This team hasn't let a coach go who has gone on to show it was a mistake. Not a single one so far. To drive this point home further, only Bob Johnson and Darryl Sutter have gone on to coach and have more success elsewhere. Crisp coached for a bit and then he was out. After Crisp, it was mostly duds. I can't remember if Page went on to coach elsewhere (and I am too lazy to look it up - I figure if he did something noteworthy, I would remember). Then Darryl happened... and then since then, more of the same.
I think "you can't blame the coach" is an indefensible position to take now. Is it the same people now who are defending Ward the same that were defending and saying the same thing from Brent Sutter until now?
Maybe the coach isn't the biggest problem. Maybe this roster is more deeply flawed than a lot of people think it is. Maybe there is a culture issue, or a locker room issue, or whatever else. The coach right now has done diddly squat to make this a better team so far. He may not be the problem, but he isn't helping this team either, and I don't see him as a solution either.
If this team is a bunch of 'coach killers' - well, then why in the hell is an inexperienced head coach signed for 2 years? Doesn't fit the narrative of why this coach should be retained.
Try a new coach - someone experienced. If that does't work, take this deadline day to start making adjustments to the core... or just blow it up and start from scratch if that's what must be done.
The first step to me seems logical - bring someone in with experience and see if he can turn this team around - see if this team is even able to be turned around. If it is - well, that was easy! If it isn't? Large roster moves.
I just don't see why the coaching is even being defended any longer - I don't see the rationale, other than 'already did that'.
If you keep buying cheap knock-off smartphones, and continually get reception problems, maybe it isn't your carrier and is the phone that you have? How do you know if you never bought a good cellphone?
Maybe you already went through 5 used Toyotas and you didn't bother to really get any of them checked out, and they all disappointed you in how long they lasted you, you would probably think that Toyota makes unreliable cars.
Maybe it is the construction of the team. Maybe it needs core changes. Maybe it needs to be blown to smithereens and rebuilt from the ground up. All I can see is one coach after another being hired without a lick of success before getting here, or since leaving, but it must be the core?
I will say I don't know what it is, but I would start with the coach.
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