BrooksBurner Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 With Q out, the plot thickens. There’s a strong case to be made for Knobby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 Fuck! I quit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cash or Czech Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 If it’s Sutter I can cancel my cable until he’s fired at least 1 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrooksBurner Posted May 7, 2023 Author Share Posted May 7, 2023 (edited) Knoblauch: 44 y.o. Repertoire with Drury and org Championship coach of Erie Otters once in OHL, 2x finals appearance Pro experience, assistant coach with Flyers for two years 2017-2019. Wolfpack coach since 2019. 112-87-24 aggregate record with a shit roster. In the division finals this year. Edited May 7, 2023 by BrooksBurner 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4EverRangerFrank Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 Thought he was that baseball dude. *quietly crawls out of chat room* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugg Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 (edited) 13 minutes ago, BrooksBurner said: Knoblauch: 44 y.o. Repertoire with Drury and org Championship coach of Erie Otters twice in OHL Pro experience, assistant coach with Flyers for two years 2017-2019. Wolfpack coach since 2019. 112-87-24 aggregate record with a shit roster. In the division finals this year. Drury is hiring a guy who will be him in the locker room. There aren't going to be any screaming matches. And having been in the organization, there won't be any learning curve; he knows this roster. Edited May 7, 2023 by Bugg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siddious Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 I think Laviolette is the best option on that list but I would like to go with Knoblauch just for once to maybe not get a re-tread plus it really seems like they were grooming him. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieNextel305 Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 The more I think of this, the more I’m thinking he may actually go with Knoblauch. But, the one thing I keep going back to is whether or not Drury has the balls to this. Because if he does and it doesn’t work out, he’s likely out of a job. Does he have that much confidence in him to roll the dice on him? I’m not sure. Like I’ve said, I have always been a Laviolette fan. That wouldn’t shock me either. Outside of DC, he seems to have success at all of his stops. But I don’t know, he just looked uninspired and old and tired there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Long live the King Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 Wait to see if the new Pitt GM fires Sullivan. Knob is the backup plan. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dude Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 (edited) 8 hours ago, RichieNextel305 said: The more I think of this, the more I’m thinking he may actually go with Knoblauch. But, the one thing I keep going back to is whether or not Drury has the balls to this. Because if he does and it doesn’t work out, he’s likely out of a job. Does he have that much confidence in him to roll the dice on him? I’m not sure. Like I’ve said, I have always been a Laviolette fan. That wouldn’t shock me either. Outside of DC, he seems to have success at all of his stops. But I don’t know, he just looked uninspired and old and tired there. How quickly they fired Gallant leads me to hope they are interested in someone that is already available. Laviolette makes the most sense. If Laviolette looked uninspired, I'd say its likely because he's had the same roster for years and nothing really positive coming up through the system. Having one go to guy for years as he gets output from aging vets and goons, while constantly shuffling in scrap heap guys like Strome and Milano like he did this year, is probably going to get anyone down. He gets the best out if every type of player. He can handle developing young players while winning with an aging core. He's firey. He wins. I don't put him in that "retread" bucket that people seem to be doing here. I hope they grab hom before someone else does. I'd hate to see him back with the Islanders, whom could maybe use a new direction. Edited May 7, 2023 by The Dude 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieNextel305 Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 Laviolette has had veteran teams the last several years in both Nashvile and Washington. He hasn’t won a playoff series since Nashville went to the Finals in 2018. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Long live the King Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 Laviolette won a cup 20 years ago. Only been back to the finals twice since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrooksBurner Posted May 7, 2023 Author Share Posted May 7, 2023 I’m thinking Knoblauch is a done deal. Drury was the Hartford GM when Knob got hired. He’s handpicked by Drury and he’s been doing a great job in Hartford for 4 years. If he’s not getting the chance here, he’ll be gone for a chance soon enough. Too much smoke after that Brooksy article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drew a Penalty Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 1 hour ago, BrooksBurner said: I’m thinking Knoblauch is a done deal. Drury was the Hartford GM when Knob got hired. He’s handpicked by Drury and he’s been doing a great job in Hartford for 4 years. If he’s not getting the chance here, he’ll be gone for a chance soon enough. Too much smoke after that Brooksy article. He’s doing well this year. I wouldn’t call the last few years a great job. He hasn’t had exceptional players to work with but he also hasn’t squeezed much out of what he’s had. I’d like to see Hartford have some maintained success before I call his efforts a victory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieNextel305 Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 (edited) I almost want to say Knoblauch. Except this is too much a win-now team to take a chance on a first timer right now. Believe it or not, I’m gonna predict it eventually ends up being Babcock. I feel like Drury is gonna go someone who knows how to win, has won before, won’t be everyone’s best friend