Quote:
Originally Posted by Erick Estrada
This is the entire problem in a nutshell. Flames ownership hasn't been smart or honest with themselves. King is an extension of that. The reality is the Murray Edwards and company don't treat the Flames like they do their own private businesses. I can guarantee if CNRL started to flounder that he would not sit idly and let the people below him making poor decisions maintain their positioning within the company. He's just like the guy up north in that it's a hobby that the the results aren't as important as the fun of living a childhood dream of being involved in the NHL hockey. I don't expect Edwards to make any solid, honest decisions as this is their little hobby not their livelihood. Everyone seems to dance around the important fact that if anyone deserves to be fired it's ownership.
|
The fact that Edwards was front and centre in this last round of CBA negotations pretty much shoots down that theory of a "hobby". Pretty sure he wants to continue the Flames involvement, if even for his own personal gains, to climb up the NHL ladder in those high level circles, in the same vein that Harley Hotchkiss trailblazed for the last decade+.
So in that sense, I don't think he'll want his franchise to be the laughing stock its dangerously close to being at this point in time. Proof will be what he does this summer to make some changes at the top.
I've said repeatedly, personally, that I think he gave King too much control after Darryl didn't make the playoffs in the Phanuef deal year. Feaster's hire as full time GM was one that I am sure Feaster sold well, and also knew that Feaster was more open to "suggestion" than Darryl was. That allowed him to implement his ideas that he had, without much push back. A bad season this year and some big time upper management mess ups this season, have exposed the fact that maybe he was a bit too involved and didn't make all the right decisions, in something he had to handle different than his regular business.
He makes up for those mistakes and gets some "hockey" people he trusts completely to run the the day to day operations and longer term decision making process when it comes to rosters, coaches and drafts and inseason moves, and the "laughing stock" moniker may be forgotten if the right moves are made decisively, and those around the league know who the one guy, who has the hockey world's respect for, who is in charge of things here in Calgary.