Elliot Friedman believes Treliving may not be back next season

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Fighting Banana Slug

Good idea, or "Friedman might be wrong". I like Friedman generally, but this one was purely speculative. I didn't think BT was gone then, and I certainly don't think that now.

Originally Posted by Tinordi

Sit back and ask yourself who could possibly be Friedman's source in all of this to get a head start on how screwed up this situation is.

Originally Posted by Jay Random

His source? The Flames haven't re-signed Treliving yet, and the front office is telling the public that negotiations haven't started. As far as I can tell, those are all the facts Friedman is going on. Everything else is his own speculation.

Yeah, you can thank Estrada for this sad misunderstanding.

All Friedman said was he wouldn't be surprised if the contract isn't renewed, he didn't claim to have a source or evidence, it was 100% his own opinion. No different than him saying "I can see a situation where he might not be." He never once said he thought Treliving wouldn't be back, just simply mused on it being a possibility.

Estrada insisted on lying for dramatic effect.

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

If you would like to actually step up and share with us who you think Friedman's source is, please do so.

Let's deduce, who could it be? Who has knowledge of his contact status? Owners, Ken King, Brian Burke, Treliving himself.

And let's not be fanciful to believe that this is some rogue HR employee risking their career so Friedman can have 1/30th of a weekly column.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

Let's deduce, who could it be? Who has knowledge of his contact status? Owners, Ken King, Brian Burke, Treliving himself.

And at this point, everybody who listens to the Fan 960 or read Sureloss's summary of the Burke interview:

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showpos...2&postcount=15

Treliving's contract status is a matter of public record and has been for some time. Friedman did not require any kind of inside knowledge to say what he did.

[MrMastodonFarm]

There is no source, Tinordi. Friedman was speculating knowing he doesn't Treliving doesn't have a contract beyond this season and "that's how the Flames operate". You can debate the merits of that policy but you're letting your imagination run wild at this point.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

Let's deduce, who could it be? Who has knowledge of his contact status? Owners, Ken King, Brian Burke, Treliving himself.

And let's not be fanciful to believe that this is some rogue HR employee risking their career so Friedman can have 1/30th of a weekly column.

Again, tell us who you think - are you capable?

I am not being fanciful at all, personally. I remember reading that Friedman said he doesn't have a source. And I don't see any big issue here like some of you.

But you do. You have implied that you know who the source is. So share it with us. Be a man and state an opinion instead of this silly gamesmanship.

[Tinordi]

How did Friedman even know to bring up Trelivings contact them? He just came up with it or of the blue?? Does he write a similar question for all 30 GMs?

He was tipped off somehow, right?

[Robbob]

The contract ends at the end of June. The draft is in June and free agency a week later. When was the last time a GM position opened up at that time. Teams aren't going to fire their GM's in the peak time for a chance at a GM.

There are not going to be other teams firing their GM before, or a day after the draft, or on the eve of free agency for the chance that Calgary doesn't re-sign him by June 30th. There will only be one vacancy if it comes to that and it will be with the Calgary Flames.

This is a rubber stamp decision that will occur shortly after the season ends. IMO it is a much ado about nothing. The reason there is no urgency is because of all the above.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Knowing the Flames and Treliving signed a three year deal initially he could have crunched those numbers, noticed year three was ending, then started asking questions. And as shown in the Burke interview today "the" Flames might have been honest and forthcoming, said he didn't have a knew deal and they're comfortable waiting.

The major issue is the Flames policy and waiting, being the only team to do so. We don't need to make up stories beyond that to feed our need for drama.

[smiggy77]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Yeah, you can thank Estrada for this sad misunderstanding.

All Friedman said was he wouldn't be surprised if the contract isn't renewed, he didn't claim to have a source or evidence, it was 100% his own opinion. No different than him saying "I can see a situation where he might not be." He never once said he thought Treliving wouldn't be back, just simply mused on it being a possibility.

Estrada insisted on lying for dramatic effect.

This thread drives me nuts. Why hasn't the title changed? Isn't this why Friedman doesn't want to come on Calgary radio?

[Clarkey]

If Brad is no longer the GM, it does not mean he will no longer be in the organization...

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Yeah, you can thank Estrada for this sad misunderstanding.

All Friedman said was he wouldn't be surprised if the contract isn't renewed, he didn't claim to have a source or evidence, it was 100% his own opinion. No different than him saying "I can see a situation where he might not be." He never once said he thought Treliving wouldn't be back, just simply mused on it being a possibility.

Estrada insisted on lying for dramatic effect.

