Tim Murray finished his final player exit interview at 1:40 pm on Wednesday. That meeting was with Sabres super sophomore Jack Eichel. Murray saved the best player for his last interview. He wanted to counter-balance all of the confidential, closed door testimony of all Sabres players against that of his franchise player. The players talked and Murray listened. Like with most professional sports teams, there are many different personality types in an NHL room . There are over achievers, bitchers, complainers, listeners, workers, winners, whiners, losers, spectators, and producers.
Murray's ears seemingly must have been on fire from the conversations he had had on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with his players and coaches. There was enough blame to be spread around. The Sabres missed the playoffs for the sixth straight season because the team's give-a-sh*t-meter didn't register at "11" for the final 25 games of the season. Not all players lived up to their hype and reputation. Dan Bylsma's strict defensive system was often ignored during long stretches of games and the team lost games when they tried to shuck and jive their way through games. Some Sabres players were habitually loosey goosey, care free and care less and it killed the team's chances in the end.
Murray knows what side his bread is buttered on. He spoke open and honestly to his players. He likely propped the ones who deserves it and ripped to shreds the one's who gave uninspired efforts. He handed them their list summer required "reading" and their work out programs and told them to report back to training camp on September prepared to lead or be cut.
From all indications, Murray is about to turnover 6 or 7 roster spots. The Vegas expansion draft will claim a player as will unrestricted free agency and trades.
Wednesday was Murray's time to summarize feelings about the season. His 31-minute newser contained copious amounts of blood and guts honesty and frustration.
Murray opened with the following statement:
“I’m the general manager of the team, so I guess that’s top of the food chain when it comes to hockey, so I stand here and take full responsibility for our position, our standings and how it finished,” he said.
He quipped that he would "take the knife" and then changed the weapon of choice to "sword".
That's the essence of Murray. Straight between the eyes. Honest. Direct.
The million dollar question was asked out if the gate:
Will Dan a Bylsma be returning to the Sabres bench next season?
“He’s my coach today, I’m the general manager today,” Murray said.
Murray said he will be evaluated by Terry and Kim Pegula next week. Bylsma will be evaluated as well.
“There’s a review top to bottom. I have to meet with ownership next week in Florida. I’m sure I’ll be reviewed, I’m sure I’m being reviewed right now, as I should be.”
Bylsma has three years remaining in his contract with the Sabres. Ditto Murray. As we have learned from the Pegulas in their time as owners of the Buffalo Sabres and Buffalo Bills, money is no object. Rex Ryan was fired after a mediocre second season. The Pegulas will pay him $5.5 a year for the next three years to NOT work for them anymore. Ask Ville Leino, Cody Hodgson and Christian Ehrhoff about being bought out by the Pegulas.
The contract is only as good as the paper it it written on.
“In this game, what I learned is there’s not pats on the back,” Murray said. “If you have a contract, that’s your pat on the back, that’s your term of employment. He has three years left on his deal. I have three years left on my deal. I’m the general manager today. He’s the coach today.
“I haven’t had any thoughts of firing him (Bylsma)up to this point, and the reason I always say today is something can happen tomorrow.”
Operative word:
"TODAY".
I'll be candid. Before this presser, I thought Bylsma stood a 60-70% chance of returning to be the head coach of the Sabres next season. After Murray's comments, I'm leaning more towards 60-70% chance of Bylsma getting canned once Murray meets with the Pegulas next week.
Murray now has in his midst the answers to all of his questions. His players spoke freely and candidly to him about their head coach and his coaching staff.
The NHL is a young man's league. It's now ruled by teens and twenty-somethings. If older coaches cannot relate to Milleanials and tell them to shut up and sit down, they usually get fired. Ask Darryl Sutter and Lindy Ruff. The "my way of the highway' approach doesn't work with today's players.
Older, established coaches like Bylsma must adapt or die.
Murray seemingly heard player after player complain about Bylsma, his assistants and their collective frustrations with the monotony of the strict, defense-first system.
“The players want black and white, that comes to team rules, that comes to team schedules, that comes to team style of play, that comes to role on your team, that comes to being a Buffalo Sabre,” he said. “That doesn’t just fall on the coach – it also falls on the coach – but it also falls on me, it falls on the players.”
Sounds like the recent Samson Reinhart benching went over real well with the players in the room.
"We have to make more demands,” Murray said Wednesday at his season-ending news conference. “I have to make more demands of Dan. Dan has to make more demands of players. I personally have to make more demands of myself, and we intend to do that.”
Murray said Bylsma and his coaches could do a better job of relating with their young players.
“Maybe they could put a coffee in their hand once in a while and do two hours of video instead of three and get out and get to know our players and talk to our players,” he said. “It’s about coaching individuals a little more and coaching system a little less.”
Murray threw more shade at Bylsma when he said:
"I envision us play a fast, puck possession game and we have to get the players who are capable of doing that".
Ouch. Murray's uncle Terry is an assistant on Bylsma's staff. Not a good look for when the GM is telling his veteran coaches to turn of their laptops and go have a face to face chat with the players.
That's Coaching 101, right?
Murray and Bylsma have some work to do. There is a lot of heavy lifting ahead. Will Bylsma still be the head coach by this time next week? That remains to be seen.
“The players have legitimate gripes about the coach," Murray added. "I think players have some legitimate gripes about the way our team is built, and that’s me. I think the players have some gripes that aren’t legitimate and are excuses.
Murray's meeting with with Eichel ended with a promise.
“I made a promise to him that I would do the best that I could to make the team around him better and that we will be a long-term playoff team,” Murray said.
Sounds to me like Jack Eichel will have a huge say in the direction the Sabres will take moving forward. His agent will begin contract extension talks on July 1. Eichel will earn himself an eight year $65 million to $75 million contract. He will likely have the "C" sewn on his sweater.
The testimony of Eichel and his teammates will help Murray decide Bylsma's fate.
NHL GMs don't often reveal in public that they make promises to their star players. Murray will err on the side of Eichel and might end up costing Bylsma his job.
If a two time Stanley Cup winner like Darryl Sutter can lose his job for failing to miss the playoffs any coach can be fired. Dallas will re-hire Ken Hitchcock to coach their team. The Stars fired Lindy Ruff on Sunday. Might Ruff want a chance to finish what he started in Buffalo? Gerard Gallant is also unemployed, but it looks like the Las Vegas expansion team will be hiring the former Florida Panthers bench boss.
Thanks, Sabres.com
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Murray said that he continues to have daily talks with the representative for Notre Dame goalie Cal Petersen.
The goaltender has not yet decided if he will stay and play his senior year with the Fightin' Irish.
Petersen is a Sabres draft choice and figures prominently in Buffalo's future.
In 40 games this season, Petersen recorded a 23-12-5 record with a 2.22 GAA and .926 save percentage. Petersen is Notre Dame's team captain.
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