This is our first faceoff of the season. The Buffalo Sabres have not moved on from their current head coach, but the writing appears to be on the wall for Ralph Krueger. He may survive the season, but it doesn’t seem likely he’ll be back for a third season behind the bench unless the club has a massive turnaround.

That means the Sabres will be back in the market for another head coach. This time Kevyn Adams will be leading the search. The question here in this faceoff is if the next head coach must have NHL coaching experience?

Anthony – Yes

In every “Expected Buffalo Faceoff,” we’ve done so far, I’ve at least seen the merit to the other side’s argument. That’s not the case here. 

First, let’s do a quick flyover of the Buffalo Sabres’ situation as a franchise. We have an increasingly incensed cornerstone player, a “generational” defenseman who has been neutered (nearly to the verge of non-reclaim), and a fan base that has completely turned on ownership. The Sabres are a living, breathing meme of an organization. A tragic parody in a league of parity. 

Obviously, a head coach with a track record of success at the NHL level won’t magically resolve all of their problems, but for a team that is nearing the point of no return on retaining their best player since Dominik Hasek, they need immediate credibility. 

From a macro standpoint, this situation is pretty simple. Make the playoffs next season, or run a very serious risk of losing Jack Eichel. If you had to bet all of your chips on an inexperienced collegiate coach, or a decorated veteran like Claude Julien, Gerard Gallant, or Bruce Boudreau, who are you choosing in that situation?

The answer should be very obvious. 

I would attempt to list the storied successes of former-NCAA coaches at the NHL level, but there aren’t really any to note. Jim Montgomery is really the only one in recent memory who experienced even modest success prior to his ousting in Dallas. Of the current 31 bench bosses in the league, only David Quinn (New York Rangers) and Jeff Blashill (Detroit Red Wings) spent time as collegiate head coaches. Quinn is on the verge of losing his job, and Blashill is in the thick of a full-blown rebuild. 

Meanwhile, you have three men sitting idle with a combined 22 NHL playoff appearances between them. Any one of Gallant, Boudreau, or Julien would bring immediate reputability to the franchise, and pique the interest of what is now a totally disengaged fan base. At worst, they’ll put asses in seats.

I’ll ask again – in a year where you must make the post-season or instead embark on yet another rebuild (this time sans Eichel), who are you placing your trust in? 

For clarity’s sake, I am by no means saying that current NCAA coaches like Scott Sandelin, Nate Leaman, or any other with a winning track record would certainly fail. If the Sabres were in a position to burn a year or two and try something different, I might even support one of those men, considering their consistent success and experience developing young players. 

Unfortunately, the time for that experiment was two years ago, before signing a reptilian self-help speaker to a three-year contract. Now is a time for urgency and legitimacy. Ownership has lost the “benefit of the doubt” in terms of selecting who they think might be successful. Now more than ever, they need to turn a corner with a proven entity at the helm (especially with a second-year general manager and a skeleton crew support staff behind him).

Experienced coaches fail just like greenhorns, and none of Boudreau, Gallant, or Julien are “guarantees”. That said, the Sabres can’t afford to get cute and make another “against the grain” hire at this time. There’s too much at stake. 

For once, just play the odds.

Chad – No

I understand the position Anthony is coming from. While the Sabres may be in need of experience, I don’t think they’re in any position to shut off any avenue to find their next coach. This team has tried the experienced coach (Dan Bylsma), the inexperienced “hot name” (Phil Housely), and the outside-the-box hire (Ralph Krueger).

All three have failed.

Experience doesn’t guarantee you anything. I know Anthony believes it gives you better odds at winning but it doesn’t. Do you know what gives you better odds of finding a good head coach? Exploring every single avenue available to you.

I understand that the big three that are free agents (Boudreau, Julien, and Gallant) have experience being behind the bench of winning teams. Also, all three of them have lost jobs. Multiple jobs in the cases of Boudreau and Julien.

Perhaps this organization could use a fresh look at the game from a coach that hasn’t been ingrained in the NHL. This organization is always one step behind the trend and never looks to be forward-thinking in strategy. Are you going to get that out of Boudreau or Julien? Or are you going to get more of the same old stuff?

I’m not saying a college coach like Nate Leaman, for example, is going to bring that either. However, if we’re talking about odds, I think it’s more likely he would. It’s also not only about college coaches. They should be open to candidates from junior hockey, Europe, and the AHL as well.

Getting a head coach with NHL head coaching experience is overrated in my opinion. That coach is usually only available because they failed somewhere else.

The most important thing for this team is to find the best coach possible for this hockey club. NHL experience shouldn’t matter at the end of the day.

Photo Credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images