Two in the Box

Tristan Jarry was the latest victim of the NHL waiver wire and the third notable move made by Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas this year. Meanwhile, the team sitting last in the Eastern Conference has yet to make any meaningful change to their roster. 

The Penguins have struggled to keep their head above water this year, sitting five points out of a playoff spot while sporting a conference-worst -36 goal differential. After missing the playoffs last season, the Penguins are entering a transitional period as the glory years led by Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang wind down. Yet, despite their struggles to stay in the Eastern Conference playoff race, the Penguins and Dubas have taken action, bringing in Phillip Tomasino and dealing Lars Eller in November and now waiving Jarry after the netminder’s subpar play continued to haunt the team. 

The same cannot be said of Kevyn Adams and the Sabres, whose most notable accomplishments this season include a disastrous press conference, a 13-game losing streak and a dreadful loss a day after the owner joined the team on the road trip to reinforce the club’s belief in the roster. It’s become quite evident that the answer is, in fact, not in the room, yet Adams has not made a single change to the roster he constructed. 

Pittsburgh isn’t the only struggling team that hasn’t sat idle to let their season slip away. The Colorado Avalanche, Nashville Predators and New York Rangers have been active in their attempts to shake up the locker room and put themselves back on a winning track. Even the Anaheim Ducks have been willing trade partners this season, and they’re still working their way back to competitiveness as part of their rebuild. 

It should be noted that aside from the Avalanche, none of those teams are in a playoff spot and the Penguins are the closest at four points out of a Wild Card spot. Still, each club has been proactive in attempting to address what has kept them out of the playoff race this season.

There have also been a handful of coaching changes as the season has progressed. The Bruins were in a playoff spot the day before Jim Montgomery was let go. Montgomery almost immediately replaced Drew Bannister in St. Louis (the Blues are currently one point back of a playoff spot). Detroit also opted to fire their coach, bringing in Todd McClellan who has helped put the Red Wings back into the playoff conversation, though they face an uphill battle in a world of three point games. Anders Sorensen rounds out the in-season coaching carousel after taking over for Luke Richardson in Chicago. 

Of that group, Detroit is the closest competitor to the Sabres to make a coaching change this season. Although, Boston should stand out for firing a coach while still firmly in the Eastern Conference playoff race. That’s a standard that just doesn’t seem to exist in Buffalo. There was added surprise in the Montgomery firing when you consider his reputation around the league, illustrated by St. Louis’ decision to fire their own coach so they could bring him in. But Detroit is the closest comparable to the Sabres. For the last few years, both teams have been expected to take the next step and break back into the playoffs. For the last few years, neither team has been able to make any significant progress. The Wings assessed their situation and determined it was time to move on from Derek Lalonde. Detroit has been resurgent of late and are still in the conversation for a Wild Card spot. Here in Buffalo, no changes have been made despite a 13-game losing streak and a pile of embarrassing losses.

This all circles back to the management suite. Either Kevyn Adams is unwilling to make a tough decision or his hands are being tied. Maybe it’s both. Either way, the inaction is damning. 

The Nashville Predators held the illustrious title of offseason champions after bringing on Brady Skjei, Jonathan Marchessault and Steven Stamkos. Nothing seemed to click for the Preds as they were flat to open the season and are all but out of the race in the West. Barry Trotz hasn’t sat by an watched, dealing Alex Carrier, Juuso Parssinen and former first rounder Phillip Tomasino, in addition to waiving Dante Fabbro. Chris Drury has watched his team fall from Eastern Conference Finalist to 14th in the East and responded by strong arming his captain into a trade and shipping out a former second overall pick. I suspect his coach will be the next on the chopping block. In Colorado, Chris MacFarland proved goalie trades aren’t that hard to make as he overhauled his goaltending depth over the course of 10 days. 

All of these moves point to a sense of urgency in each respective front office to turn the tide of their respective seasons and to make their teams more competitive. It’s indicative of an expectation and standard of success that seems to be in woefully short supply at KeyBank Center. Kevyn Adams loves to talk about his efforts to improve the Sabres. At his December 6 press conference, he stated “Is there ways to help your team improve?” He’s managed to say something to that effect at virtually every press conference and scrum he’s given. Yet, there has no movement. Not a single trade of any consequence, no players placed on waivers, nothing but press conference platitudes and subpar play on the ice. 

There have been some encouraging signs from the Sabres lately. Nothing that could turn the tide on the season, but encouraging signs nonetheless. But when they lose, they still do it in astonishing fashion. An amazing course of action to take in yet another lost season.