Buffalo Sabres Draft Lottery and Searching For Head Coach
After an incredibly tumultuous season for the Buffalo Sabres that included a league record 18-game losing streak, fans were desperate for a reason to be optimistic. The proverbial light at the end of tunnel came earlier this month when the Sabres won the 2021 NHL draft lottery. Winning the draft lottery landed the team the 1st overall pick in this years draft. With a less than a 17% chance of doing so, winning the draft lottery represents a major victory for the floundering franchise. The Sabres are now afforded the opportunity to bring in a potentially generational prospect to be the face of the franchise. The team also now has the chance to explore a possible trade involving disgruntled center Jack Eichel.
Now that the Sabres know where they’re picking, the attention turns to finding a head coach. The team is set up well to land a top-tier coach after general manager Kevyn Adams made the shrewd hire of Jason Karmanos last month to be his right-hand man as the assistant general manager. The team has conducted a number of interviews including one with interim head coach Don Granato. Granato acquitted himself well during his time behind the bench after the firing of coach Ralph Krueger during the season and should be in the conversation. In my opinion the Sabres need an offensive minded head coach like Bruce Boudreau who has had success in the league and has recently expressed interest in possibly returning to coaching.
Buffalo Bills Minicamp
With Zach Ertz trade rumors swirling and talk of a new contract for Josh Allen in the air, the Bills held their first full roster minicamp of the summer earlier this month. The camp was held at 1 Bills Drive where training camp will take place in July for the second year in a row instead of returning to Rochester. Prior to the start of minicamp the team agreed to terms on a rookie contract with 1st round pick defensive end Gregory Rousseau. In other NFL news, the Tennessee Titans acquired wide receiver Julio Jones and a 6th round pick in 2023 from the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a 2nd round pick in 2022 and a 4th round pick in 2023. In sad news, Former Giants head coach Jim Fassel has passed away at age 71.
