I still see people saying that this isn't a Sutter team. Why?
Gaudeau isn't big enough? Seems to be excelling down the stretch. Same as Lindholm. Same as Mangiapane.
Tkachuk and Monahan are struggling. They have struggled all season, and one of them at least is playing through some injury (rumoured anyway).
Dube hasn't looked better, hasn't looked worse either. Ryan is getting old and wasn't productive under Ward either.
I don't think that many players are looking worse under Darryl. On the contrary, they are looking better. Horrible puck luck and shooting percentages for most of the team, but some of the team is responding.
There just needs to be change. I thought that under Ward, Gaudreau was an obvious "must trade" piece. Now? I think you try and keep him if you can extend him reasonably.
Monahan remains in the 'should probably look at trading' - really depends on the offer, though. If it is two 2nds, I would hope he is retained.
That's going to be part of the issue - what are the offers going to be?
Will GM (whomever it may be), be able to find better depth players and get this team faster and more skilled, and hopefully a bit bigger? Seems like a gigantic task at this point than 'working around the edges' of a 2nd overall team.
Sutter is the right coach for this team right up until there is a rebuild needed. I am 100% with a rebuild personally, but I don't pay the bills for the Flames. If they want to try a big retool, by all means. I can definitely be successful IMO, but it will be difficult too, and you aren't selling as much 'hope', and perhaps a more impatient season ticket holder base if things don't work out.
Tough times ahead for the Flames.
Ideally, they would have went from the Hartley Era right into the Sutter Era (though Sutter was employed of course, but you know what I mean). From really tough Hartley with a really good culture and work ethic, and a really good 'teaching coach', to an almost mild-mannered Darryl Sutter who could have taken the team to the next step.
Instead, this team kept taking a step down somehow, even when more talent was acquired, because I think the culture got ruined. I think Sutter can salvage it. I bet this team AS IS makes the playoffs next year, even in the same division, but I also bet that it isn't a contender too, so what's the point in that?
Major changes will happen. Who and to what extent, I have no idea and probably nobody else at this point really does either. All I know is that I am relieved that this team has a capable coach to figure out their way through this mess at least - one thing that you can cross-off the list of what may not be working.
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