Will he or won't he return?

The status of Buffalo Sabres coach Dan Bylsma remains up in the air after general manager Tim Murray failed to provide a ringing endorsement of his bench boss at Wednesday's season-ending press conference.

"He's the coach today like I'm the GM today," Murray told Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News. "I haven't had any thoughts of firing him up to this point. The reason I always say today is because something could happen tomorrow."

Despite Bylsma being only two years into a five-year pact, there are murmurs the Sabres could make a change behind the bench. That discussion kicked into overdrive Sunday, when the Dallas Stars fired Lindy Ruff.

Ruff previously coached the Sabres for 15 seasons and his availability could cut short Bylsma's tenure in Western New York.

The Sabres had a disappointing second season under Bylsma, finishing with 78 points, three fewer than the previous campaign. The coach could reason star center Jack Eichel was lost for a quarter of the year after suffering a high-ankle sprain in training camp, but in the end the Sabres failed to make progress where it matters.

This season marks six straight years of a playoff-less spring in Buffalo, the league's longest active drought behind only the Carolina Hurricanes, who have gone eight years without seeing the postseason.

On Wednesday, Murray lamented the team's poor puck possession, adding it's up to him to add more speed and skill to the lineup. But is the Sabres' biggest issue behind the bench?

"Players have legitimate gripes about the coach," said Murray, who conducted exit interviews with the players at the beginning of the week. "I think players have some legitimate gripes about the way our team is built and that's me. And I think players have some gripes that aren't legitimate and are excuses. Again, we're all to blame."

Murray will meet with Bylsma and team owner Terry Pegula next week, where it's believed the coach's fate with the club could be decided.

If the Sabres are to make a change - and if they want to give Bylsma a fair shot at open positions in NHL circles - they'll need to act quick.

Reports indicate the Stars will soon scoop up Ken Hitchcock, while the Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks, and incoming Vegas Golden Knights also need to appoint a head coach.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.