Quote:
Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814
Darryl will be here after Treliving is shown the door.
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Or he might just have saved Treliving's job.
I didn't think Treliving was going to get relived during the season - 50/50 in the off-season depending on how the Flames did.
I also think this is simply a logical move. Flames have given themselves the rest of the season to properly analyze this team. You bring in an experienced head coach with a firm track record of success, and one in which the owners themselves trust in. This doesn't guarantee any more or less success than if they retained Ward (well, personally I think this is going to go great!). Darryl can at least provide a strong voice on what's not working.
We have all thought - aside from Treliving's coaching hires - that he has done much more good than bad. Sure, Hamonic sucked. A few other things sucked. The Neal contract... no GM is perfect, but the Flames are hardly a crippled team. This is arguably the most talented Flames team on paper for a very long time, but it isn't working.
It is much easier to change up the coach and help figure out if it is the core, then to start trading a few core pieces away and figure out if you have made the right moves. I think this is the much more logical and safe approach.
If it doesn't work, hopefully Sutter and Treliving together can figure out which pieces need to go, which should definitely stick around, and which are expendable.
I personally think this is going to work. We might have to be patient for a couple of weeks, but I do think this is going to work. This was my first choice - not because Sutter took the Flames to the Finals in '04 - but because he took the Flames to the finals in '04, won two cups in LA, and always coached teams very well before arriving on the Flames. He has a long track record of success.
He has also coached skilled 'soft' players, he has coached offensive defencemen, he has coached all different types of players who have had solid years under him. Gaudreau will fit in fine on the Flames coached by Darryl. In fact, I think Gaudreau and Monahan will be better. Lindholm will be better. Darryl loves Backlund's game already.
Also, on that analyst gig he had for a short while, he mentioned that Backlund should be the third line centre on the Flames - that he will be an elite third line centre. I would expect the lineup to continue being Monahan - Lindholm - Backlund - Ryan.
Will be really curious as to where he slots Bennett in, and in what position.
