Sabres looking for general manager, coach again
The mess that is the Buffalo Sabres is going to take more than a competent hockey person to fix it.
It’s easy to change coaches and general managers. The Sabres have that part down, as the new GM will be the third in seven years after Tim Murray was fired Thursday. They also will be looking for their fourth coach in that same time frame after Dan Bylsma was fired Thursday.
Whoever is hired has no margin for error. Buffalo has only $1.32 million in cap space and has five unrestricted free agents and four restricted free agents. In 2018-19, there will be four UFAs and five RFAs, including star center Jack Eichel.
Speaking of Eichel, believe what you want of his comments about Bylsma and his reluctance to re-sign with Buffalo combined with his quick counterattack claiming his comments were taken out of context. Bottom line? He’s going to get a new coach, and he is face of the franchise.
Truth is, Eichel’s missing the first 21 games with a high ankle sprain hurt the Sabres far more than any comments he might have made after the season. Buffalo didn’t have the depth to overcome Eichel’s injury and finished last in the Atlantic Division.
The Sabres have other concerns. There’s forward Kyle Okposo, who was shut down late in the season and whose health is in question after he spent almost a week in a neurological intensive care unit. He was in the first year of a seven-year, $42 million deal.
Goaltenders Robin Lehner and Anders Nilsson are free agents, and combined they made $3.2 million this season. The new general manager will have to make a decision on them.
But the biggest challenge in Buffalo? Regaining the fans’ trust in the franchise. The Sabres have one of the NHL’s most loyal fan bases, but fans have been fooled into believing that the team is going to have long-term success.
The Sabres last appeared in the playoffs in 2011. It’s hard to have faith in a product that comes up consistently short.
NHL Awards Show/Expansion Draft
There appears to be confusion regarding tickets to the NHL Awards Show/Expansion Draft reveal on June 21 at T-Mobile Arena.
Golden Knights season-ticket holders will be invited to participate in a presale for the event. The tickets that are purchased probably won’t be the person’s seat for the season. Prices will be $20, $25 and $30, and specific information will be released by the team Monday.
On 10 a.m. May 3, public sale for the event begins at tmobilearena.com. The NHL has not released ticket prices for the public sale.
Award finalists announced
The NHL began to announce its finalists for the awards show. Finalists for the Selke Trophy, which goes to the best defensive forward, are three-time winner Patrice Bergeron of Boston, 2011 winner Ryan Kesler of Anaheim and Mikko Koivu of Minnesota.
Toronto’s Auston Matthews, Winnipeg’s Patrik Laine and Columbus’ Zach Werenski are finalists for the Calder Tophy, which goes to the Rookie of the Year.
Finalists for the Norris Trophy, given to the top defenseman, are San Jose’s Brent Burns, Ottawa’s Erik Karlsson and Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman. The Vezina Trophy finalists for top goaltender are Columbus’ Sergei Bobrovsky, Montreal’s Carey Price and Washington’s Braden Holtby.
The finalists for the other awards will be announced throughout this week, starting Sunday with the Lady Byng Trophy.
Montgomery, Panthers to meet
Jim Montgomery, who coached Denver to the NCAA championship, is expected to interview with the Florida Panthers for the team’s coaching job.
“In life, there are only so many opportunities, and you have to listen,” Montgomery told the Denver Post. “But it’s going to have to take the perfect situation for me to leave Denver. There is no indication from Florida that I’m their No. 1 guy — or No. 2 or No. 3 guy. I’m just going to sit and talk with them.”
Steve Carp’s weekly NHL notebook appears Sundays. Contact him at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow @stevecarprj on Twitter.