Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said Tuesday during his end-of-season press conference that this group of players is craving accountability and structure.
That was the major message from the players during locker room clean out day on Wednesday, especially from a passionate Tage Thompson.
Near the end of this season, Don Granato started taking away ice time from players, but he rarely held players accountable.
"For me, accountability means consequences. If you’re not doing the right things on the ice, there needs to be repercussions, whether it’s being benched or in the press box if you’re not playing winning hockey," said Thompson on Wednesday.
Thompson said there's another key factors that was missing from the Sabres last season.
"I think consistency is the other thing. I think, at times, you could see we were a great team and at other times, we were too casual. That’s something that’s got to be instilled in us, and that goes back to accountability, because it’s us in here holding each other accountable," Thompson explained. "If there’s someone not playing the way they need to, it needs to come from up top too, and that’s something that I don’t think we had enough of this year."
Thompson is not trying to run from his comments when it comes to his personal game, as well.
"I’ve been given a lot of opportunity and a pretty big rope to try things, and let my skill take over. But there needs to be repercussions if I’m playing a game that’s hurting our team. I need to have repercussions for that," he said.
"A lot of times this year, we got away with stuff that we shouldn’t have gotten away with."
For two seasons, I've talked about how this team rarely played the system Granato wanted them to play.
Thompson felt the group got comfortable too often, which led to the team deviating from game plans. That’s where he gets into improving the structure going forward.
"It doesn’t matter what system they implement, it’s just making sure everyone on the ice is committed to that system and structure," Thompson said. "I think this year, we really didn’t have enough structure. Everyone must be committed to it so you have something to point to."
Thompson spent time with Granato at the U.S. National Team Development Program, and Granato may have saved his career when he moved him to center.
Over the last three seasons with Granato as the full-time head coach, Thompson scored 114 goals. He says Granato believing in him meant everything to his career.
Thompson broke his hand back in November, and admitted he came back too soon. He got rolling again at the end of the season, hitting a 14-game streak where he scored 11 goals and nine assists for 20 points.
Over 82 games, that's a 64-goal and 53-assist pace for 117 points.
Much has been talked about the leadership of this team moving forward. There’s a pretty good chance that Rasmus Dahlin will be the team’s next captain. Thompson feels just because they’re all close friends doesn’t mean they can’t call each other out.
"There are some really tight bonds in this room, but at the same time, when you have those bonds, you don’t want to upset or ruffle any feathers. I think we need to be OK with calling guys out, because it’s coming from a place of love. That underlying belief that you know they have better, and you just want to see the team succeed, it’s something we’ve got to be OK with doing," Thompson said.
Meanwhile, Thompson says he is going to miss the upcoming World Championship in Czechia due to injury.
As for Dahlin, he blamed the players right off the bat when it came to the firing of Granato as head coach.
"As a group, we have to play better," said Dahlin on Wednesday. "First of all, we have to look at ourselves in the mirror, us players, weren’t good enough. We didn’t help 'Donny' at all, so we have to have a good summer. When we get to training camp, we have to be pushed hard."
Very often, it’s Dahlin with the intensity in practice, challenging others to be better.
"We need a better focus in practice, we need to push ourselves. We have to understand that the practice is as important as the game," he said.
Dahlin is going to play for Sweden at the World Championship, so he can get to know their new coach.
However, both Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Henri Jokiharju have declined invitations from Team Finland, because they’re both on expiring contracts.
Locker room clean outs will continue on Thursday.
