The trials and tribulations of Glen Gulutzan

[Moneyhands23]

Originally Posted by Infinit47

Except Stajan is not good enough defensively, he's too slow and ends up taking bad penalties, just like he did to almost cost the Flames the game last night.

I agree for the most part

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Wild GM

I can only go by the stats. If he played when I watched the Rangers I don't remember him - 2 assists in 16 games.

Going by the stats Hrivik had very nice underlyings though:

Hrivik has played 21 NHL games, all with the New York Rangers over the past two seasons. He has three assists to show for it, but also a 52.57% 5v5 CF (+4.90% rel) with 25.41% offensive zone faceoffs, albeit while averaging 10:29 in NHL ice time over his career to date.

https://flamesnation.ca/2017/07/01/f...-marek-hrivik/

I have no idea how our fourth line would perform with him though. IMO our fourth line wingers all suck at 5v5 and Stajan may still play a big part if we were to make the playoffs, with better wingers.

[Mr.Coffee]

The best way to suffocate a game at the end of it is to put the puck into the offensive zone and continue to put pressure with your best players. What players on the team have better stats at creating turnovers and moving the puck up the ice and cycling in the offensive zone?

Backlund and his line should be on the ice over Stajan at the end of a tight game 10 times out of 10. Only issue is Tkachuk I guess but you could even mix the line at the end of the game and put out a different guy but Stajan is most definitely the wrong guy in that situation.

[H2SO4(aq)]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

I don’t see Stajan as costing us games. He is serviceable in a 4th line role, while not coming close to “wowing” anyone and likely deteriorating, he’s not a noteable reason we’re losing when we do lose.

I think it’s a matter of “the grass is greener” that often comes in these debates. Stajan might subjectively be the worst forward on the Flames, but just because he’s the worst player on this team doesn’t mean he could easily replaced by a “better” player on an AHL squad or another NHL team, it’s all relative.

I don’t see many options that would offer a huge upgrade on Stajan, so I’m not eager to see it dealt with. He’s fine.

He got bailed out yesterday but if phili scores on that late pp he literally costs us two points. Two points sometimes decides playoffs or not. He is so bad its laughable people still defend him. He scored one big goal in the playoffs 2 years ago and has done nothing but hurt us since. He might be the worst player in the league. He isnt serviceable. He skates around randomly with one hand on his stick accomplishing zero. Stajan is horrible and needs to be replaced.

[Robbob]

Sometimes it isn't as simple as just play some player from the farm. With roster and cap limits it needs to managed. I am sure if there was a taker for Stajan he would be gone to make room for another player. For a gm it is easier when your team is winning as it lets you be a little more patient. Bottom line, the team that started game one will be different than the roster that finishes the year.

From an organizational point everyone knows this from the coach up to the higher ups. Nothing good has ever come from knee jerk reactions or from a move you are forced to make.

As for the coach, he just works with what he is given. I have no problems rolling 4 lines. Unfortunately the circumstances put them in the hole that shift (dmen tired, Bennett stuck on ice) and they got hemmed in.

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

The best way to suffocate a game at the end of it is to put the puck into the offensive zone and continue to put pressure with your best players. What players on the team have better stats at creating turnovers and moving the puck up the ice and cycling in the offensive zone?

Backlund and his line should be on the ice over Stajan at the end of a tight game 10 times out of 10. Only issue is Tkachuk I guess but you could even mix the line at the end of the game and put out a different guy but Stajan is most definitely the wrong guy in that situation.

The Backlund was the next line up. So the coach was planning on getting them on when Philly was going to push in the final 2 mins. They just finished a shift a little before the 4th line came on with 3 minutes left.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by H2SO4(aq)

He got bailed out yesterday but if phili scores on that late pp he literally costs us two points. Two points sometimes decides playoffs or not. He is so bad its laughable people still defend him. He scored one big goal in the playoffs 2 years ago and has done nothing but hurt us since. He might be the worst player in the league. He isnt serviceable. He skates around randomly with one hand on his stick accomplishing zero. Stajan is horrible and needs to be replaced.

I don’t think he’s very good, and I’m certainly not defending him, I just don’t see replacing him for the sake of replacing him as an automatic improvement when you factor everything in.

Horrible/done nothing but hurt us/worst player in the league is the sort of hyperbolic eye-roll inducing stuff that hints at why I’m a little hesitant to replace him. It seems like the loudest detractions are emotion based and include a lot of what-ifs to show how bad he is (ie what if they scored when they didn’t).

He’s not irreplaceable on the 4th liner, but it’s not a given anyone would be better, so it’s important to make sure the player that does replace him has earned it and is a good fit for that role.

[Badgers Nose]

Stajan’s body can’t keep up with his brain. Time for him to be an AHL player/coach.

He’s being put in a position to fail. The game is too fast for him now.

I don’t think the Flames are doing him any favours. His contract is guaranteed.

Who wants him up here? Is it GG or BT?

Hard to eval GG when I don’t know how much control over roster he has.

[Gaskal]

Originally Posted by Robbob

The Backlund was the next line up. So the coach was planning on getting them on when Philly was going to push in the final 2 mins. They just finished a shift a little before the 4th line came on with 3 minutes left.

