THN Flames prediction

[Lanny_McDonald]

Who do they bring in that could possibly get more out of this roster? Firing a coach at this moment in team history doesn't make much sense. I mean, look at the roster. A collection of mostly bottom six players up front. A couple good defensemen and then what would be construed as spare parts. Very questionable goaltending. Realistic expectations are bottom of the conference and then hope someone in the east sucks harder than the worst in the west. I don't see this being the coaching staff's problem.

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by Bingo

I still wonder why they waited to extend him if they didn't plan on doing so. Its not as if they don't know what this season is going to be.

The season is set up to lose, the roster wasn't built up to make a run, it was set up knowing they will struggle again this year and miss the playoffs, likely with a bottom five pick.

So I see it as a Hartley can't win scenario to be honest. The chances of any coach keeping a team working that hard for 24 months is pretty slim, so its almost like they want that trigger to pull when it inevitably slides.

He's gone by Xmas.

Unless the dressing room and team turns on him, I don't understand why you'd fire Hartley during the year.

The team is still probably two years from being even a borderline playoff contender. Typically a team will fire a coach when they have expectations and don't meet them. The Flames have no expectations this year.

If you fire Hartley - you're just making a change for the sake of it. Its not like a new coach is going to come in and turn the team into a contender this year.

[Vulcan]

One big thing going against Hartley is that he's not this GM's choice and eventually he'll be replaced for the GM's pick. Any slip up at all and he's gone. What he has going for him is the captain buying into his game plan and keeping the rest of the team on board.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Bingo

I still wonder why they waited to extend him if they didn't plan on doing so. Its not as if they don't know what this season is going to be.

The season is set up to lose, the roster wasn't built up to make a run, it was set up knowing they will struggle again this year and miss the playoffs, likely with a bottom five pick.

So I see it as a Hartley can't win scenario to be honest. The chances of any coach keeping a team working that hard for 24 months is pretty slim, so its almost like they want that trigger to pull when it inevitably slides.

He's gone by Xmas.

I don't see that happening unless the Flames get off to an absolutely miserable start and he loses the players. I believe the new GM has the right to oversee the existing head coach prior to committing to him so I'm not surprised things have played out this way but ideally if Treliving doesn't believe Hartley is the man going forward he's going to make that change after the season so he can conduct a proper coaching search as who's going to come in at the midseason mark and make a difference with this roster? IMO the only way Hartley gets fired during the season is if things get toxic in the locker room and I didn't hear any evidence of that last year.

Back to the topic The Sports Forecaster actually has the Flames finishing 4th in the Pacific Division and the Canucks 5th and Oilers 7th. Before dismissing these guys remember they were the only publication last year that predicted the Canucks missing the playoffs.

[Poe969]

I 100% agree. People are using work ethic as a reason the Flames are not going to be a bottom team have to realize that at some point players tune coaches out or the message gets lost. I don't think the team can keep that work ethic up and both Hartley's job and the Flames position are going to suffer because of it.

[calgarywinning]

There was a markedly different feel and playing style which was a result of the coach last year. The system that he has implemented and the players buy in approach, along with the Gio's captaincy is the perfect environment win or lose for young players to develop in. Establishing and maintaining this is more important than wins or losses at this point.

I don't think, based on the makeup of the team, that anyone can say last season was a disaster. In fact, I enjoyed watching the opposing team who were coming in with the mentality of a night off scramble on many occasions!