Trolling around Facebook yesterday - specifically trolling around Dater's and the Avs most recent posts - you might have seen that the 'Fire Sacco' movement has hit new highs after yesterday's game that we'd rather not talk about and I probably won't mention again because god DAMN. I'm not going to elaborate too much on the pros and cons of getting rid of or keeping Sacco, we've heard all of the arguments for keeping the still relatively blue Sacco around and the arguments against. He tends to overreact to good and bad play, leading to strange goalkeeping switches or in the case of last year, not switching around the keepers at all. On the other hand, the bad play of the goalkeepers all season long and the fact that the Avalanche have no defense and around 3,500 players on IR (ed: this might be an over-approximation, UZ) can't really be placed on the shoulders of the coach... like I said, all these arguments have been spewed out time and time again.
None of that really matters in this discussion here. Whether you fall on the side of the spectrum that wants Sacco to keep his job or not, there is no reason to fall into the new-found sentiment that says he should be fired immediately. In short, Sacco may not deserve to keep his job, but he should keep it until this unfortunate mess of a season is over.
The reason that Sacco shouldn't be fired right now has nothing to do with morale, although that certainly is a valid argument. The team has had no heart or will to win recently and judging by what we heard about Sacco flipping out yesterday, it seems that control of the locker room may be slipping from Sacco's hands. At this point in the season - well over the half-way point and with the Avs sitting so low in the standings - it seems like a futile measure to take control from Sacco's hands. The players are already at seemingly their lowest ebb and removing their coach will do... what exactly to help?
The biggest question about the whole situation is 'Who would replace Sacco were he to be fired?' The suggestion was thrown out last night by a random facebook dude that perhaps an assistant coach like Steve Konowalchuk could be used as an interim coach in the stead of Sacco should he be thrown out the door today or tomorrow. This fanbase already dealt with enough proverbial rioting after the last time they hired from within, and the experiment looks to be failing. This is a squad with no morale, terrible defense, struggling goalkeepers and so many injuries that we've almost lost count. The coach may be a problem with the team, but switching to an interim guy won't be the sudden burst of inspiration and skill needed to get this squad into the playoffs and to the cup finals any more than adding Peter Forsberg was. (ed: too soon, UZ)
A new coach should come into an organization in this much turmoil immediately without someone screwing around in the interim if that's the way you feel that this mess should be fixed and - at least in the case of our current Avalanche for at least the fanbase's sanity - said coach should come from outside. In that case, who from outside the organization is available for the pickings? I hear Lindy Ruff from the always fantastic Buffalo Sabres organization might be available soon if their team keeps playing the w- what? You want me to stop? Yeah, I thought so. Coaches get hired and fired in the offseasons for a reason, because the replacements you have available during the season are slim pickings at best.
Personally I can't see any reason to fire Sacco right now but we're not GM's and the decision won't be ours when to fire Sacco if at all. However, if the inevitable comes close enough and the second year coach is set packing, it had better be at a time when somebody who isn't Patrick Roy is our best available candidate to take over. If nothing else, keeping Coach Sacco around will get us to that #1 overall draft pick.