Buffalo Sabres Bring Back Lindy Ruff
I recently caught up with Buffalo Sabres beat reporter Bill Hoppe to chat about Lindy Ruff’s return to Western New York, the Crunch taking care of the rival Amerks in the Calder Cup Playoffs and more. Bill and I went to St. Bonaventure together and I knew way back then that he would crush it as a member of the sports media. He has, by the way, and then some. You can follow Bill on X @BillHoppeNHL and read his work at www.buffalohockeybeat.com. Enjoy.
ML: Lindy Ruff is back as Buffalo Sabres head coach. Give me the good. Give me the bad.
BH: The good is he’s one of the winningest coaches in NHL history. He has won in multiple eras with totally different styles and teams and enjoyed a terrific season with a slick, young New Jersey Devils team as recently as 2022-23. His arrival probably gives the fan base a lot of hope he can figure it out. The bad, if you want to call it that, is that New Jersey let him go just a few months ago. I attribute that to poor goaltending more than Lindy. But he had a team with Stanley Cup expectations that missed the playoffs.
ML: What players on this team will work well with Lindy Ruff?
BH: I think many could work well with him. He has a history of getting a lot out of young, skilled teams. Just look at the Sabres’ teams coming out of the lockout. So guys like Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch or Rasmus Dahlin could (or should) have success under him.
ML: Syracuse Crunch over Rochester Amerks in the Calder Cup Playoffs. You covered the series. Why, ultimately, did Syracuse move on?
BH: The Crunch and Amerks could play 30 times and each team would win 15 times. They’re very evenly matched, although Rochester is a faster, prospect-laden team and Syracuse is more experienced and heavier. I think Syracuse’s ability to stifle the Amerks at times helped them eke it out.
ML: Safe to say that Rochester was in the series late thanks to goaltending?
BH: Probably. Devon Levi was certainly a difference-maker. He has possibly played his last AHL game.
ML: If the Sabres miss the playoffs next year, again, everyone goes, right?
BH: It’s possible, although it might depend on how the season goes.
ML: Should the Sabres make a big splash in free agency with the salary cap room they have?
BH: No, big signings rarely work out. If there’s a guy they like who fills a need and they don’t have to overpay much in terms of salary or contract length, then it could be worth it. But overall, I’d say they should look for a trade or a “value” signing.
ML: Thanks Bill. Keep up the great work.
BH: Thanks, Mike! You too!
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