With under 5 min left on like that in a tied game, I'd much rather be double shifting the Gaudreau or Bennett lines once or twice rather than send the 4th line on. Likely Bennett, since he wouldn't have seen any play in OT.

4th lines nowadays tend to play with energy, speed, and grittiness. Stajan is severely lacking in the first two with his age and its really showing. The 4th line seems much more effective with the younger Lazar in, at least to the point where I'm not having kittens every time they're on the ice.

[H2SO4(aq)]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

I don’t think he’s very good, and I’m certainly not defending him, I just don’t see replacing him for the sake of replacing him as an automatic improvement when you factor everything in.

Horrible/done nothing but hurt us/worst player in the league is the sort of hyperbolic eye-roll inducing stuff that hints at why I’m a little hesitant to replace him. It seems like the loudest detractions are emotion based and include a lot of what-ifs to show how bad he is (ie what if they scored when they didn’t).

He’s not irreplaceable on the 4th liner, but it’s not a given anyone would be better, so it’s important to make sure the player that does replace him has earned it and is a good fit for that role.

13 games, zero points, dash 3 and TEN pims. Thats way too many. He is sloppy, irresponsible and can easily be replaced by hathaway and weve seen as much. he at least brings energy and physical play. Stajan isnt physically imposing, hes slow, he sucks with the puck, he sucks without the puck, he hurts us with dumb penalties.

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by Badgers Nose

Stajan’s body can’t keep up with his brain. Time for him to be an AHL player/coach.

He’s being put in a position to fail. The game is too fast for him now.

I don’t think the Flames are doing him any favours. His contract is guaranteed.

Who wants him up here? Is it GG or BT?

Hard to eval GG when I don’t know how much control over roster he has.

If you can't trade him, what options do you have? You only get 900k cap relief, still 2.2M hit to not play. Have to manage the cap more efficiently, especially with Tkachuk and Jankowski probably hitting some of their bonuses.

[Moneyhands23]

Originally Posted by Badgers Nose

Stajan’s body can’t keep up with his brain. Time for him to be an AHL player/coach.

He’s being put in a position to fail. The game is too fast for him now.

I don’t think the Flames are doing him any favours. His contract is guaranteed.

Who wants him up here? Is it GG or BT?

Hard to eval GG when I don’t know how much control over roster he has.

I think he has control. Bt wanted controll to do his job, im sure he lets the guy he hired an equal level of control to do his.

[tkflames]

Originally Posted by Robbob

If you can't trade him, what options do you have? You only get 900k cap relief, still 2.2M hit to not play. Have to manage the cap more efficiently, especially with Tkachuk and Jankowski probably hitting some of their bonuses.

Wave him and hope he has the same realization as Conroy in the same situation. Not sure about the cap implications if he doesn't report, but it doesnt really matter, he is not the guy anymore that played a depth role and eliminated the canucks. Time to give a younger guy a chance to ride as 14th and practice with the big team. Let Stajan support the team as a personal development coach or community outreach ambassador or another role that plays to his strengths.

[Moneyhands23]

Originally Posted by tkflames

Wave him and hope he has the same realization as Conroy in the same situation. Not sure about the cap implications if he doesn't report, but it doesnt really matter, he is not the guy anymore that played a depth role and eliminated the canucks. Time to give a younger guy a chance to ride as 14th and practice with the big team. Let Stajan support the team as a personal development coach or community outreach ambassador or another role that plays to his strengths.

I agree. Definatly give him a position off the ice. He is a good guy to have around and his family can stay here in calgary long term

[Jiri Hrdina]

Given how much he is due to make this year why would he do that?

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Badgers Nose

Stajan’s body can’t keep up with his brain. Time for him to be an AHL player/coach.

He’s being put in a position to fail. The game is too fast for him now.

I don’t think the Flames are doing him any favours. His contract is guaranteed.

Who wants him up here? Is it GG or BT?

Hard to eval GG when I don’t know how much control over roster he has.

While I largely agree with you, I think Stajan still has his uses here on the big club, just usually not on the ice during the game.

Stajan has to transition to his 'Jagr' period and just be a role model of a Professional in the Press Box. Help the younger guys at practices and skates and eat popcorn while they learn on the ice during games unless hes called upon, but when hes called upon he has to be placed in a position to succeed.

Thats not what happened yesterday. He was set up to fail and thats on Gulutzan.

And theres absolutely no shame in any of that. Especially not for Stajan. Hes been one of my favourite players for years, a consummate professional on and off the ice, but this is the part of the contract we were going to take in the teeth and we all knew it.

Probably including him. But thats fine.

What happened wasnt Stajan's fault, he never should have even been there in the first place.

[Robbob]

I think this whole Stajan thing is a little blown out of proportion. Only reason he is playing is because of a weak suspension to Tkachuk.

[badger89]

Hathaway should be playing over Stajan at this point as well. We need to move on from Stajan already as we have lots of better options.

[H2SO4(aq)]

Imagine being sbove ppg, having ten rips in 15 games in the ahl and making 70k a year vs 700k because stajan is in your way playing like garbage. Gutting

[Fire]

Originally Posted by badger89

Hathaway should be playing over Stajan at this point as well. We need to move on from Stajan already as we have lots of better options.

No point having Hathaway in the press box. Which is where Stajan will spend most of the remainder of the season.