Sabres sign Granato to multi-year extension

The Buffalo Sabres have signed coach Don Granato to a multi-year contract extension, the team announced Wednesday.
"Don's passion for the game and leadership skills have been on display since the moment we met," Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said. "He is someone who the players have a tremendous amount of respect for, and he dedicates himself to bettering each individual on the team.
"Don's mentality of 'earning it' resonates throughout the team - it is more than just a mindset, it is a driving force for our players and staff. I appreciate his thoughtfulness when it comes to developing our players and the open communication we are able to have about the team. I am happy to extend Don's contract, keeping him in Western New York for many years to come."

Granato, 55, is entering his second full season as Sabres coach. He joined the organization as an assistant coach prior to the 2019-20 campaign and was promoted to interim head coach in March 2021. He had the interim label removed on June 29, 2021.
In his first season, Granato oversaw a young Sabres roster that experienced tangible improvement from beginning to end. The Sabres went 16-9-3 in March and April, a 102-point pace.
"This is the place I want to be," Granato said. "This is a place I want to make right and I want to win here. And I think what we're building and the progression and the sequential movements that we'll see and continue to see, we are going to win here, we're going to be successful here doing what we're doing. And when I had this presented to me as an offer - it's, to me, my mind is all on that, trying to be successful here. It was an easy yes."
Players credited the improvement to Granato's "play fearless" mandate, which allowed them to be aggressive without the worry of being reprimanded for mistakes. Young players were allowed to learn while being leaned upon in high-leverage situations and difficult matchups.
"He makes sure that you are confident," Rasmus Dahlin said last May. "He pushes you. He wants every single guy to succeed in there. You really feel that he has your back."

Several individuals experienced career-best success as a result. Dahlin, with 13 goals and 53 points, had the best offensive season by a Sabres defenseman in nearly 30 years. Rasmus Asplund, Jacob Bryson, Dylan Cozens, Henri Jokiharju, and Victor Olofsson all joined him in establishing career-high point totals.
Tage Thompson had the biggest breakout of them all, leading the Sabres with 38 goals and 68 points. The success came after Granato moved Thompson to center during training camp, helping empower the 24-year-old to take a leap in his career.
Thompson was rewarded with a new seven-year contract last month.
"Me and Donny had a lot of talks on the outlook for my long-term future and we both felt that I was going to be a great player in this league," Thompson said. "The biggest thing was for it to happen now. That's something I took to heart because I wanted to be a difference maker for this team.
"He gave me the opportunity and ice time, so it was up to me for taking the opportunity. I'm very thankful for the opportunity."
Granato's extension establishes consistency in the Sabres' leadership, coming on the heels of the multi-year extension Adams received at the start of training camp.
Granato likened their relationship to that of teammates. The two exchange information and provide honest feedback. Their mutual trust allows them to make decisions quickly.
"The bigger the company there are around the world, people know it - it's difficult to align to a shared vision, very difficult," Granato said. "And I think the relationship I've been able to develop with Kevyn, the respect I have for him and how he operates and allows us to operate, but myself specifically as a head coach. And that starts with Terry and Kim Pegula allowing us to operate the way we operate."

The Sabres open the season at home against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday. Granato's mandate for the team is the same as it was this time last year: Get better, be fearless, and the rest will take care of itself.
"We need to get stronger, and we need to focus on that and grow," Granato said. "Winning some games last year, yeah, it's reassuring. But it's not what we want. Our appetite is much, much bigger than that. So, it just drives our group for more."