Quote:
Originally Posted by strombad
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.
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But see, I think he is the right coach for right now as the team seems to have improved, or at least put in a lot more effort, after the veterans left. He seems like he's the right coach for young kids or the 'rebuild'. I actually think he's more suited to this team, than the previous incarnation.
As far as 'over the last 15 games' comment goes, I find it kinda silly. I know fans get impatient and want results yesterday, but 15 games is nothing.
I'll agree his systems don't seem really great, but I'm not sure how we can adequately judge them when we don't have players capable of producing anyway. Our powerplay has been crap in Calgary since the early 90's so can't really fault him for that either. Agreed it doesn't mean that someone can't or won't do better, or it should be swept under the rug, but it does seem like a small thing to get upset about, especially when we don't have any high end talent.