Would you make a midseason coaching change to try to salvage playoff hopes?

[MarkGio]

The Flames would have to be a two-bit outfit to fire a rookie coach halfway through his first year. Like it or not, Gulutzan is here to stay, for at least until another slow start next season, maybe even all of next season.

[Finger Cookin]

No.

[EldrickOnIce]

This team is:
Not that skilled.
Not that fast.
Not that good.
So it should be an outrage they are a bubble team why, exactly?

The part that sucks:
Suffering with crap teams over the years, the one solace was they were better than Edmonton.
That is no longer the case. The Oilers are better, this year.
So yell, scream, wail and blubber like 4 year old - fine. But advocate turning the organization into a clown show by firing the new coach 50 games in?
Nah

[icecube]

Originally Posted by Mister Yamoto

I highly doubt it. But we have no problem with spending other peoples money. Hire a new coach, trade players with retained salary, get a new building.

Well the Flames want tax payer money to pay for the building. So tit for tat I say!.

[indes]

I would definitely do it for Julien and would probably do it for Gallant. People say we're slow and unskilled, I feel were just playing that way. We've had no lack of speed or skill up until this year. Our only top player who looks decent is Hamilton. I don't think it's acceptable to have almost all of your core guys slumping.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by MarkGio

The Flames would have to be a two-bit outfit to fire a rookie coach halfway through his first year. Like it or not, Gulutzan is here to stay, for at least until another slow start next season, maybe even all of next season.

It would only make sense to keep going under Gulutzan if it actually looked like he was doing something good with the team and there was some optimism for the next year. That doesn't exist. He hasn't done anything positive. They have had one solid stretch of wins on the backs of good goaltending but that is all. Our stars are struggling and he can't figure them out or help them get their game put back together. He hasn't earned a second year and doesn't deserve it.

[Looch City]

We must accept our fate and know that we will not make the playoffs this year.

Forget playoffs and try to improve as a team overall. Tweak "the system", get the players going, inject some heart into the game.

[bubbsy]

Nope. Play it out. See the options on the table in offseason when there are the most options.

Only exception is if a prime guy becomes available , like Julien perhaps. Ideally though even Julien prefers waiting till offseason.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

This team is:
Not that skilled.
Not that fast.
Not that good.
So it should be an outrage they are a bubble team why, exactly?

The part that sucks:
Suffering with crap teams over the years, the one solace was they were better than Edmonton.
That is no longer the case. The Oilers are better, this year.
So yell, scream, wail and blubber like 4 year old - fine. But advocate turning the organization into a clown show by firing the new coach 50 games in?
Nah

Someone asked earlier and yes the Flames have fired a head coach less than a full season into his tenure and Don Hay was fired after 68 games in 2001. It was a bad hire in the first place and it was the right thing to do even if it meant Greg Gilbert's ill fated term followed. Bottom line is that these firings eventually led to Darryl Sutter and that was the turning point for the organization. Had the Flames been even mediocre under Gilbert it's possible that 2004 never happens which is why I'm a proponent of firing head coaches if it's just not working out. Probably similar circumstances this year but I don't think this GM will accept that the guy that dazzled him in interviews is as bad as he has appeared this season.

So fire the GM then? Treliving did say after last season that failing to make the playoffs was considered failure. It appears that management and ownership believes this group is skilled enough, fast enough, and good enough. You don't sign a 31 year old guy like Troy Brouwer to a 4 year, $16 million deal if you don't believe your team is a playoff team.

I don't believe they should fire the GM of course but I do believe that management thinks they have a good team here and were fully expecting to be a playoff team this season. Gulutzan is Treliving's hand picked guy and as bad as things have been we are stuck with him until next season where he either turns things around or will be fired mid-season or next offseason.

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

So fire the GM then? Treliving did say after last season that failing to make the playoffs was considered failure. It appears that management and ownership believes this group is skilled enough, fast enough, and good enough. You don't sign a 31 year old guy like Troy Brouwer to a 4 year, $16 million deal if you don't believe your team is a playoff team.

I don't believe they should fire the GM of course but I do believe that management thinks they have a good team here and were fully expecting to be a playoff team this season. Gulutzan is Treliving's hand picked guy and as bad as things have been we are stuck with him until next season where he either turns things around or will be fired mid-season or next offseason.

Missing the playoffs is failing.
Treliving has this year and next.
So does the coach he hired.
I am OK with this timeline on both.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

Missing the playoffs is failing.
Treliving has this year and next.
So does the coach he hired.
I am OK with this timeline on both.

Apparently Treliving's deal is expiring so if he gets extended it's likely he's getting more than one season unless ownership wants to tear things down from the top again which is doubtful.

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by MarkGio

The Flames would have to be a two-bit outfit to fire a rookie coach halfway through his first year. Like it or not, Gulutzan is here to stay, for at least until another slow start next season, maybe even all of next season.

FWIW Gulutzan is not a rookie head coach.

[FakenHaken]

The only place where I think my idea happens in the league is Chicago. Granted that Joel is a damn good coach on his very own, but where they have this special consultant "Scotty Bowman" in place. It was said the Scotty often in the Blackhawks first Stanley Cup run was in the ear of JQ.

I think Gultzen is fine to be honest, but where I think he lacks is that experience to lean on. I wouldn't mind if Hitchcock is being let go a position new in the NHL a "Director of Coaches". What this position might be is in association with the Farm and the Head club Hitchcock helps coordinate systems with both coaches. Is a voice and someone with great experience to lean on. Where he sees bench management maybe lacking or something on the power play or penalty kill is a little off he can provide that feed back. Not sure I want Hitch in the dressing room but that guy knows more about hockey than 95% of the coaches.

[GordonBlue]

odd to be talking about salvaging playoff hopes when the flames right now are in the playoffs.
the talk makes it seem like the flames are 8 points back.
At this point the flames need to ride it out, and fully understand if it's the coach or the players. to a certain extent Monahan and Gaudreau caught big payday disease.
I think it's unclear right now. probably a bit of both.

[Bingo]

Oh lord here we go again ...

didn't we learn a thing in the fire Gulutzan bent of late October? This is a hockey player making mistakes issue, not a coach having a bad system. The Flames have turned their game around systemically, they are a positive corsi team with vastly improved special teams.

sooner or later the players and the leadership group have to be looked at and not the coach.

[bubbsy]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Oh lord here we go again ...

didn't we learn a thing in the fire Gulutzan bent of late October? This is a hockey player making mistakes issue, not a coach having a bad system. The Flames have turned their game around systemically, they are a positive corsi team with vastly improved special teams.

sooner or later the players and the leadership group have to be looked at and not the coach.

Agreed.

Though, I do think one can bring up that cliche of "losing the room".

The lack of passion and energy in key games over the past week or so is quite concerning.

[Toonage]

For a proven coach whose won a cup in the last 6 years?

Maybe.

[Erick Estrada]

If Elliot Friedman is correct it sounds like Treliving will not be back next season which would ensure Gulutzan will be gone as well.

[Toonage]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Apparently Treliving's deal is expiring so if he gets extended it's likely he's getting more than one season unless ownership wants to tear things down from the top again which is doubtful.

lol nevermind. See above. I heard the same thing

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Toonage

lol nevermind. See above.

Yep. Man what is going on behind the scenes? Is Burke getting the GM itch? Is ownership not a fan of Treliving's moves? Like I said in another post it certainly seemed like Friedman knew more than he was letting on.