I'm pretty sure I have said this before, but I'll risk being repetitive, because I think it's important. Coaches tend to get way too much credit when things go well, and even more of the blame when things go poorly. This has been especially true, for some odd reason, in the NBA and NHL over the years. Turnover is ridiculous.Tony Granato is in his second stint as head coach of the Colorado Avalanche. His first shot at the job lasted not even two full seasons, before Joel Quenneville was brought in. When Quenneville left, Granato got a second opportunity. Unfortunately for him, the help from management and the players has been horribly inadequate.
In Friday's Denver Post, columnist Mark Kiszla mentions the possibility that Granato could be gonzo after this season. It certainly makes sense if all you do is look at the Avs' record. A closer look at the roster, the circumstances behind this season, and what's coming in the near future will show you that this isn't really Granato's doing.
Granato gets how the system works.
"We haven't been good enough to be where we want to be. That's a fair enough statement. I can't tell you, 'Hey, we're one of the top eight teams in the conference right now.' We don't deserve to be, because we haven't played well enough," Granato said.However, should it work that way? Should Avalanche general manager Francois Giguere get to blame the coach for not getting the Avalanche into the playoffs, when it was the roster he assembled that hamstrung the coach? It's not anyone's fault that Joe Sakic or Paul Stastny got hurt, and it sure isn't Granato's fault that Peter Budaj is the best goalie on the roster.
It isn't Granato's fault, but he's done the best he can to work with what he was given. Spending significant time skating Tyler Arnason as their top center, the Avalanche hung around in the Western Conference for some time. A poor homestand that wrapped around the All-Star break and featured losses to West rivals Edmonton, Los Angeles, and Anaheim, along with a three-goal loss to Toronto (?!) was the big blow to their chances.
Now, Colorado sits dead-last in the West. Granato, as Kiszla writes, probably should be worried about his job status. He keeps his head held high, though, telling Kiszla that he is "still proud to be coach of this team". With a youth movement likely to begin this summer, one has to wonder if he'll be around to see it through.
