You’re The GM

[Goriders]

Well this season is pretty much over. Probably the most disappointing one since I’ve been a fan. I’ve watched some brutal Flames teams where losing was expected. But this version was a preseason favourite to be in the cup final.

Lots of opinions on what the issues are. A hard team to figure out. So inconsistent. What would you do if you were GM?

Personally for the rest of the year I would try and figure out who fit into my long term plans. I would essentially make the last 19 games a precursor for the next season’s training camp.

I’d give Ritchie and Stecher an extended audition as well as Zary and Wolf. If possible I’d also give Coronato an opportunity once his NCAA season is complete.

I would start sitting Lucic and Lewis to allow for the auditions. I would not bring them back next season. This team is going to require more ELCs in the lineup to afford the big contracts they signed last summer.

I’d start working on extending our UFAs for the end of next season. Backlund, Lindholm, Toffoli, Dube (RFA), Zadorov, Tanev, Hanifin. Anyone not interested I would start the process of finding interested trading partners. Preferably prior to the draft to maximize potential picks. I would be interested in extending all of them as they all had fairly good seasons.

I would commit to bringing Wolf up next season and marketing Vladar. Not sure why but I have a feeling that Markstrom will bounce back next season. Wolf will also need some veteran support to keep developing.

At the year end interviews I would try and figure out if the coaching staff needs to be overhauled. My gut feel is it does. There are too many underachieving players on the roster. That’s the head coaches primary responsibility. Getting the most that he can out of his players. The powerplay was horrible this season. I think that is also a direct result of coaching. I think the players have grown tired of Sutter hockey.

Of the highest underperforming players (In my mind Mangiapane, Huberdeau, Markstrom) I’d try and decide which ones were a blip and which ones were permanent. Gut feel is Markstrom and Huberdeau are blips. Mangiapane isn’t. I would look for a trading partner for Mangiapane. I would look for a linemate in free agency for Huberdeau that better fits his style of play. The potential of a coaching change might also fix this problem. I’d give Markstrom another half season to prove himself. If he can’t I would transition Wolf into the starters role and try and bring in another veteran goalie. I’d bury Markstrom somewhere and look at buying him out if I couldn’t find a trading partner.

Bottom line though. If it’s still Treliving I wouldn’t want his job this offseason. There will probably be a number of hard decisions that will have to be made to right the ship. Something is wrong with this team.

[dammage79]

If I'm GM, I'm finding new teams for Tanev and Backlund. Revamping the 4th line and finding a 2nd line center to bump Kadri down to Backs slot. Then I'll find a young cost controlled RW for the top 6 and going from there.

I'd also look into moving Mangiapane for that RW.

I'm signing Lindholm the second I'm able to.

[Kasi]

Fire the coach and then fire yourself. Don’t do any moves you’ve shown already you’re not the right person for the job here.

Edit: More seriously I’d have sold some of the players for picks here but now we are where are are I don’t know it’s not a good option. Not going to get much in the offseason and none of these players look like good resigning options. So to me the options are run it back with adjustments or firesale. Regardless the first thing is still fire the coach.

If this team is run back it’s clear these players want something else. And for young players I don’t think you want Sutter leading them. If by some reason you want to keep Sutter then you gotta take away his toys. No more Lucic or other fourth line pluggers. Let’s get back to a fourth line like Ryan’s where that line actually drove play.

[Pickle Juice]

Hire Iginla to coach the flames next year.

[bluejays]

If I’m the GM it’s theoretically simple as an immediate philosophy. Get younger while maintaining cap flexibility. Working around those principles I’d look to deal mediocre aging talent. So Coleman, Backlund, deal for equivalent of 2nd rounders. Guys coming off the books like Lucic, move on from. If you can get quality assets for Kadri, Huberdeau, go for it. Take a minimal salary back if needed to a team who wants Markstrom. The way I see it is currently there is probably some belief that Huberdeau and Markstrom can turn it around. With Markstrom I think mentally he’s fried and we have to get out yesterday. Shop around Mangiapane to see what’s out there but if he needs to be around for a few years to help with a rebuild, just fine. Any pending FA next year look to deal to get high draft picks where needed. Get rid of Sutter. What kind of environment is he creating?

[White Out 403]

I'm the GM?

[just_tim]

Coach has lost the room. Huberdeau Khadri, Markstrom, Backlund, Mangi all didn’t get bad overnight. The PP is bad. D zone coverage has been atrocious. High shot volume and low shot percentage from a system that has no inside/low creativity. No in game adjustment. Refusal to try the younger guys like Peltier earlier. Keep rolling 4 lines. OT losses piling up with questionable personnel on the ice. All signs of a stubborn coach refusing to coach to the players around him. Until something changes there, changing players is just throwing spaghetti at the wall.

[dirk diggler]

not saying that Sutter is the answer going forward, but when will this franchise get to the point where the coach needs to be replaced every couple years, that is so Oilers like. i agree with others, this is the most disapointing flames team ever or for a very long time. If i have to watch Huber"doh" get great chances and try to pass through 3 sets of sticks, i will finally lose it

[Macho0978]

I would have sold at the deadline. Can’t imagine anyone wouldn’t if they knew how things would have gone last night.

