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Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle
It's still early, but the improved play of Stajan and Bowmeester are proof positive that coaching fit for your players is very key. Starting to wonder if D.Sutters biggest mistake or down fall as GM wasn't actually the player moves he made (not saying he gets a pass on all his bad trades) but rather his inability to properly hire a coach that could use the pieces he was assembling. Maybe not enough thought in what is my coach like and what tools would work in his system.
Right or wrong, D.Sutter clearly identified Bouwmeester and Stajan as key cogs for this team based on the contracts he signed them too, but B.Sutter clearly wasn't able to use them properly. And this isn't a B.Sutter bash, clearly the results as a whole are no better with him gone, if anything it's a D.Sutter comment.
Seems to me D.Sutter wasn't able to really transition the part of the GM job where he needs to assemble a team for his coach, or pick the right coach for his roster. Assembling a team he wants and expecting the coach to completely use the pieces the way he might as a coach simply won't work. Results went down hill the second he left the bench, and clearly he's a very good coach, but I think failing to get the coach roster match up part of his job may be the biggest reason this team didn't see the results it wanted post lock out.
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The worst part of it all had made those 2 players trade value near zero. This team has many holes to fill. It was noted that Feaster was looking for either a 2nd line center or a 1st round pick and 3rd line gritty player for Bouw this summer. No takers. If he had been playing like this for the last 2 years, Feaster might have been able to get all 3 things for Bouw. Maybe not a 1st, but not hard to imagine a true 2nd line center, 3rd line gritty player and maybe a later pick. Yes it would have made a hole back on D , but they could have filled 2 holes up front.
Stajan also would have had trade value. To start the year they would not have been able to get rid of him on waivers.
Some will say why would you trade either of them if they are good? The answer is because of ownerships mandate. They couldn't trade Iggy , which means they couldn't trade Kipper or Tangs. They needed to get more grit so Gio and Glencross could not be traded. Bouw would have at least given them some trade options in the summer.
The good part is that both players and Stempniak are still under contract for next year , giving the flames more options on the trade front going forward.