You’re The GM

[Flame On]

Originally Posted by just_tim

The game has changed and Sutter is simply behind. It’s a pure speed game now. Man-D does not work. With the speed and criss-cross side-to-side offensive schemes of today’s best offences, man-D means both defenders and the center are always chasing and missing assignments. It leaves goalies naked. Dryden or Roy would look bad in this scheme. It also means the center has to stay out of the dirty offensive areas so he can get back on D. This leads to a simple offence with shots from the outside. Sutter does not read the game well anymore and he loves his big boys, his 4th line favourites. Virtually no in-game adjustments and a dogmatic stubbornness to remain with the plan that hasn’t worked from game 1. It also means that young talent isn’t rotated and evaluated. Wouldn’t matter how good the Wranglers players are, they’re not getting a good look. A new coach would need to be a talent evaluator, a student of the modern game. Use and improve the players, adjust systems to maximize talent and not simply force square pegs into round holes.

All great points and I am coming around to the idea of entertaining a coach change. But are people taking into consideration when they suggest this, the vast track record of the franchise of getting bargain bin coaches?
We don't have a McJesus that's going to make a rookie coach look genius like they do up north. And we'll be back into the 1.5 year rotation of coaching tenure before the team tunes out the young, ineffective coach, rinse and repeat.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by bluejays

I’d argue there is value for the players hitting 30.
Kadri may as well be Tom Wilson lite. His contract sucks but with toughness still being a trait GMs love, he has value
Markstrom coming into this year pundits had him as a Vezina type year coming. There has to be a GM or two who probably think I’m the right system he can turn around
Huberdeau has had just one bad season after multiple consistent years

All this to me means you sell these guys now, as there are positive biases in their favour. You hold on waiting for them to turn it around to sell higher and they’re a year older. If you do that you risk them not turning it around and you’re stuck with them for the duration of their contracts.

Kadri, Huberdeau and Markstrom all have multi year NMCs

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Kadri, Huberdeau and Markstrom all have multi year NMCs

Even if they are willing to waive , nobody would want to take on those contract without some hefty sweetener

[DylanScores]

If I was the GM:

Fire the entire coaching staff. Our current coaching staff has been out coached since the playoff round against Edmonton.
Hire Boudreau or anyone that is players coach!

Retain and work new deals with the following:

Lindholm (max yrs)
Tafolli (4-5 yrs)
Hanifin (max yrs)
Zadorov (3-4 yrs)
Dube (max yrs)
Backlund (as long as he wants)
Stetcher (2-3 yrs)

Trade

Mangiapane
Kadri (retain salary unfortunately)
Vladar
Tanev

Not resign:
Lewis
Lucic

Promote our awesome AHL guys to the fourth line and move them up as they progress along.

I would name Backlund as the Captain, Lindholm as an A and Coleman as an A
Set the leadership right away

Marky will bounce back!!!

Oh and get a new contract and tell the owners to stop meddling if they want me to be the GM!

[kukkudo]

Originally Posted by DylanScores

If I was the GM:

Fire the entire coaching staff.
Hire Boudreau or anyone that is players coach!

Retain and work new deals with the following:

Lindholm (max yrs)
Tafolli (4-5 yrs)
Hanifin (max yrs)
Zadorov (3-4 yrs)
Dube (max yrs)
Backlund (as long as he wants)
Stetcher (2-3 yrs)

Trade

Mangiapane
Kadri (retain salary unfortunately)
Vladar
Tanev

Not resign:
Lewis
Lucic

I would name Backlund as the Captain, Lindholm as an A and Coleman as an A
Set the leadership right away

Oh and get a new contract and tell the owners to stop meddling if they want me to be the GM!

Looks like you plan to keep the Flames mediocre for a long time with bringing everyone back on max extensions.

[Cycling76er]

Originally Posted by Pickle Juice

Hire Iginla to coach the flames next year.

Just because he was a great player doesn't mean he'll be a great coach.

[Flamesfan05]

I have zero confident that Markstrom will bounce back unless we have a kick ass team

The guy is going to be 34 and never been a clutch goalie

Talent yes but mentally weak. That’s his history and it’s not going to change when he is approaching retirement

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by Flamesfan05

I have zero confident that Markstrom will bounce back unless we have a kick ass team

The guy is going to be 34 and never been a clutch goalie

Talent yes but mentally weak. That’s his history and it’s not going to change when he is approaching retirement

Markstrom is done. Surely there are buyers considering Quick got dealt, but really the time has to be this offseason and nothing later.

[Roof-Daddy]

I make minor changes in the off season and let this group come back for another go at it. Hopefully Markstrom and Huberdeau bounce back, plus a few others.