Selling at the deadline is the one time where you can prepare for next year while half the league is focused on this year. I’m the summer sure there might be some teams looking to rebuild but most teams will be focused on how they can make a run at the playoffs or cup next year.

How will Nashville replace Ekholm?
How will Detroit place Hronek and Bertuzzi?
How will St. Louis replace Oreilly and tarasenko?
How will Chicago replace Kane?

These are the questions so many ask when people suggest we trade guys like Backlund, Toffoli and Tanev. The teams above will replace their players with their high end draft picks and high end prospects. They will refill the cupboards with the extra picks they acquired at the deadline or use as currency to replace players.

We need a GM that gets this. If it isn’t working you aren’t suddenly getting hot mid march and winning a cup. If the team was already rolling fine go for it. We need a GM that makes that tough call to sell

[flambers]

Its time for new management, plan is clearly not working.

Trade deadline lack of anything made zero sense

In the offseason, I would not resign the GM, hire a new GM

Once the Gm is on board, let that person make the decision on the coaching staff

(that's what the Flames should do)

If I were the Gm, I would re-tool. The 2024 UFAs would be gone

[mile]

Ask my dad to buy the team and give me free rein to rebuild

[memphusk]

Burn it down. Its all a mess.

[Enoch Root]

The organization will want to see what this team looks like next year. And I can't blame them for that. But if it isn't working, they better be honest about it, and start to make significant changes.

If I were the GM, I would use all these prime-of-career assets to do a complete rebuild.

Lindholm, Toffoli, Hanifin, Tanev, Andersson, Mangiapane, Vladar, Zadorov, all get you significant capital.

In another year or two, Markstrom and Coleman are movable.

For the next couple years, run with Markstrom-Wolf, and once Wolf (hopefully) proves he is ready to be the starter in a couple years, Markstrom should be valuable as a trade asset with only a year or two left on his contract.

Huberdeau, Kadri and Weegar's contracts are too long to move, but I sit them down and say I want to build a new team around you guys - you're my leaders. And in a few years, if you want to leave, we'll move you to a contender.

As for a coach, I bring in someone young to grow with the team, like Mitch Love. Focus on building and playing the right way. If Love isn't the guy to take them to the next level in a few years, no problem, you can deal with that then.

Plan on having the team start to be competitive in 4 to 5 years (assuming they have drafted a franchise player by then) when (hopefully) the new building is ready to open.

I am a STH and I am finding it harder each year to renew. Tell me that's the plan and I am 100% back in.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Severely handcuffed. The players I’d want to trade have untradeable contracts.

Can I have a Time Machine to go back to June? Otherwise, I collect my paycheck and wait to get fired because there’s no fixing this mess.

[Sec214]

I don’t accept the job.

This organization is misguided as hell this past summer. If the rumoured offerings were available for Tkachuk are true from Carolina or St. Louis that would of been the way I went. Sell off what you could have keep anyone under 28 and pray you win the lottery. Connor Bedard was a sure fire cant miss superstar and if even if you didn’t get him the top 5 of this draft will all be top players in the league.

Yes and the biggest losers… The fans.

[The Fisher Account]

Rely heavily on artificial intelligence rather than Viking intelligence to re-assemble this team

[Yamer]

First of all I would work on a strategic plan to get some Wrangler hopefuls worked into games towards the end of the season. It will be a good reward for some of these players that have excelled down the hall, and it's a good evaluation/audition for guys like Phillips, Wolf, Zary, etc. Also look into signing Coronato and burning a year of his entry-level deal.

Second, I would get myself a contract with the club. Go into the draft and free agency not giving up any draft capital (unless there's a knock-your-socks-off deal that addresses a need), and letting go of anchor contracts/players like Lucic. I know Lucic would likely sign for near league minimum if he's still interested in playing, but I don't really trust Sutter to not overuse him. Spend 2024+ assets to find that catalyst or gamebreaker if you're not confident the stragglers are going to step up in October.

As a fan, I don't want to see a ton of turnover from this year to next. Let this team weather the storm of an abnormal season together. Hopefully that gives them the bonds and comradery they never seemed to find throughout this season. The best teams are tempered together over long-term stretches and this team has that kind of feel.

Absolutely everything that could possibly go wrong this year has, and I side with the idea this is an aberration of the mythic variety.

[CroCop]

Missed opportunity to reload/rebuild. There is no quick fix to this mess now. Mediocrity would look great to what we’re going to witness here for the next few seasons. Say good bye to Tre for sure but no GM with a reputation would stake it to come here right now.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by CroCop

Missed opportunity to reload/rebuild. There is no quick fix to this mess now. Mediocrity would look great to what we’re going to witness here for the next few seasons. Say good bye to Tre for sure but no GM with a reputation would stake it to come here right now.

Those two points contradict each other. If there was a quick fix on the table, there still is. Every tradable player on the roster will still be a tradable player next year. Some even more so.

[Jiri Hrdina]

To answer the question there is a critical underlying assumption to be made:
- Are we assuming that, as GM, that we have the empowerment to execute the plan we think is right, inclusive of a re-build
- Or are we answering the question including an assumption that the overall mandate we are to operate under is to try to compete next season?

Very different answers depending on that assumption.