Buffalo Sabres fire coach Don Granato and multiple others

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Liam McCormick
April 16, 2024 (7:39)

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Moments ago, several NHL insiders broke the news that the Buffalo Sabres have fired head coach Don Granato along with the assistant coach and video coach.

The following members of the coaching staff have been relieved of their duties: Head coach Don Granato, Assistant Coach Jason Christie, Video Coach Matt Smith.

The decision come as the Sabres have now missed the playoffs for the 13th season in a row. The Sabres finished this season with 84 points, which puts them only about 3 or 4 wins away from a playoff berth - when the margins are that slim, you need the most out of your coaching staff. Clearly, Granato wasn't cutting it in Buffalo anymore.

It'll be interesting to see if this signals a new era for the Buffalo Sabres, where they try to be more competitive and make another push toward the playoffs. They have a young core of players signed to long term contracts, including stars like Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin, and much more. With their core and perhaps a few additions in free agency or trade, the Sabres should be able to threaten for a playoff spot next season.

It's long overdue that they make an actual effort to compete for the postseason. Since the Sabres sold their souls to tank for Connor McDavid and lost out with Jack Eichel, the team has never been able to return to a winning culture - a coaching change is the first step towards fixing that.