AP Reports suggest the Buffalo Sabres will hire Dan Bylsma

After throwing crazy money at new Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock and missing out, it seems the Buffalo Sabres have settled on an adequate backup plan as John Wawrow reports the team is set to hire Dan Bylsma.

 

Further Associated Press reports suggest the Sabres previously met twice with the former Pittsburgh Penguins coach.

A person familiar with the discussions says former Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma is meeting with the Buffalo Sabres for a second straight day regarding their coaching vacancy.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press on Thursday because the Sabres have not disclosed details of their search to replace Ted Nolan, who was fired last month.

The meeting took place a day after Bylsma met with Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula and general manager Tim Murray.

Getting Bylsma to coach the team would be a great move for a rebuilding Sabres team. In six seasons with the Penguins, Bylsma posted an absurd 252 wins in 401 games while winning a Stanley Cup in his first season with the club. While many will point to his first-round exits, the team was handcuffed by Ray Shero and his ability to add depth to the club.

The Sabres are a good coach and a couple of good pieces away from mending their rebuild. They’ve got a bevy of good young players with Rasmus Ristolainen, Nikita Zadorov, Zemgus Girgensons, Sam Reinhart and not yet drafted Jack Eichel, who should all play meaningful NHL minutes next season.

If the team does hire Bylsma, it’s likely they’ll have to give Pittsburgh a draft pick as compensation. The whole draft pick compensation thing is a slippery slope, here’s TSN’s Pierre LeBrun’s explanation on the process for fired (and hired) coaches.

The initial explanation I was given from someone in the know was that if a coach/executive was fired, even if still under contract, the team in question did not qualify for draft pick compensation from the team hiring the fired person. That was also what most team executives I had spoken with thought.

However, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly, who authored the memo on this, told ESPN.com Monday that for coaches, general managers or presidents of hockey operations who are fired but remain under contract, their teams are privy to draft pick compensation if they choose to pursue it.

But the team can also waive the draft pick compensation if it wants, Daly said.

As TSN’s Bob McKenzie tweeted, it’s up to the Penguins on whether they’ll seek compensation.

Draft pick compensation or not, the Sabres will be in much better shape going forward when this deal becomes official and he takes over. We’ll keep you updated.

About Liam McGuire

Social +Staff writer for The Comeback & Awful Announcing. Liammcguirejournalism@gmail.com

Quantcast