funny how Ted Nolan gets so much love and is remembered fondly. I remember a guy who didn't have a system, who refused to play the kids and played our terrible vets because he wanted wins and no part of developing younger players. Bad fit for him in Buffalo unless he's completely changed his ways.

Ron Rolston was a joke though, pencil neck behind the bench who looked like he should have been doing someone's taxes rather than trying to coach a hockey team.
- Isles_since_6

Nolan won. That's what matters. All the nonsense about "systems" and stuff like that is what people look at when a coach can't win. Obviously, Nolan had a "system", it just wasn't as structured and regimented as a lot of other coaches.

And as far as "kids" go, who did he have to play over bad vets? It wasn't as if he had a lot of kids to play. Nolan had Frans, Comeau and A-Mac. The farm system under MM and Smith (for 40 days) was decrepit. It wasn't like he was handed a team like the Isles are now, loaded with young players with talent that are clearly better than veteran options available anyway.

Well, I don't think he'll have as much choice this time around. When it came to 'not playing kids', Ted's biggest reason for doing that was that he became more interested in coaching for his next contract than developing a program. Whether that was wrong or not, it added to the allure that Ted doesn't play well with others. That said, he coached a Junior team to a championship and seems to know how to get the most out of what he has. That said, I don't see Ted as an X's and O's kinda guy so I'm not sure whether he'll be good at DEVLOPING players.
He seems to lean on his goaltenders an awful lot.
- keaner17

Right he has little choice now. I never thought he would get another shot in Buffalo.

Is the proper spelling of your name BrodyDog?
- Cptmjl

On here. I'm Irish so I also have a last name with 2 capital letters.

Lavi seems to fall in that same category as Torts, Hitchcock and a few others. Guys that know how to get a team to perform but for whatever reason wear their welcomes out fast. They have 2-3 year lifespans. That said, I'd be thrilled to see Cappy's bags packed with Lavi moving in.
- keaner17

That is the scary thing about Lavy. I'll still hire him right now though.

On here. I'm Irish so I also have a last name with 2 capital letters.
- brodydog29

Twas a joke...

Nolan won. That's what matters. All the nonsense about "systems" and stuff like that is what people look at when a coach can't win. Obviously, Nolan had a "system", it just wasn't as structured and regimented as a lot of other coaches.

And as far as "kids" go, who did he have to play over bad vets? It wasn't as if he had a lot of kids to play. Nolan had Frans, Comeau and A-Mac. The farm system under MM and Smith (for 40 days) was decrepit. It wasn't like he was handed a team like the Isles are now, loaded with young players with talent that are clearly better than veteran options available anyway.
- Jethro09

Thank you JEthro

Nolan won. That's what matters. All the nonsense about "systems" and stuff like that is what people look at when a coach can't win. Obviously, Nolan had a "system", it just wasn't as structured and regimented as a lot of other coaches.

And as far as "kids" go, who did he have to play over bad vets? It wasn't as if he had a lot of kids to play. Nolan had Frans, Comeau and A-Mac. The farm system under MM and Smith (for 40 days) was decrepit. It wasn't like he was handed a team like the Isles are now, loaded with young players with talent that are clearly better than veteran options available anyway.
- Jethro09

If winning is defined as barely making the playoffs and getting beat in the first round then capuano falls into the same category. Nolan isn't the answer.

Nobody's perfect (except PAP)
- Jethro09

PA Parenteau got a perfect score on his SAT's, simply by writing 'PA Parenteau' for every answer.

That is the scary thing about Lavy. I'll still hire him right now though.
- ses111

Demanding coaches always have short shelf lives. They expect and demand a lot and hold players accountable for poor play, they don't just get on TV and say "we had a lot of passengers tonight". Players don't like coaches like that unless they're winning. Once the team starts losing, demanding coaches get tuned out quick.

