Dan Bylsma

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The circumstances have changed for Dan Bylsma in taking over as coach of the young and rebuilding Buffalo Sabres.

The expectations have not for someone previously accustomed to coaching the Sidney Crosby-led Pittsburgh Penguins.

Bylsma’s first objective is developing a winning attitude in Buffalo, on a team that has finished last in the standings in each of the past two seasons.

“The expectation for the winning culture and how we play is not going to change,” Bylsma said during his inaugural news conference shortly after being hired Thursday. “And that’s going to start, starting today. And it’s going to continue as we go, as we develop this group.”

And Bylsma acknowledged it won’t be an easy task for a team that has lost a franchise-worst 51 games in each of its past two seasons, has purged much of its high-priced talent and is now on its third coach since Lindy Ruff was fired in February 2013.

“I don’t think there’s a time-frame that you’re going to put on certain aspects of success of where this team’s going to be,” he said. “I know right now in our process of development as a team, we’re looking to get better every day we step on this ice.”

A week after losing out on hiring Mike Babcock, the Sabres turned their attention to another former Stanley Cup-winner to take over after Ted Nolan was fired last month.

The 44-year-old Bylsma led the Penguins to the Stanley Cup title in 2009 in his rookie season as coach. He eventually 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 front-office shake up a year ago.

Bylsma was hired by the Sabres after spending the past two days meeting with team owners Terry and Kim Pegula and general manager Tim Murray. And his hiring was delayed briefly after the Sabres were required under NHL rules to give up a 2016 third-round draft pick as compensation because Bylsma’s contract with Pittsburgh ran through June 2016.

The hiring leaves the New Jersey Devils as the NHL’s only team with a coaching vacancy.

“We’ve been trying to change the culture here every day, but this is a big swing to the positive,” Murray said. “This is part of the process of getting better. We improved today by hiring him.”

Though Murray had targeted hiring Babcock before the former Red Wings coach signed with Toronto, the GM noted that Bylsma was also high on his list. Murray said he first approached Bylsma about the Sabres’ job about a month ago.

The two share a connection in Anaheim from 2002-04. That’s when Bylsma was finishing his career as a fourth-line forward, and Murray served as the Ducks player personnel director.