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Originally Posted by bubbsy
I think that's a bit harsh.
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It may be, but Itse is correct. I personally think that Treliving has done a very good job assembling teams on paper. Where he has failed is bringing in a coaching staff that can get the most out of those players, and then investing high value assets in difference makers more so than support players.
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His biggest fault has been over estimating the team and spending assets a team that is still essentially rebuilding simply cannot afford (1st & 2nd round picks).
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I think Treliving could have gotten away with one of those trades, not both. Both were very expensive and have created a gaping hole in the developmental system. With one of these deals the system could likely work past the loss of those assets as a minor road bump. But with the loss of all of those assets, the system has seen a large chunk of the road washed away. As bad as it was to lose the 1sts and 2nds, the loss of top end college prospects was equally as damaging. With the loss of all of those assets in short order it has established an opportunity window the team will have to exploit, and because of the hole in the system that window will close and the team will go through another similar rebuild.
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My 'hot take' is the flames would have not been all that much better or worse the last few years had they not made the Hamilton and hamonic deals. Those assets would have been rounding out by now....
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This is where using those assets for difference makers comes in. Hamilton should have been a difference maker. That was a deal you make because of the sheer potential of Hamilton. It looked like it was going to workout as expected, but personalities on the team didn't gel and he had to be moved.
The Hamonic deal is the one that was soul crushing and derailed the train. They paid a difference maker price, but got a mediocre support player in return. I don't think they did their due diligence to understand Hamonic's role in Long Island and the importance of his contribution. I think they could have got a similar player elsewhere for less. I understand why Treliving made the deal, and liked what it signaled, but I think your assessment of the timing and the belief of where the team was is accurate. They overspent on a player that was an "over the top" acquisition, and the Flames were not close enough where acquiring one player would out them over the top.
Treliving has done a good job, but he's had some big misses to go along with his big acquisitions. I like him and think he's a smart guy, but like all people he has his blind spots. I think his blind spot is understanding the importance of coaching and systems, and we have been subject to that with Gulutzan. I'm hoping Peters isn't much of the same, but systematically and outcomes generated they look pretty similar. I can't wait for the pucks to hit the ice to see what we have in the new staff and if they will be the difference maker we need behind the wonderful paper roster assembled.