Quote:
Originally Posted by Enoch Root
Regarding Vegas, I am curious if there is anyone here who believes that Vegas would have a similar record this year if Gulutzan was their coach. I don't want to hear 'it's impossible to know', yeah we know, it's hypothetical.
The question is a simple one to those who think coaching doesn't matter much, or that Gulutzan is a good coach or whatever: are you prepared to say that you believe that the Knights would have a similar record this year if Gulutzan was their coach?
Anyone?
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I think it's possible. His systems are not the issue. I believe that getting emotion and players to play with a "chip" on their shoulder is potentially an issue of his.
That line up in Vegas was going to gel no matter what IMO. A bunch of cast offs that had something to prove after not being wanted by their old teams.
So really that would have helped overcome what may be a weakness of his and his team system play seems to be strong enough that they wouldn't have gotten in the teams way.
And really it's the way I look at GG. I'm not sure that he really influences the team in a huge direction either way. IMO he's not a detriment to the team, and he might not be a huge positive to the team either. He's kind of just a "wash".
He's not Greg Gilbert bad where there is no system and he's running guys out of town. But he's also not Mike Babcock good where the sum of the team's parts add up to more than what's there. He's just meh. So I think there are other problems this team has that are bigger than him (depth, unlucky) that aren't because of him, but he's also not a good enough coach to mask those problems.
It's also why I only want him fired if there is a true upgrade. A Babcock/Quenneville/D.Sutter/Laviolette (coach not GM) type that has a history of getting more out of his team. Because I don't think another re-tread, "meh" coach is going to get this team over the hump, and I don't want the team to lose the system structure that has us top 5 in possession and generating chances but just shooting poorly.