Coaching Changes?

[Gaskal]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Can't get rid of Cameron as he would likely assume the head coaching position if Gulutzan doesn't last the season.

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by Fischy13

Soo, who's available as a replacement? They definitely won't fire him if there aren't any viable options.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Gaskal

Powerplay aside he did have a good run in Ottawa and he's a major hot head and maybe the team needs a guy with some fire.

[ricardodw]

You can get a coach anytime.

The core contracts are an overwhelming obstacle to success.

the Flames have 7 contracts worth 50% of the cap locked in for the next 4 years with negligible winning tradition associated with the core.

It takes a special coach to motivate the core to play up to the level that they are being paid.

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Powerplay aside he did have a good run in Ottawa and he's a major hot head and maybe the team needs a guy with some fire.

he did?

Results have been mediocre to terrible on every single team he has coached. He has no history of success as a coach.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

I may be in the minority here, but I don't think Glen Gluten is the problem right now. Yes, the power play and penalty kill absolutely needs a lot of work. But I think it has a lot more to do with the poor structural decisions from the assistant coaches. Still, to me, the biggest issues that have been costing the team games has been the boneheaded penalties and bad turnovers. Not exactly something that Gulutzen can fix by coaching. Especially when it seems to be the same players who are constantly making the same mistakes. Seems more like a personnel issue to me. That right now, is on Treliving.

There's more than enough blame to go around but I don't buy the it's not the coach's fault line. Good managers in any industry get results. They work with what they have and build teams. Maybe it is mostly the players but a manager's job is to help make his team effective, something that's not happening right now.

I'm not on the fire the coach bandwagon yet but it's absolutely fair game to criticize him and the rest of the staff.

[ricosuave]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Can't get rid of Cameron as he would likely assume the head coaching position if Gulutzan doesn't last the season.

#### that, the guy shouldn't have even been hired in the first place.

I'd seriously consider Ron Wilson and whoever he wanted to bring with him. Get rid of the entire coaching staff.

[The Fonz]

Gulutzan deserves a chance with competent special teams before he takes anymore heat, IMO. 5on5, this team is average. It's the league worst special teams that has us in the basement.

[The Fonz]

I had posted it in the PGT, but it probably has more relevance in here.

Originally Posted by The Fonz

Is it the right move to stick with Cameron, our special teams coach, when the system he's sticking with is so obviously setting us up to fail? Special teams are not complex. I don't believe for a second that there's a 16-20 game learning period when a new special teams coach is hired, like Haynes is reporting in regards to head coaches.

Looking at the numbers today:

PP - 30th - 8.0%
PK - 29th - 72.1%
Combined % - 30th - 80.1%, AINEC. 29th placed team is 86.4%. Obviously, league average is 100%.

If we were even just average (18%-PP & 82%-PK) in special teams, not good, but average, we would have 6 fewer GA and 5 more GF through our 15GP. That's a drop of .40 GA/G and an increase of .33 GF/G. Imagine a .73 swing in our goal differential, per game.

Average special teams would have our GF/G increase from 2.53 to 2.87, and our GA/G decrease from 3.67 to 3.27. Our goal differential on the season would decrease from -17 to -6. Important to consider we're also the worst team in the league with the goalie pulled, both in GF and GA. Being average in this special team would close the goal differential gap even further.

How many wins has Dave Cameron cost this team?
How much longer does Glen Gulutzan take the heat for Dave Cameron's failure?

Aside from our first 5 or 6 games of the season, this team has actually been very average at even strength. I'll take average. Special teams? What an embarrassment, and they're trending in the wrong direction as well, so don't hold your breath.

All special teams staff need to go.

[Ashasx]

Dave Cameron is just the biggest fraud in hockey.

[Toonage]

Laviolette has to be close to getting the axe from Nashville. I said in the another thread that Cameron should be removed and replaced by a guy who could step in and be the head coach for the rest of the year if needed. Not saying Laviolette could or should be that guy but a veteran coach coming in to assist right now would be the idea.

