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GioforPM · 03-03-2021, 11:36 AM

I think being a GM in the NHL is incredibly difficult and you probably can do everything right and not succeed, because luck and circumstance are huge factors. And no GM actually has done everything right. Even the Lou L’s have mistakes on their record.

With Treliving, at least I can see what he was trying to do with each and every move. So there was a rational basis, which you may want to argue was incorrect, but at least you can see there was a plan. Sometimes the plan evolves because of circumstances, but still a plan.

If you’re Treliving in 2015-16, Flames seem to have struck gold with a late pick in Gaudreau, who is gelling with Monahan. Gio and Brodie are playing way above expectations, Wideman had a really good year, you just drafted in the highest position ever and got a centre who by all accounts, may be the best forward in the draft. Your goaltending turned in a solid year, and you have decent support with guys like Backlund, Ferland, Frolik. So you go out and pay a big price for a hole - a RHS huge potential Dman. You extend the coach, who you don’t like but he won a round.

OK, so 2015-2016 - the Flames lose ground in the standings big time, but maybe it’s goaltending. So you continue on. You’ve traded away Hudler and Russell for decent assets because they are declining. That’s good. You’ve drafted Tkachuk because Vancouver messed up. You also drafted Dube and Parsons who both look good. Your 2015 picks Andersson and Kylington look good too. The players hate Hartley so you get rid of him for a more modern coach who is a disciple of the consensus best coach around. You get rid of the goaltenders who many people blame for the drop. You get a goalie with very solid numbers. The Flames have always needed a big RW who can score, so you find a guy who is consistently just above or below 20 goals.

2016-17. OK, so the Flames rebounded some. The goaltending was better. Tkachuk looks great. But your high draft pick centre doesn’t look like he’s going to be elite and maybe not even a 2C. And in the POs the goaltending disappears, and the team looks off. So out go those goalies and you get Mike Smith, who is a huge guy with a good record. And the team drops 10 points. Hamilton doesn’t fit in off ice and Bennett is looking even worse. Brouwer is bad. Brodie without Gio is not good - he needs someone better than Wideman or Engelland. But maybe someone who can cover him defensively.

2017-18 - you keep with the program but Brouwer is still bad, Smith gets worse. You miss the POs. You also want a steady RHS D to bolster the defence so you get a good character guy who is a strong defender in Hamonic.

2018-19: So to address the Bennett issue you decide to trade Hamilton and Ferland to get Lindholm, who can give you a 1A 1B situation, and Hanifin, who isn’t an offensive stud, but still has potential. Brodie can go back with Gio like everyone wants and Hanifin and Hamonic should work well together - a skater with a stay at home guy. And you turf Brouwer, but because you still want a big RW to play with one of the two top pairings, you get Neal, who’s never failed to score 20 in his whole NHL career. And you hire a guy who you’ve wanted for a few years as coach. But Neal sucks, and you end up putting your intended 1B on RW, which works pretty darn well. Team looks pretty good, except your goalies are not great. Smith is bad and Rittich looks good for a while but comes to earth. And then the Flames who are on the slow side, get exposed by the Avs in the POs as pretty easy to defend, because your offence is all on one, pretty easy to defend, line.

Last year - disaster with a coach, your goaltending improves to “OK”, and the team continues to struggle into the POs. Hamonic isn’t working, Brodie is going. But Ward holds the team together, wins a play-in which feels pretty PO like, and then wins a couple games in round one (and is seconds from 3-1). Close? So offseason you spend money to get the best defensive D possible and a stud goalie. Then the season suddenly starts and without much training camp and a new coach, here we are.

There aren’t a whole lot of clear errors in strategy without the aid of hindsight. There are some mis-evaluations of talent and just bad luck as well.

03-03-2021, 11:36 AM	#801
GioforPM Franchise Player Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Springbank Exp:	I think being a GM in the NHL is incredibly difficult and you probably can do everything right and not succeed, because luck and circumstance are huge factors. And no GM actually has done everything right. Even the Lou L’s have mistakes on their record. With Treliving, at least I can see what he was trying to do with each and every move. So there was a rational basis, which you may want to argue was incorrect, but at least you can see there was a plan. Sometimes the plan evolves because of circumstances, but still a plan. If you’re Treliving in 2015-16, Flames seem to have struck gold with a late pick in Gaudreau, who is gelling with Monahan. Gio and Brodie are playing way above expectations, Wideman had a really good year, you just drafted in the highest position ever and got a centre who by all accounts, may be the best forward in the draft. Your goaltending turned in a solid year, and you have decent support with guys like Backlund, Ferland, Frolik. So you go out and pay a big price for a hole - a RHS huge potential Dman. You extend the coach, who you don’t like but he won a round. OK, so 2015-2016 - the Flames lose ground in the standings big time, but maybe it’s goaltending. So you continue on. You’ve traded away Hudler and Russell for decent assets because they are declining. That’s good. You’ve drafted Tkachuk because Vancouver messed up. You also drafted Dube and Parsons who both look good. Your 2015 picks Andersson and Kylington look good too. The players hate Hartley so you get rid of him for a more modern coach who is a disciple of the consensus best coach around. You get rid of the goaltenders who many people blame for the drop. You get a goalie with very solid numbers. The Flames have always needed a big RW who can score, so you find a guy who is consistently just above or below 20 goals. 2016-17. OK, so the Flames rebounded some. The goaltending was better. Tkachuk looks great. But your high draft pick centre doesn’t look like he’s going to be elite and maybe not even a 2C. And in the POs the goaltending disappears, and the team looks off. So out go those goalies and you get Mike Smith, who is a huge guy with a good record. And the team drops 10 points. Hamilton doesn’t fit in off ice and Bennett is looking even worse. Brouwer is bad. Brodie without Gio is not good - he needs someone better than Wideman or Engelland. But maybe someone who can cover him defensively. 2017-18 - you keep with the program but Brouwer is still bad, Smith gets worse. You miss the POs. You also want a steady RHS D to bolster the defence so you get a good character guy who is a strong defender in Hamonic. 2018-19: So to address the Bennett issue you decide to trade Hamilton and Ferland to get Lindholm, who can give you a 1A 1B situation, and Hanifin, who isn’t an offensive stud, but still has potential. Brodie can go back with Gio like everyone wants and Hanifin and Hamonic should work well together - a skater with a stay at home guy. And you turf Brouwer, but because you still want a big RW to play with one of the two top pairings, you get Neal, who’s never failed to score 20 in his whole NHL career. And you hire a guy who you’ve wanted for a few years as coach. But Neal sucks, and you end up putting your intended 1B on RW, which works pretty darn well. Team looks pretty good, except your goalies are not great. Smith is bad and Rittich looks good for a while but comes to earth. And then the Flames who are on the slow side, get exposed by the Avs in the POs as pretty easy to defend, because your offence is all on one, pretty easy to defend, line. Last year - disaster with a coach, your goaltending improves to “OK”, and the team continues to struggle into the POs. Hamonic isn’t working, Brodie is going. But Ward holds the team together, wins a play-in which feels pretty PO like, and then wins a couple games in round one (and is seconds from 3-1). Close? So offseason you spend money to get the best defensive D possible and a stud goalie. Then the season suddenly starts and without much training camp and a new coach, here we are. There aren’t a whole lot of clear errors in strategy without the aid of hindsight. There are some mis-evaluations of talent and just bad luck as well.