Having a coach like Hartley here for a long stretch I think goes a long way towards team identity, stability in style of play and helps really foster a system where young players can come in and be successful so long as they are willing to work for it and listen. Detroit had Scotty Bowman for so long then if I recall correctly they went with Dave Lewis before ending up with Babcock. They had Bowman for many years and he established the Detroit system in many ways, so then they get Lewis who wasn't the best fit and end up with Babcock who has also been there for years. Good coaches may not win every year but teams build identities around their style of play and general atmosphere of the team, much of this comes from having a consistent message behind the bench and someone who can also adapt with the times. I think Hartley meets much of this criteria and it really is time to keep pushing and establishing that identity, Darryl Sutter was a great coach for us and the tough part was that having only coached us for 2 and a half seasons he really couldn't find a good follow up to keep building on things the way he might have if he was still coach.
Let Hartley build up the identity with a nice extension, still hold him accountable but let the man finish his work first. Great coaches don't come around often, 5 more years is what id like to see!
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