Quote:
Originally Posted by timbit
Surely to goodness there are better coaches than Troy Ward available for the Flames.
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At this point I believe he would be an improvement on Hartley. In fact I believe the franchise would be best off reversing the roles of Hartley and Ward.
With Hartley coaching the Heat top players would thrive being given every chance possible to produce offensively without having to worry about strict commitment to defense. Guys like Sven, Reinhart, Byron, Johnny Hockey, Jankowski, etc would all have their confidence sky high as they enter the NHL. Personally I don't believe winning as important in the AHL as it is developing skills and gaining confidence and Hartley isn't going to win you a championship but he's going to let skilled guys hone their skills.
Ward meanwhile would have the Flames playing a more defensive oriented game (not as exciting I know) that would cater to their lack of talent and keep games close. Much like Brent knew they had to play. He's obviously a 'my way or the highway' type of guy which is great if you are trying to build a team identity which the Flames lack under Hartley with the freewheeling style and non-commitment to defense.
I feel the Flames may have the right coaches for the organization but coaching the wrong teams.