UPDATE (4:45 p.m. ET): The Buffalo Sabres officially introduced Dan Bylsma as their next head coach during a press conference Thursday.
ORIGINAL STORY: BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Sabres have reached an agreement in principle to hire former Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma, a person familiar with the talks told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The one holdup is a discussion over whether the Penguins are due compensation from the Sabres for hiring a coach who is still under contract with Pittsburgh, the person said. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Sabres have not disclosed details of their search to replace Ted Nolan, who was fired last month.
Though the Penguins relieved Bylsma of his duties a year ago, he is still under contract through June 2016.
Last year, the NHL approved a rule requiring a team to provide a draft pick as compensation should it hire another team’s coach, general manager or president of hockey operations who is still under contract. The cost is a third-rounder if the hiring takes place during the offseason, or a second-rounder if it happens during the season.
The agreement to hire Bylsma was reached after he spent a second consecutive day meeting with Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula and general manager Tim Murray in Buffalo.
Bylsma, who coached the Sidney Crosby-led Penguins to the 2009 Stanley Cup championship, takes over a franchise coming off consecutive last-place finishes and attempting to rebuild through youth. He will become Buffalo’s third coach since Lindy Ruff was fired in February 2013.
Bylsma spent five-plus seasons in Pittsburgh, where he won a franchise-best 252 games and was the NHL’s 2011 coach of the year, before being fired during a front-office shakeup a year ago.
The Sabres have missed the playoffs in each of the past four seasons and haven’t won a playoff series since 2007, when Buffalo reached the Eastern Conference final.
The Sabres have spent the past three seasons adding youth and stockpiling high draft picks. Buffalo has the No. 2 choice in the draft next month for the second consecutive year and is expected to select Boston University center Jack Eichel.
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