Quote:
Originally Posted by Itse
It's not like Boudreau is likely to be desperate for a job. He's a 65-year old millionaire and can afford to just say no to everyone if there's not a good enough offer. Especially given how uncertain everything is around the league, it might be years before the Flames or anyone could offer him the kind of salaries he's used to, especially given that he likely wants a multi-year contract.
I think the general level of uncertainty about just about everything in the league might also be a why top coaches might be even less willing than normal to take a paycut. Nobody even knows exactly what the next season is going to be like. If there's going to be a lot of isolation involved, guys who are enjoying their time off might think they'd need be payed extra to get back into it right now.
In general I think in this situation going with Ward makes a lot of sense. Next season is going to be difficult and strange. Salary cuts and budget cuts are going to raise tensions and lower the spirits, I think that's inevitable, and there might be a lot of unusual situations to deal with. Having a head coach who already knows the team and who seems to be well respected and well liked makes sense to me.
It's also very likely that paying top dollar to a top coach would require making deep cuts into something else, and that difference might not be worth it. For Treliving the choice might not be between Ward or a different coach, it might be between Ward+additional scouts or a different coach.
And yeah, as I already said in another thread, I don't think Ward is bad, I actually think he's pretty good. In normal circumstances I would be disappointed with the Flames going with Ward, but these are not normal circumstances.
In the situation the team is in, I think Ward is probably a good choice.
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You obviously have not been paying attention to what Boudreau has said recently. He wants to get back in the game desperately, preferably as a HC but when asked if he would consider an assistant coach job with the Leafs he said he would definitely if they came calling but he wants to see how the HC positions shake out first. The guy has a lot of money, I think he would leave dollars on the table to come coach here. Given the makeup of this team hiring Boudreau to me is a no brainer smart move which is exactly why I doubt it will happen with the history of this organization.