Quote:
Originally Posted by Major Major
Simply an initial assessment based on what these 2 candidates have shown in terms of having head coaching potential at the pro level.
It's not that complicated. Love is a top coaching prospect based on what he's done with the Heat/Wranglers. Huska is replacement level may not have been offered another job in the NHL had he not been given the top gig. It's like opting to take take Stone over Valimaki. And we'll get to see that play out again. Nothing getting more familiar as a flames fan than watching top talent leave the team for greener pastures.
Everything we've heard so far is that this is a loyalty hire of some kind. I think that's dumb. It will be framed like this guy is an incredible communicator and intelligent hockey mind. That's probably true and I hope it pays off, but this comes off as exactly the type of mistake Sutter made. Go with the guy you know and trust no matter what the younger guy is showing.
|
Two pretty big claims here that I'm not sure are backed up by reports and evidence.
Love is constantly described as a top candidate, but, as far as I know, there were no reports that he interviewed for any NHL HC positions other than in Calgary, nor that any teams asked for permission to interview him.
Whereas we know that Huska got very close in the Detroit HC search last year, and that he also interviewed well with Chicago. Along with the the Calgary job he just got, that's three NHL HC interviews in the last two off-seasons. To me, that suggests he'd be in
extremely high demand as an Assistant Coach if he hit the open market.
Love was a more appealing candidate to Flames fans because he's young and fresh and has had great recent results in the AHL. But almost all reporting we have suggests that Huska is a more appealing candidate to other teams, and has been for some time.