth

The first man on this list with previous Head Coaching experience is ex- Sabre and former Canadians interim head coach Randy Cunneyworth. Should the Sabres look at him, he would bring a gritty hardworking style behind the bench. Upon his retirement, he went straight to work on the Sabres' AHL coaching staff, where he was a head coach for nearly a decade, missing the playoffs just twice in 8 years. He then went to the Canadians AHL counterpart for 1 season leading them deep into the playoffs, and next season was promoted to assistant coach under Jacques Martin. When the Habs sputtered out of the gate, Cunneyworth got the call. He only coached 51 games and went 18-23, but was never truly given a fair shake. Not speaking french or being Canadian made him easily unlikable to a rabid fan base who's team was in disarray. A fact GM Pierre Gauthier solidified when upon the coaches promotion, apologized to the Canadians fans for Cunneyworth being American/speaking English. Cunneyworth's close ties to Buffalo and AHL coaching career should make the list.



Franchise ties aside, I'd like to take a look at some outside possibilities. Bringing in someone completely new wouldn't be a terrible thing. Assessing candidates on their outside accomplishments without the blinders of them being an ex-player might be just what the doctor ordered.  Also these are all re-treads, I personally would prefer someone with some NHL coaching in their background, however I think the Sabres will go with new blood.

First up Scott Gordon, the current Toronto Maple Leafs asst coach and ex NY Islanders head coach was a stud in the AHL. Consistently taking the Providence Bruins to winning records and playoff appearances. However his start in the NHL was shaky at best coaching the teams that GM Garth Snow and owner Charles Wang scraped together. But I wont fault Gordon for that, the leafs wasted no time scooping him up the next season.

Paul Maruice, I know there is no chance in hell this is going to happen. The ex Hurricanes coach is happy behind the bench of KHL's Metallurg Magnitogorsk. However he's stated he would return to the NHL in the right situation with the right offer. If it happens I'd imagine he wouldn't be in a head coaching position anyway.

Patrick Roy, that's right. The man himself. Currently head coach of the Quebec Remparts in the QMJHL. When Lindy was fired Roy's agent commented on how he would like to explore options in the NHL. I don't know what to think about this but you never know, and its definitely worth mentioning.