Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff is rightfully a finalist for the Jack Adams Award.
Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff has been named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award, which is given to the NHL's best head coach.
Seeing Ruff be a finalist for the Jack Adams Award is not surprising in the slightest. Ruff not only helped the Sabres get back into the playoffs for the first time since 2011, but led them to become one of the best teams in the NHL.
The Sabres finished this season at the top of the Atlantic Division standings with a 50-23-9 record and 109 points. This included the Sabres going 36-9-5 in their final 50 games of the regular season.
Given how significantly the Sabres turned around this season, it is fair to argue that Ruff is the most deserving for the Jack Adams this year. However, he will be going up against two head coaches who also had strong years behind the bench in Dan Muse (Pittsburgh Penguins) and Jon Cooper (Tampa Bay Lightning).
It will now be interesting to see if Ruff ends up winning the Jack Adams from here.