Derek Roy criticized Lindy Ruff's coaching methods at locker clean out day

The Sabres are heading into the 2012 offseason with far more questions than answers.

The biggest question is what to do with their “core” group of players: Derek Roy, Thomas Vanek, Jason Pominville, and Ryan Miller.

The player who made the most “controversial” remark at locker clean-out day Monday was Derek Roy.

“We’re all in it together. I don’t think pointing fingers is … everybody, from the Day 1, worked hard together. We did some good things. We did some bad things. To be pointing fingers right now is tough,” said Roy. “When you’re paid to produce, fingers are going to be pointed your way.”

Roy continued, “Behind closed doors, it’s fine. You can be hard. It’s not fun, but it’s good to be hard on your players. Behind closed doors and on the bench. I don’t know, I’m not a coach, but I don’t think it’s the right thing to be saying it to the media, to you guys.”

Roy was then asked about his relationship with Ruff to which he replied, “behind closed doors it’s good. He expects a lot of me.”

A few days ago I posed the thought that Buffalo’s top forward Thomas Vanek was getting sick and tired of the way Ruff handles things and if he has zoned the coach out. With today’s comments by Roy, Vanek may not be the only one doing so.

Which poses the big question of who stays and who goes?

If multiple players on the team are getting tired of the same message year in and year out, is it time to say goodbye to the NHL’s longest tenured coach?

Personally, I think it’s a question certainly worth deliberating over.

If players don’t respect the person at the helm, then they are not going to play at their best. They’re not going to listen to the methods of the coach, and more than likely do what they want to do.

It’s as if a full-fledged mutiny is going to unfold in the offseason.

Darcy Regier’s phone line should be mighty busy in the coming months, and it may, just may, be to potentially find a new head coach.

But, that’s just my thought.