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BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres have fired coach Don Granato, the group introduced Tuesday, sooner or later after wrapping up a league-record thirteenth straight season with out the playoffs.
Granato took over because the interim coach of the Sabres on the finish of the 2020-21 season after which spent the final three seasons because the group’s head coach. In that point, Buffalo had seasons of 75 factors, 91 factors after which 84 factors this season. Granato was the sixth-longest tenured coach within the NHL earlier than getting fired and had coached the seventh-most video games in NHL historical past with out making the playoffs.
“I wish to thank Don for his time in Buffalo and dedication to the Sabres group,” common supervisor Kevyn Adams mentioned in a press release. “He has been integral within the improvement of a lot of our gamers and has undoubtedly been the fitting coach to convey us to the place we are actually, however I felt it was crucial to maneuver in a distinct route at this time limit. My expectation is to be a constant contender and sadly that purpose has not been met.”
Together with Granato, the Sabres additionally fired assistant coach Jason Christie and video coordinator Matt Smith. That leaves goalie coach Mike Bales and assistants Matt Ellis and Marty Wilford on employees, however their futures are unsure because the Sabres once more search for one other head coach.
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Whereas Buffalo confirmed plenty of enchancment early in Granato’s tenure, the group was anticipated to make the following step and get into the playoffs this season. As an alternative, the Sabres regressed. The facility play completed twenty eighth within the NHL, Buffalo allowed extra first-period objectives than any group within the NHL and performed October, November and December at a 73-point tempo. The group scored 47 fewer objectives than it did a season in the past and didn’t have a single participant attain 60 factors after 5 gamers did so final season.
On high of that, the Sabres by no means managed to win greater than three video games in a row this season. They entered a sport inside 4 factors of the playoffs six instances this season and went 0-6 in these video games. The group’s incapability to deal with stress and make the required changes all through the season sealed Granato’s destiny.
Previous to the 2022-23 season, Buffalo signed Granato to a two-year contract extension although he had two seasons left on his authentic deal. That contract extension was set to kick in beginning subsequent season at a wage of just below $2 million, so Sabres proprietor Terry Pegula will probably be paying Granato just below $4 million to not coach the group subsequent season.
Granato is the seventh coach Pegula has fired since he purchased the group in 2011. Granato coached essentially the most video games (274) and had the perfect factors share (.495) of any coach Buffalo had because it fired Lindy Ruff in 2013.
When Granato signed his extension in October 2022, he mentioned, “In our occupation, there is no such thing as a stability. You’re used to that, you’re accustomed to that. That is good, however our stability is success everyday.”
The Sabres didn’t have sufficient success, and now they’re searching for the eighth coach since Pegula purchased the group as they attempt to finish the playoff drought at 13 seasons.
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(Photograph: Sam Navarro / USA At the moment)
