Quote:
Originally Posted by Daradon
Is distaste for Hartley really at an all time high? Or is this a personal feeling projected? I thought a lot of the fans liked him, I know they did early in the year. Why would fans dislike him? Cause of a recent slump that should have been expected earlier anyway? The team has a reputation around the league already for working hard and may have the worst roster in the league.
We expected this. It's a rebuild. Less than half a year in. Let me repeat this. Less than half a year in. Why would we even be discussing making a coaching change?
Like Tranny I am worried that the loss of Feaster means Hartley will be leaving eventually, as the new GM will probably want 'his' guy. Shoot, Burke might even pull the trigger before that. But I hope he stays. I think he's been great in Calgary so far. And even if he's only been average, shouldn't we keep a little bit of stability for a while anyway? Do we really want the coaching carousel the Oilers have? Coaches lose the room immediately cause the kids know they have no power.
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Not projecting at all, Hartley doesn't bother me one bit. There is a large portion of the fanbase that doesn't care for him, and that seems to have undeniably grown over the last 15 games or so.
With a new GM coming in, and even Burke saying he promised the coaches they were safe until the end of the year, I think it's fair to say that Hartley's time could be limited.
I would say he's been average. His systems aren't great, the powerplay is not good, the PK is average (which isn't a bad thing all considered), and while we're riding a the wave of praise from an early stretch of "never give up" hockey, the team has looked fairly listless for a prolonged stretch.
People can't repeat the word "rebuild" like broken records, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have the right coach for it. Hartley was hired pre-rebuild, and while he isn't the worst, he's certainly not the best option.
If anything, this is a crucial time to make sure we have the RIGHT coach for the next few years. If it's Hartley, then so be it, but if it's not, then the change needs to be made sooner or later.