Friedman: Bylsma wants Sabres' head coaching job

The Buffalo Sabres may have missed out on Plan A, but their Plan B continues to look promising.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman joined Calgary's Sportsnet 960 on Monday morning and discussed the coaching vacancy in Buffalo.

The Sabres are interested in former Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma and have reportedly received permission to speak with him about the position.

Friedman opined that the Buffalo job is the position Bylsma most covets:

Bylsma and Buffalo is going to be an interesting one. I think that's the job he wants, from what I've been told.

He coached Eichel at the worlds. Todd Richards was the head coach and Bylsma was the assistant on the American team. I think that's going to be one of his big selling points. "I coached Eichel. I coached Crosby." Getting the most out of star players, stuff like that. I believe that's going to be his sell job to the Sabres.

And the other thing too is Tim Murray, one of the guys he's tightest with is Chuck Fletcher of Minnesota, who was the assistant GM in Pittsburgh when they had Bylsma and won the Stanley Cup. So I have a feeling if Fletcher gives Bylsma any kind of good recommendation to Tim Murray, that's going to help Bylsma's situation there.

The Sabres were in heavy talks with Mike Babcock before he signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs and are looking to make a big splash as they continue to move forward with their rebuilding project and Bylsma may fit the bill.

Bylsma won a Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2008-09 after taking over for Michel Therrien. He amassed a record of 252-117-32 in 401 regular season games with the franchise before his dismissal in June 2014.

- With h/t to Today's Slapshot