For accuracy sake it was that he wouldn't be surprised if the contract isn't renewed even if the Flames make the playoffs. Oh I didn't insist on anything. I don't create a lot of threads and it was just the title I make for the thread prior to typing my initial post and not that it matters but I actually tried to edit it immediately after (I'm sure people have noticed by now I edit a lot of my posts immediately because I like to proof-read after I post) but apparently you can't do that with titles. I tend to believe that if someone else posted the same title it wouldn't have been a big deal.

[Roof-Daddy]

At this point you have to think that if BT isn't renewed, it won't be due to lack of performance. The guy has clearly done a solid job as a GM in taking the rebuild to the next level. They looked poised, with a young team/core, to be a perennial playoff team (at the very least) for a good long while now. The only real question at this point going forward is a long term solution in goal, and can they continue to fill out the roster cheaply from within, and replace the odd core player going forward once they become too expensive to keep due to salary cap restrictions.

If he isn't back as GM next season and beyond, it will likely be because BT himself wants to move on and do something else, or because (as others have mentioned) he moves up in the organization to take Burkes place if he moves on.

My bet is he is back as GM though.

[the2bears]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

For accuracy sake it was that he wouldn't be surprised if the contract isn't renewed even if the Flames make the playoffs. Oh I didn't insist on anything. I don't create a lot of threads and it was just the title I make for the thread prior to typing my initial post and not that it matters but I actually tried to edit it immediately after (I'm sure people have noticed by now I edit a lot of my posts immediately because I like to proof-read after I post) but apparently you can't do that with titles. I tend to believe that if someone else posted the same title it wouldn't have been a big deal.

Edit has an advanced feature I think, not sure. This allows title editing.

edit: Yup, edit the original post, go advanced, and title editing appears to be enabled.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by the2bears

Edit has an advanced feature I think, not sure. This allows title editing.

Well there you go. It appears maybe a mod already edited it.

[JerryUnderscore]

I think this is another example of us Flames fans being a pessimistic lot by nature.

We collectively wrung our hands worrying that Johnny would use the college free agent loop hole instead of signing with the Flames. (How many people suggested we should try to trade him before he takes advantage of the loop hole?)

We collectively worried that Johnny wouldn't re-sign this summer, once again suggesting we should trade him.

Now we're collectively worrying that Brad Treliving might leave the team because he doesn't have a contract.

However, from the Flames perspective it doesn't make any sense to give him a new deal right now. Ken King and Brian Burke have to answer one question: Is Brad Treliving the best GM in the game right now? If the answer is no, then they need to ask, "Who's better and could they come available this summer?"

While I think it's highly unlikely, what if Stan Bowman or Ken Holland were let go from their teams this summer. If Brad Treliving doesn't have a contract and one of those two were fired, who would you rather have?

Personally, I think I'd take Treliving, but that's not a clear cut answer.

From the Flames perspective, they have everything to lose and nothing to gain by re-signing Treliving right now. On the flip side, they have very little to lose and a lot to potentially gain if they simply wait until the post-season to see who might be available. Could Treliving walk? Certainly. Is it a guarantee, I highly doubt it.

From a business perspective it makes sense. From a personnel perspective it's not exactly the best way to treat your employees, but everyone in the NHL knows that hockey is a business.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Well there you go. It appears maybe a mod already edited it.

Nope, still the same pathetic title as before. Not gonna bother going back to look, but weren't you defending the title when called out on it initially?

You are fake news. Sad!

[Dan403]

This is exactly why people think Friedmann is a dip-$h!t.

[kukkudo]

30 pages in and somehow the title couldn't be changed? Makes no sense. Not blaming you Erick Estrada.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Dan403

This is exactly why people think Friedmann is a dip-$h!t.

I've never heard anyone say that. He went a bit on a limb with his ideas here, but I still think he's the best insider there is. Yes, better than McKenzie.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

No one is panicking. It is very uncommon for a general manager to be in this kind of situation. According to Friedman, 30 other NHL teams do not operate this way, it is unique to the Flames.

People are reacting to the best GM in potentially decades being without a contract for next year on a team without an illustrious history to assuage the doubt that they don't know what they are doing.

It is not a good thing, regardless of how you frame it, that the current and successful general manager is without a contract for next year when the accompanying rumour is that the Flames president of hockey ops is ALSO potentially on the outs.

It's a big deal.

Tinordi is clearly panicking. It's pretty funny that he's posted so many times right before and right after this post. He even thanked it.

Originally Posted by Dan403

This is exactly why people think Friedmann is a dip-$h!t.

Which people?

I can't recall anyone ever calling him a dip####.