Should the Flames fire Gulutzan?

[Machiavelli]

Problem is they're not very quick either...and skating speed isn't the issue

[Major Major]

Painful to see people think that fan sentiment has bearing on hockey decisions. At first I thought it was a joke, then I see people double down.

For EE, ya of course fan dissatisfaction is a precursor to coach firings, but if you think that means a coach should be fired every time a group of emotional fans think so, that is a misstep in logic. It's quite likely that up to 20 teams' hardcore fanbase would vote for a firing at least once per calendar year.

For people out of their minds on D zone coverage, take a look at the last dozen games prior to Montreal. Then tell me you'd like to see people skating around playing man defence. Man defense? Are you freaking kidding me? Have you watched a hockey game this decade? Or maybe you'd prefer the old Hartley collapse?

GG may not be the coach for this team. And it may be written about him that he never experienced much success as an NHL coach. I'm going to leave that to treliving and Burke though. They're the ones with jobs on the line and they're the ones with the actual information. I sure as hell know they're not making a decision based on what backlund's socks thinks.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

He was fired after GG was hired. The Flames would have had to fire GG one month into his first season.

Two actually, and even at that time it was looking like a bad hire. Gallant wasn't hired by Vegas until April either.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Inferno

Two actually, and even at that time it was looking like a bad hire. Gallant wasn't hired by Vegas until April either.

Gallant was fired in November. GG had barely begun the season. You are saying the Flames should have fired a guy a couple months into a three year contract because a guy that just got fired was available?

Or should have fired GG after having the Flames in the first wild card spot, with a better winning percentage than the previous two coaches and fifth highest ever? OK?

[Moneyhands23]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Gallant was fired in November. GG had barely begun the season. You are saying the Flames should have fired a guy a couple months into a three year contract because a guy that just got fired was available?

Or should have fired GG after having the Flames in the first wild card spot, with a better winning percentage than the previous two coaches and fifth highest ever? OK?

Dallas did. I believe they fired him after 30 games

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

I actually think it's far more effective in the modern NHL to play the way Gulutzan wants. The game is skill and speed now, not so much about physicality. It comes into play now and then, but not very often the way it used to. You still need physicality to battle for pucks.

I don’t think his system is that far off a successful system. His issues are more player utilization, preparation (this team is far too often a no-show in first periods), and plain old leadership intangibles. I think he makes for a great assistant coach and valuable asset to a staff but as a head coach he just lacks that ability to put everything together and lead a locker room to play to or above its level of talent. In four season as NHL head coach of the Stars and Flames he’s never been able to coax either team to sustained levels of play at or above their expectations.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Gallant was fired in November. GG had barely begun the season. You are saying the Flames should have fired a guy a couple months into a three year contract because a guy that just got fired was available?

Or should have fired GG after having the Flames in the first wild card spot, with a better winning percentage than the previous two coaches and fifth highest ever? OK?

Yeah, the end of November.

They should have fired Gulutzan because he's a dud. I'm pretty confident had they not fired Hartley that the Flames wouldn't have needed that ten game winning streak to get back in the hunt because he would have made sure they didn't dig themselves such a big hole in the first place.

[Manhattanboy]

How many points have been gifted to EDM under GG? We win both those games this year and it might have been over for them by now as far as making the playoffs. The constant failure to be prepared for big games is reason enough to give him the axe. And Cameron is a total failure as a PP coach.

[the_only_turek_fan]

Originally Posted by mikephoen

Unfortunately, this is a possibility. But if you think Treliving built a bad team, and mortgaged the future to do it, then you should still want GG fired. No way you want a bad GM’s handpicked coach to continue.

I’m still of the opinion that while Treliving has made some mistakes, overall he has been a positive and might be learning from previous mistakes. He didn’t make any bad July 1 signings this year for example.

Tre needs to act soon though. A playoff miss in a year you went all in is either a fireable offence or at least his last mulligan.

Trading a first and three seconds for Hamonic and Lazar and paying Troy Brouwer 18M over 4 years has hamstrung the organization in the short term and long term.

Letting Paul Byron go has been a disaster.

I will give him credit for the Gio, Monahan, and Gaudreau contracts though. Excellent negotiator.

The trading of draft picks is going to kill this franchise again. It's like 2005-2010 all over again.

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by Moneyhands23

Dallas did. I believe they fired him after 30 games

You believe wrong. Gulutzan coached two full seasons in Dallas.