in that locker room so they won’t get coddled. He’s had his issues yes, but he may be the best choice of what’s currently out there. Edited May 7, 2023 by RichieNextel305 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torontonyr Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 Babcock is almost more exiled from this league than Q, no chance. Bruce, maybe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrooksBurner Posted May 7, 2023 Author Share Posted May 7, 2023 59 minutes ago, RichieNextel305 said: I almost want to say Knoblauch. Except this is too much a win-now team to take a chance on a first timer right now. Believe it or not, I’m gonna predict it eventually ends up being Babcock. I feel like Drury is gonna go someone who knows how to win, has won before, won’t be everyone’s best friend in that locker room so they won’t get coddled. He’s had his issues yes, but he may be the best choice of what’s currently out there. It sounded like Babcock was going to stay retired by his choice, but if there were ever a chance he’d unretire it’s probably for an opportunity just like this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Al Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sod16 Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 Interesting. Uncle Larry certainly has his detractors among posters, but he writes a piece playing up Knobloch as a possibility, and 71% say he will be the coach. What would that percentage have been had Uncle Larry just put the kibosh on Q but not mentioned Knobloch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrooksBurner Posted May 7, 2023 Author Share Posted May 7, 2023 36 minutes ago, Sod16 said: Interesting. Uncle Larry certainly has his detractors among posters, but he writes a piece playing up Knobloch as a possibility, and 71% say he will be the coach. What would that percentage have been had Uncle Larry just put the kibosh on Q but not mentioned Knobloch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deejaid Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 I think it will be Knoblauch for many of the reasons listed above; familiarity with the young players, has worked closely with Drury for awhile, etc. This team needs an X’s and O’s guy. I don’t think a yelling, passionate coach isn’t going to get through to this group of veterans, so no Messier or Roy. Although, not sure how well regarded Roy is as a tactician, maybe he is good with the X’s and O’s I think Brunette would be good pick. Quenville stepped down end of Oct. ‘21 and Brunette took over. That was Brunette’s team. Much of the X’s and O’s is the assistant coach, not the head coach. Now Brunette is in Jersey and I am pretty sure it is his offense and style of play they are implementing . After Game 2 I doubt it was Lindy Ruff that came up with the adjustments. I just don’t get the feeling that Lindy Ruff is an X’s and O’s guy, maybe he was when he first got the Sabre’s head coaching job 26 years ago, but the game has changed a lot in that time. No way it’s Laviolette. His best years are behind him and he loves playing man to man defense, which is only as effective as the skating ability of your players. If this roster didn’t have the skating ability to exit their own end and get through the neutral zone against NJ, no way this team would be successful with a man to man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieNextel305 Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 (edited) People like Roy or Messier aren’t happening. I can’t see Drury going that route at this stage with the importance of this hire. I’d say Knoblauch will be given a hard look too, but I think Drury wants someone who has won before and has experience coaching at this level with this locker room, that is in dire need of a wake up call. The more I think of it, Babcock checks a lot of boxes. He can ruffle feathers, but he’s a smart coach, incredibly well prepared, knows how to win in this league and probably would be motivated by this opportunity. Hopefully he’s learned from his past when it comes to being a dickhead with some stuff. Other than that, he checks a lot of boxes for what we may be looking for. Edited May 7, 2023 by RichieNextel305 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Br4d Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 Hiring somebody who was fired in the last year or two is just asking to be moving on again in a season or two. The young first time coach may work out or he may not but he's definitely Drury's choice if he gets hired and so he brings clarity to the situation. Just having a guy in who is willing to ask the young guys why they are doing what they are doing would be valuable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsm7302 Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 40 minutes ago, RichieNextel305 said: People like Roy or Messier aren’t happening. I can’t see Drury going that route at this stage with the importance of this hire. I’d say Knoblauch will be given a hard look too, but I think Drury wants someone who has won before and has experience coaching at this level with this locker room, that is in dire need of a wake up call. The more I think of it, Babcock checks a lot of boxes. He can ruffle feathers, but he’s a smart coach, incredibly well prepared, knows how to win in this league and probably would be motivated by this opportunity. Hopefully he’s learned from his past when it comes to being a dickhead with some stuff. Other than that, he checks a lot of boxes for what we may be looking for. https://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/opinion/2022/09/01/if-maple-leafs-ex-coach-mike-babcock-does-retire-its-a-stunning-fall-from-grace-in-an-otherwise-impressive-career.html Wouldn't touch him with a ten foot pole. Not the guy to take over a veteran run locker room for the past two years. These guys need respect from their coach while expecting the same in return. A professional relationship where they can learn tactics and have actual gameplans. The mental warfare etc isn't necessary with this group imo. In fact I think they would shut down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abe Froman Posted May 7, 2023 Share Posted May 7, 2023 Thank you for not listing Messier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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