Quote:
Originally Posted by iamca
In a word, no.
Why?
Where is the urgency if you are the Flames?
Does anyone think Hartley is going somewhere if the Flames didn't extend his contract beyond this season? Really? Where?
Better than expected, yeah they were. They were also 26th in the league and with a new GM, let's not get over anxious about extending Hartley.
Sorry if I missed it, but he was brought in by his friend Jay Feaster.
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You are wrong.
I hated the Hartley hiring. I thought he was Feasters guy, brought in to bring offense to make Iginla happy, and barely make the playoffs. Also thought he has living off a Stanley cup that he almost walked into. That might still be true.
What I have seen in the last 10 months is a man who got the attention of 30 men. He got those men to play his way. 1 player didn't play his way, so he was sent to go learn his way to play. Monahan progressed. Colborne progressed. Brodie progressed. Giordano excelled. Ramo progressed. Berra progressed. Ortio progressed.
Not extending him now will allow kids who think they know it all to wait out the coach to be gone.
An extension will let EVERYBODY know, that Hartley's way is the only way. Ball busting hockey is the only way to play. And even if the Flames regress, as long as the right hockey is being played, Hartley has great use.
All that said, I remember Burke using the term "lame duck" when he was in his last year in Vancouver. He doesn't like it, and said as much about coaching and managing in a persons last season in hockey. Burke also said that the new GM would be mandated to keep Hartley, and be "advised" to discuss an extension with him ASAP. I'm sure it was a job interview question.
Flames also have $$ to spend and are waaaaayyyy under budget and hugely profitable over this past season.
Fans (and more importantly, season ticket holders) are extremely happy with the current product.
All that says that Hartley gets a (minimum) 2yr extension before July 1.
I'll bet pubes on it.