The playoff drought continues, and the Buffalo Sabres will try again starting this off-season by finding a new coach and seeing which players are on their way out.
Rasmus Dahlin and Eric ComrieHaving missed the playoffs for an NHL-record 13th straight season, the Buffalo Sabres wasted no time getting started on some changes. Coach Don Granato was relieved of his duties on Tuesday despite having a two-year contract extension beginning next season.
GM Kevyn Adams said he'll seek an experienced bench boss to replace Granato. The Hockey News Buffalo's Michael Augello listed former NHL coaches Gerard Gallant, Joel Quenneville, Craig Berube, Bruce Boudreau and former Sabres coach Lindy Ruff as possible candidates. Michael DeRosa cited Bally Sports Midwest's Andy Strickland, speculating that Berube could be near the top of the list.
Other candidates could include Jay Woodcroft, Dean Evason, D.J. Smith or Lane Lambert.
Turning to the roster, The Athletic's Matthew Fairburn doesn't expect the same group of players to return next season. UFAs include Victor Olofsson, Tyson Jost, Zemgus Girgensons and Eric Robinson.
WGR 550's Howard Simon believes the Sabres should bolster their offense after their production declined this season. He doesn't see any help coming from this summer's free agent market, suggesting Adams should draw on his deep well of promising forwards and draft picks as trade bait to address that issue.
ESPN.com's Kristen Shilton thinks Adams must find the right complementary players to support the Sabres' core. She suggested bringing in veteran depth with consistent talent.
DeRosa felt Adams should target the Anaheim Ducks. Winger Frank Vatrano is coming off a career-best 34-goal, 57-point performance this season, earning him a trip to the 2024 All-Star Game. DeRosa also proposed Ryan Strome as an improvement over Peyton Krebs as the Sabres' third-line center.
DeRosa suggested Adams look into signing Steven Stamkos if the Tampa Bay Lightning captain becomes a UFA this summer. The 34-year-old winger, however, could prefer signing with a Cup contender than a club stuck in a perennial rebuild. Adams might have an easier time signing DeRosa's other suggested Lightning UFA targets like Matt Dumba or Tyler Motte.