[TOfan]

Originally Posted by curves2000

If I am ownership, I have to ask some very very hard questions and I want NEW answers. I find Tre to talk a lot and say a lot of corporate speak, general chat about compete, opportunities, doing the work, following the process etc. He is a salesman through and through. He's the guy who will tell you how great something is, the best of the best, the Rolls Royce of whatever but you may also need to buy the extended warranty to protect risk cause the thing will probably break down.

How do you explain to your owner that your 2017 first round pick (Valamaki) is chosen to be traded and you kept Mackay instead. I understand at the time there was a cap consideration for the higher AAV but realistically, management and coaching didn't really play him. He may have been a cheaper option but than didn't really contribute. He was than traded for what is without a doubt a more NHL caliber D in Stretcher, but at a higher cost contract, nullifying some of those savings.

Why risk mitigation measures were put into place for Johnny ?? Why did Tre wait until the very last second to hear back a polite no, I won't be back? Could that have been handled better for the overall health of the organization?

What was the line of thinking about offering such large contracts to players who hadn't skated on the Dome ice before with our new lads from Florida? Was it a PR move to indicate we have players who want to be here? Did we need to strike while we had an advantage in case the players went red hot and the cost went up?

There are lot's of examples and more so. It's almost like we need an evaluation of a lot of the work and how it adds up to success or lack of it. Lot's of people have been in this organization a long long time and sometimes dogma set's in. Sometimes you think your doing something the best way but other's are pressing the accelerator even further.

There are decisions, policies, practices and more that separate the top performing teams in the last 10 years vs teams like Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver etc.

A recent article on how the new management team is modernizing the Habs was interesting to me. Some of the most basic things like having a skills coach for the organization was missed by management. Why??

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article...r-jeff-gorton/

Lot's to answer for these days

I think the answer to many of your questions lay at the feet of the owners. I strongly suspect they set the course and mandate for management and ever since the cap, regardless of who the GM has been. The direction has been consistent. Make the playoffs. Aside from Seattle and Vegas this is the only team of the remaining 30 that has never drafted in the top 3. I could be wrong but I believe it was only the Flames and the Rangers who could say this up until a few years ago. I don’t think what we are seeing is Treliving putting on his salesman’s hat and duping the owners. It’s probably the opposite. I wouldn’t be surprised if Treliving has put the rebuild or retool option in front of the owners before. He certainly would have when they were weighing offers for Tkachuk. That’s a franchise altering trade and I would have to think the owners were made aware of the options and likely had ultimate say in the overall direction. In this case, stay competitive.

As for Valimaki, it has been discussed, even yesterday by Loubardious, that Valimaki wasn’t going to be able to play under Sutter. His words were that Valimaki is a sensitive kid, and the environment Sutter creates was not going to be one Bslimaki was going to succeed in. I can’t help but think Valimaki’s confidence and development took a major hit with his injuries. Sutter is trying to win now and probably didn’t have the time or inclination to coddle him. Harsh but in this case I think letting Valimaki go was best for him and the Flames. Hope he does well.