I still think that it is too early to really consider firing Gulutzan. I am neither fond of him, nor do I hate him. I think another 10 or so games will be a more fair sample size for us to see where this team is at and how they are executing.
I will say this, however. I have felt for a long time that a team's captain and his leadership is not even a quarter as important as that of a coach. The coach is (and imo, always has been) the de facto leader of any team. Darryl was a great leader, and his teams always seem to work cohesively. Hartley was a good leader I felt, and that is why for ~2 seasons or so, this team worked cohesively. I still haven't seen the same representative sample out of Gulutzan for any significant length of time. I didn't see it under Playfair, or Keenan, or Brent Sutter. I wouldn't say that at this point, Gulutzan isn't capable of becoming that leader, but I haven't seen a Calgary Flames team that goes on a long stretch playing with the same mindset.
I do think that if there is a coaching change, I would bet that a task master will be taking over. If I am a player on the Flames' squad, I would be doing all that I could do to support Gulutzan at the moment. Their effort level this past game wasn't up to snuff. It was not a team that played with energy or urgency as you might well expect after being called out by their head coach, and I think that was a significant statement (intended or not).
When a coach calls out a team, and said team continues to play exactly the same (or worse), that usually does signify a lame-duck coach. If they had lost, but the effort was there, it would say to me that they are simply not executing. I am not exactly saying that the players are intentionally tuning-out Gulutzan, but I do find it very interesting that the came out with little to no energy.
It will be interesting to see who Treliving brings on board IF a change happens. Maybe they keep Cameron on as an interim, but I find that with the lack of draft picks, Treliving will probably be more inclined to for a push. Darryl Sutter would be the most interesting replacement, as I do think that he fits-in quite well with what both Burke and Treliving have been saying for a few seasons now - black and blue hockey, speed, possession hockey, etc. He does seem to check-off all the required categories, and to me that makes it really interesting. He may really not be interested at all in joining the Flames after what happened here at the end of his tenure as GM, but he does make for quite an interesting candidate.
If I am Eric Francis, I would be writing the most positive and complimentary articles about Gulutzan right now.
Hopefully the Flames just go on a really nice winning streak and get their mojo back. If they are still hovering around 500 at the 20 game mark, and they are still looking so inconsistent and giving what appears to be half-assed efforts, I know I will be swayed to hop onto the 'fire Gulutzan' bandwagon. For now, sitting here on the fence is looking pretty good. I am always ok with a coaching upgrade unless a team is knocking it out of the park.
I will say this though, if the Flames are going to have a losing season, it better be just as fun to watch as those seasons under Hartley. I want to see development in the young players, especially development in young players that seemed like they have stalled in development, or who haven't been afforded much of an opportunity. I want to see the same culture be re-implemented as it was - high work ethic and a relentless team. I also want to see a quick youth movement. As much as I think Stajan is a great guy, and I am actually glad that he is on the team to help the youth adjust, I am not very interested in watching a losing team give Stajan a season long farwell tour, or any of the other aging and/or arguably replacement level vets on the team like Brouwer and Glass. I want 4 scoring lines. If Glass and Brouwer are still taking up a spot, I want to see them fighting and sticking up for this team the instant that something happens. I understand why they are in the lineup most nights. I believe in depth. Depth is only great when you are trying to contend. If this team is going to have another disappointing 'rebuild' year (which will be very painful given the lack of draft picks), then I will start viewing that depth as an impediment to graduating replacement-level players into the lineup. Heck, I think Freddie Hamilton is a much more important future piece of this team than Brouwer will be, or Glass, or probably Stajan (depending on how much stock you put into having high-character vets help to establish a culture and help young players become professionals).
Such an up and down season to start already, all eleven games in. Let's see what the next 11 gives us.