[IgiTang]

The more I think about, I would actually like GG to be given an opportunity to bring in his own assistants and see if he can build a team of coaches that compliment his style rather than shine a spotlight on his weaknesses(for a lack of a better word).

I cant help but think that when Cameron was hired by BT, that Glen had to think that Cameron would be looking over GG's shoulder and potentially take over if let go. It had to have been a bit uncomfortable at the time. Now that some time has passed and the optics appear that Cameron really isnt bringing a whole lot to the table IMO, and if its a BT hire and GG cant fire him, it really ties GG's hands.

So I have slightly changed my stance on GG being fired. If GG could find someone who perhaps offers more in the way of special teams and defensive coaching, as well as a good team motivator, then he deserves that chance.

This is all in assumption of GG's hands being tied with the Assistant coaching hires/fires.

If it is up GG and he has chosen to not make a change/adjustment, then i guess its time for him to go.

[the_only_turek_fan]

Lindy Ruff is available.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by the_only_turek_fan

Lindy Ruff is available.

Doubt Treliving would consider him given his system is similar to Hartley’s as his teams don’t play great team defense.

[CETokyo]

Originally Posted by the_only_turek_fan

Trading a first and three seconds for Hamonic and Lazar and paying Troy Brouwer 18M over 4 years has hamstrung the organization in the short term and long term.
Letting Paul Byron go has been a disaster.
I will give him credit for the Gio, Monahan, and Gaudreau contracts though. Excellent negotiator.
The trading of draft picks is going to kill this franchise again. It's like 2005-2010 all over again.

(tongue-in-cheek) It makes me wonder how the same person could be making such contradictory decisions. It's almost like some other person chose to trade the picks, get rid of smaller sized players and then go after physically large players. I am not sure that the GM is making all the decisions.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

You believe wrong. Gulutzan coached two full seasons in Dallas.

Nope, fired just past the midway point of his second season. Just a little bit past this point actually....

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by IgiTang

The more I think about, I would actually like GG to be given an opportunity to bring in his own assistants and see if he can build a team of coaches that compliment his style rather than shine a spotlight on his weaknesses(for a lack of a better word).

I cant help but think that when Cameron was hired by BT, that Glen had to think that Cameron would be looking over GG's shoulder and potentially take over if let go. It had to have been a bit uncomfortable at the time. Now that some time has passed and the optics appear that Cameron really isnt bringing a whole lot to the table IMO, and if its a BT hire and GG cant fire him, it really ties GG's hands.

So I have slightly changed my stance on GG being fired. If GG could find someone who perhaps offers more in the way of special teams and defensive coaching, as well as a good team motivator, then he deserves that chance.

This is all in assumption of GG's hands being tied with the Assistant coaching hires/fires.

If it is up GG and he has chosen to not make a change/adjustment, then i guess its time for him to go.

I would be very, very surprised if Glen wasn't involved in the selection process of his assistants. He was hired before them and that's usually done with good reason.

It's hard to believe this organization doesn't have owners/management that don't meddle at times but I would strongly disbelieve that a GM would go out and hand pick assistants against a head coach's will, even going further and picking one specifically to put heat on the head coach so he knows he has a replacement standing beside him before he's coached a single game for said team.

It's counterproductive to the coach and therefore counterproductive to the GM and the organization.

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Nope, fired just past the midway point of his second season. Just a little bit past this point actually....

You would be incorrect. Gulutzan coached all 48 games in 2012-13.

[KipperFaNaTic]

My last straw was the blowout loss to the Oilers (I know we made a comeback but the game should've never gotten to 6-1 in the first place). The Oilers, our rival, has beaten us the past 5 games and that is the effort we see? And the same thing happened in the habs game. Gulutzan may be extremely intelligent, but I have no confidence in his ability to motivate and inspire.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by KipperFaNaTic

My last straw was the blowout loss to the Oilers (I know we made a comeback but the game should've never gotten to 6-1 in the first place). The Oilers, our rival, has beaten us the past 5 games and that is the effort we see? And the same thing happened in the habs game. Gulutzan may be extremely intelligent, but I have no confidence in his ability to motivate and inspire.

and the Philly game, can't lose to a team on a 10 game losing streak

[MisterJoji]

I saw someone said GG has a 3 year deal. Has this ever been confirmed anywhere? I can’t find any details about his contract status by google.