After missing the NHL Playoffs, the Buffalo Sabres are making pivotal changes to their team. The Sabres have hired Lindy Ruff as their next Head Coach, the team announced on X Monday. Ruff returns to Buffalo after a challenging stint with the New Jersey Devils. His hiring comes just after the Sabres parted ways with Don Granato.

Buffalo finished the 2023-24 regular season with 84 points, which placed them sixth in the Atlantic Division. As a result, the Sabres missed the NHL Playoffs for the 13th consecutive year. The last time the team made the postseason was in 2011 when they lost in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals to the Philadelphia Flyers in seven games.

After their challenging year, the Sabres moved on from Don Granato. Granato had been with the team since 2021. Ironically, Buffalo found a solution to its woes in its old Head Coach Lindy Ruff. Ruff served the team from 1997 to 2013 and led them to respectable success.

Ruff helped the Sabres make eight playoff appearances during his tenure. However, his squad failed to reach the postseason during his last two years. He left the team to coach the Dallas Stars from 2013 to 2017 before joining the Devils in 2020.

Like the Sabres, the Devils struggled during the 2023-24 season, and the organization felt it was best to part ways with Ruff after four years. Despite failing to help the Devils make a 2024 postseason run, Ruff aided the franchise to prior success.

In 2023, the Devils made the NHL Playoffs for the first time since 2018. In addition, Ruff became the fifth league coach to amass 800 career wins. Furthermore, he was named a finalist for the 2023 Jack Adams Award.

Ruff looks to help the Sabres get back on track to make the postseason again.

Can the Sabres get back on trajectory amid Lindy Ruff's arrival?

Buffalo entered the 2023-24 with high expectations after a respectable run the season prior. The Sabres accumulated 91 points by the end of the 2022-23 season, which ranked them sixth in the Atlantic Division. The team benefitted from the services of winger Tage Thompson, who put up 47 goals and 47 assists for a career-high 94 points.

Thompson was seen as a cornerstone of Buffalo's team. However, he took steps back in 2023-24. The 26-year-old amassed 29 goals, 27 assists, and totaled 56 points. His slump in production is one reason the Sabres struggled.

Nevertheless, if Thompson can reach his previous heights, Buffalo should be able to improve. Moreover, the team should return other impactful players and make offseason moves to boost their depth. Of course, one of the most important aspects of a team's success is coaching.

Don Granato's efforts helped build the foundation for the franchise's new era. Now, Lindy Ruff returns to the organization to help them take the next step. The Atlantic Division will not get any easier with the presence of the Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins. Yet, with the right mesh of coaching and talent, the Sabres can move toward success.

It will be interesting to see the other moves Buffalo makes going into the 2024 offseason.