Quote:
Originally Posted by New Era
What are the odds that Ward gets sacked? He's great fro trying to win games, but horrible for developing players into NHL talent. How can you justify having Byron as your top center when his NHL dream is as good as dead?
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I say little to none right now. The team is winning games, they are playing well and they are still listening to him and taking direction. I think his firing would come when the team stops responding or if he starts going away from the game that Hartley and Feaster want him teaching. At the Flames Fest today, Burke said that the biggest thing is Ward teaches the same system that Hartley is so that when they call a kid up, they are familiar with it.
As Eye_Overstand alluded to, most of these guys are first year pro or first year playing together. This is not a team with alot of carryover from last year so these boys still have to get to know each other and create some team chemistry. It can take time. Plus, factor in players leaving and coming back at anytime and it does make it a little tough then any other level of hockey to get a group game going.
Byron is a good AHL player. Some guys, this is the best they do. If Byron is the best centre on the ice, why shouldn't he have the top spot? Because he won't make the NHL? That's an unhealthy atmosphere to create in the dressing room and almost like the country club crap that was going on in the Flames room. You can't take things away from him because you want say Horak or Knight to be top line because hey, they are going to be NHL players. If he earns top spot, I'm okay with him having it over guys who are NHL caliber.