[united]

Wonderful news.

When you are facing a skill deficit in the majority of your games, you want to increase variance as much as possible by decreasing pace. Huska understood this perfectly last year. Couple low-event hockey with an elite goaltender and you have the recipe to keep many games tight regardless of opponent. Also, low-event hockey sets the table for the young core to become responsible two-way players for the rest of their careers which will serve the Flames handsomely come time to seriously contend, and for lengthy playoff runs where run-and-gun is ineffective. How Huska reacts tactically when the team's roster starts improving a few years' time is to be determined, but that can be judged when the time comes. For now, this is a solid move.

Contrast to the Hartley years that while some of the most exciting and memorable hockey we've seen, set the young core back years as their development on the defensive side of the game was stalled and even deteriorated (Gulultzan debacle that following notwithstanding), taking years to recover from and ultimately resulting in a team that was brushed aside come playoff time.

Eye on the long-term prize. This is the process.