[JiriHrdina]

All special teams staff including the players, that actually are the ones on the ice not executing?
Why blame the coach. Do you think the special teams represent how they are being told to play?

[Ashasx]

The PP strategy is just awful. That part isn't on the players.

The zone entry strategy is to drop the puck twice and have it carried into the zone by the winger (usually Gaudreau), but the problem is by the time he's actually at the blue line, we have the four other players literally lined up and STANDING at the blue line (no speed) and Gaudreau is forced to usually pull up and pass it back with little room (and given we have 4 players flat footed at the blue line, and the other team has 3 players pushing up), this leads to a turnover more than 50% of the time. The only other choices are for him to wring it around the boards (and we lose that race because we are flat footed) or Gaudreau has to deke around every opposition player.

It stinks from top to bottom. That's on the coaches.

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by ricosuave

#### that, the guy shouldn't have even been hired in the first place.

I'd seriously consider Ron Wilson and whoever he wanted to bring with him. Get rid of the entire coaching staff.

This is part of my beef with posters saying fire the coach. If the flames fire the coach and bring someone else in, its not going to be an in-term coach. The only in-term coach would be Cameron. Wilson is going to want a 3 year deal. Maybe Wilson gets more out of them in the short run but its not the answer long run. Is there really anybody out there worth giving a 3 year deal to? IMO the answer is no. Sorry but the flames have to ride this out till the end of the year. Its either going to be GG or Cameron, take your pick.

[FaFaFlamey]

Originally Posted by mrdonkey

They had their big chance with Boudreau. Brad dun goofed by trying to outsmart everyone else, John Weisbrod style, and now it's all unravelling. Highly unlikely the owners are willing to pay multiple people not to coach this team, just months after they cleaned house with the last group.

Ride out this tire fire, pray that the lottery gods are kind, and hope someone competent becomes available in the summer. That's all we have to bank on - hopes and prayers.

Can you explain what happened with Boudreau? I just figured he took the Wild job over the Flames job, which looks like a smart move at this point.

[Ashasx]

I just don't believe Brad didn't have interest in Boudreau. The timing is too suspect.

The problem is that Boudreau probably never had interest in the Flames.

[The Fonz]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

The PP strategy is just awful. That part isn't on the players.

The zone entry strategy is to drop the puck twice and have it carried into the zone by the winger (usually Gaudreau), but the problem is by the time he's actually at the blue line, we have the four other players literally lined up and STANDING at the blue line (no speed) and Gaudreau is forced to usually pull up and pass it back with little room (and given we have 4 players flat footed at the blue line, and the other team has 3 players pushing up), this leads to a turnover more than 50% of the time. The only other choices are for him to wring it around the boards (and we lose that race because we are flat footed) or Gaudreau has to deke around every opposition player.

It stinks from top to bottom. That's on the coaches.

100% agree. Is there an easier PP to defend in the league? Collapse on Gaudreau... every other Flame is standing still.

What is Cameron hoping for in this attack? Best case scenario; Gaudreau gets through those 3 guys... then what? Rest of our team is standing on the blue-line.

[memphusk]

#### it. Fire Gulutzan and Cameron and put Gelinas behind the bench for the rest of the year. Or better yet, make Conroy go do it. He was one that went hiking with him.

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

statement of fact will not gain you a lot of fans on this board.

Regardless of whether or not it's a popular or unpopular statement. Hamilton is a -7 in the last 3 games and played only 15 minutes the other night. He hasn't looked remotely close to a $5.75M defenseman and if Kulak and Engelland continue to play as well as they have been. I could easily see them supplanting Dougie/Jokipakka as the team's #3 and #4.

[cannon7]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

Gulutzan deserves a chance with competent special teams before he takes anymore heat, IMO. 5on5, this team is average. It's the league worst special teams that has us in the basement.

Cameron was Gulutzan's choice, what hope is there that Gulutzan can find a better special teams coach?

I feel bad for Gulutzan and Cameron, I don't think anyone could have foreseen this level of suck.