Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperMatt18
AustinL is pretty much just trolling with the Huberdeau and Kadri vs Sutter narrative at this point. Honestly he's adding nothing of value to this site.
What people have to realize is Sutter wasn't fired because of the on ice play or system. It's not the prettiest or most fan friendly system but it's generally effective. That wasn't the issue with Sutter.
The issue with Sutter (and the organization in general) was that you had Tkachuk and Gaudreau leave after a division winning season (at least in some part because of Sutter / Ownership), you had Treliving leave the org due to his relationship with the coach and owner, and then you had all of Lindholm, Backlund, Hanifin, and Tanev (maybe more) indicate they wanted out if Sutter was still coach.
And as an organization you couldn't let that toxic environment fester. Even if Sutter is a great coach it's useless if nobody wants to play here and all your best players want out every offseason.
That is why Sutter was fired because he was at least partially responsible for an environment that caused at least 6 of your top players to leave over 2 seasons. Huberdeau and Kadri can have the finger pointed at them, but they signed 8 year and 7 year contracts knowing Sutter was coach (and players talk - I'm sure they knew about how he was to players), they weren't the reason he was fired.
The departures of Tkachuk and Gaudreau, followed by the threats of departure by Hanifin, Lindholm, Backlund, Tanev etc is why he was fired.
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I'm admittedly the biggest Sutter fan here and will debate anyone who says otherwise, but even I in the summer was of the stance of "ok, it was his time to go, let's change things up and go forward with a fresh direction" and then followed that up by betting massive on a Huberdeau bounce back (I walked the walk with his bounceback storyline).
Now, 11 games into this pitiful season with absolutely nothing to indicate that Huberdeau or Kadri (up until the last 2 games playing with Zary) have changed in this Sutter-less world, I'm just talking the talk now haha I hope Huberdeau/Kadri/Huska/etc.. make me forget about the only man that kept this organization in professional hard-working manner, but right now it is going 📉📉📉.
I would like to eat crow, and honestly, if the Flames are forced into a rebuild because Sutter isn't there to prop them up by 2-3 levels above their actual talent level, that is more than good for me.
Or, maybe this team turns it around and Huska's system turns out to be brilliant, but that is a far, far, far way from even entering my head as a possibility