PA Parenteau got a perfect score on his SAT's, simply by writing 'PA Parenteau' for every answer.
- keaner17

If winning is defined as barely making the playoffs and getting beat in the first round then capuano falls into the same category. Nolan isn't the answer.
- Isles_since_6

You seem to convenienly ignore his run to the cup finals in Buffalo and his Jack Adams award. And yes, he "squeaked" into the playoffs with a team that had no business getting into the playoffs, with Andy Hilbert, Richard Park and Josef Vasicek as his go-to forwards and Wade f-ing Dubliewicz in goal.

When you say he's not the "answer", what does that mean? He's not the answer for the isles? For Buffalo? Because I can assure you, Buffalo will play much better going forward with Nolan at the helm than they have so far. Most players who play for him sing Nolan's praises constantly. I don't hear that about Cappy from others who have played for him at any level.

Grabner has been so invisible you could argue he could be scratched for a game
- Dan Petriw

agree with first part, strongly disagree about 2nd part.

Nolan won. That's what matters. All the nonsense about "systems" and stuff like that is what people look at when a coach can't win. Obviously, Nolan had a "system", it just wasn't as structured and regimented as a lot of other coaches.

And as far as "kids" go, who did he have to play over bad vets? It wasn't as if he had a lot of kids to play. Nolan had Frans, Comeau and A-Mac. The farm system under MM and Smith (for 40 days) was decrepit. It wasn't like he was handed a team like the Isles are now, loaded with young players with talent that are clearly better than veteran options available anyway.
- Jethro09

I think the bigger question would have been how much better could Ted have been if he were more system driven. There was a great article years ago that detailed Nolan's first year with the Isles and previous years in Buffalo. It detailed how his goaltenders face an extremely high amount of shots from high percentage areas and speculated that Hasek carried those teams more in spite of Ted. So while he 'won' from the perspecitve of getting blue collar teams to perform well, he never won enough to allow his shortcomings to become an afterthought. It should be noted that Ted is 2 for 4 in making the playoffs, so his reviews may be a bit romanticized. Not to mention that Lindy Ruff took over and immediately took the same team to the conference finals the next year and the Stanley Cup finals the year after.

He has been but what does anyone expect playing with those facking plugs? Seriously, put anyone with those two and see how they do. The third line on this team has become Purgatory.
- Cptmjl

If his play was better he wouldn't be on the third line. If he plays with urgency and doesn't float he wouldn't be in the doghouse

You seem to convenienly ignore his run to the cup finals in Buffalo and his Jack Adams award. And yes, he "squeaked" into the playoffs with a team that had no business getting into the playoffs, with Andy Hilbert, Richard Park and Josef Vasicek as his go-to forwards and Wade f-ing Dubliewicz in goal.

When you say he's not the "answer", what does that mean? He's not the answer for the isles? For Buffalo? Because I can assure you, Buffalo will play much better going forward with Nolan at the helm than they have so far. Most players who play for him sing Nolan's praises constantly. I don't hear that about Cappy from others who have played for him at any level.
- Jethro09

Huh? Ted made it to the conference semifinals where he lost to Philly four games to one. Ruff then took over, went to the conference finals in 97/98 then the Stanley Cup finals in 98/99

JT 4-6weeks

Huh? Ted made it to the conference semifinals where he lost to Philly four games to one. Ruff then took over, went to the conference finals in 97/98 then the Stanley Cup finals in 98/99
- keaner17

My bad. He did win a Jack Adams and who's to say the Sabres wouldn't have fared as well with Nolan at the helm as with Ruff during those next couple of seasons? We'll never know. And that's not taking anything away from Ruff, he too is a great coach.

JT 4-6weeks
- mighty13duck

Serious?

JT 4-6weeks
- mighty13duck

Where are you hearing/reading this?

Serious?
- Cptmjl

Until hes leading the league in points and goals ahead of Crosby and Ovi

JT 4-6weeks
- mighty13duck

stop it

stop it
- Isles316

If that were true I would have a million crying faces

Until hes leading the league in points and goals ahead of Crosby and Ovi
- mighty13duck

huh?

huh?
- LetsGoIsles

4-6 weeks is my prediction for JT to be #1 in the league.

Where are you hearing/reading this?
- Jethro09

I am sure he will be back Thursday. He probably wants to rest it. Although it would be interesting to see how this team plays one game without their captain.