If they don't, then next years TDL is a great time to sell pending UFA's and any other pieces I can get decent futures for. Start a major retool/rebuild.

[1_Flames_Fan]

First of all if Tre goes I want Mike Futa. Let all coaches go and let him bring in his own people. That's what I would do.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

I make minor changes in the off season and let this group come back for another go at it. Hopefully Markstrom and Huberdeau bounce back, plus a few others.

If they don't, then next years TDL is a great time to sell pending UFA's and any other pieces I can get decent futures for. Start a major retool/rebuild.

I think this would be a disastrous approach.

This team won’t sell if they’re sniffing a playoff position, and they likely will be if Marky returns to career averages. Running this team back is just hoping to be mediocre. It’s the worst approach in my eyes.

[miraisoup]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

To answer the question there is a critical underlying assumption to be made:
- Are we assuming that, as GM, that we have the empowerment to execute the plan we think is right, inclusive of a re-build
- Or are we answering the question including an assumption that the overall mandate we are to operate under is to try to compete next season?

Very different answers depending on that assumption.

Genuinely curious because I just don't know. Does Edwards pull all the strings? Like has that been proven?

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

Kadri, Huberdeau and Markstrom all have multi year NMCs

Originally Posted by Flamesfan05

Even if they are willing to waive , nobody would want to take on those contract without some hefty sweetener

Sell a bunch around them and ask if they want to be part of a rebuild. Guaranteed a couple of them would be on the nope wagon. Secondly regarding a sweetener, I’m not convinced they’ve lost all their value. You have pretender teams like Seattle with out that star power. You have teams like the islanders who probably wouldn’t mind one of them too. We just don’t know. What I do know is you give it another year and if their numbers are mediocre, then they become damaged goods that nobody wants to touch given the sample size shown. Right now it could be chalked up to team screwing their ability over.

[howard_the_duck]

If I were the GM (and had executive authority), I'd unquestionably rebuild.

Keep:

- Dube
- Mangiapane
- Pelletier
- Kadri
- Huberdeau
- Duehr
- Ruzicka
- Hanifin
- Andersson
- Weegar
- Kylington (hopefully)
- Markstrom

The rest are promotable from the farm system or target UFAs to play in the bottom 6 with size and speed. I'd look for bottom pairing D on UFA as well.

Trade Backlund, Lindholm, Tanev, Toffoli in the offseason for futures. Trading them at the deadline is too risky for me, since if they're in the playoff hunt I don't have faith this ownership group will forego the playoff revenue for selling them.

I'd also work with Sutter to part ways gracefully this offseason, as he did the organization a solid in coming back when they desperately needed him and he did NOT need them, but is not the coach to see through a youth movement/rebuild.

I'd commit to 3 seasons of probably bottom 10 finishes, continue to accumulate picks by leveraging your cap space and dealing your veterans (Kadri, Markstrom, Huby, Weegar) as their contracts become more valuable as the cap rises. Give this amateur scouting department a few seasons of excess picks, even invest in extra scouting as needed.

Most importantly, when the fruits of the rebuild labor begin to pay off and the team starts to show signs or overperform, continue to have patience and don't jump the gun on shifting to a 'win now' strategy. Keep your picks until they force you to open your contention window. Build a deep pipeline of prospects that allows your ELC's to jump into the lineup and immediately add value and eliminates the need to overpay for bottom 6 players.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by miraisoup

Genuinely curious because I just don't know. Does Edwards pull all the strings? Like has that been proven?

I think most owners weigh in on the broader strategy. Meaning, I don't think a GM can trigger a re-build if the owner isn't on board.
And my understanding is that this franchise has been focused on winning now and that comes from the very top. Even when they re-built, my understanding is that they signed off on a very short re-build, not an extended one.

I can't offer proof. But I strongly believe that to be true.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Originally Posted by Cycling76er

Just because he was a great player doesn't mean he'll be a great coach.

He educated Conroy quickly when Connie dumped it in to his corner for him to chase

That’s good enough for me right now!

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by miraisoup

Genuinely curious because I just don't know. Does Edwards pull all the strings? Like has that been proven?

It’s like any job. You get objectives from your boss and work within those objectives. Flames have seemed to operate on the get in and anything can happen philosophy for a long time and across multiple GMs. That’s got to come from the owners either through who they hire or explicit direction. That’s why I’m expecting a retool in the summer.

[howard_the_duck]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

I think this would be a disastrous approach.

This team won’t sell if they’re sniffing a playoff position, and they likely will be if Marky returns to career averages. Running this team back is just hoping to be mediocre. It’s the worst approach in my eyes.

I agree. It's too risky if they're in playoff contention and call me skeptical, but is this ownership likely to forego playoff revenue for futures? They're guilty of recency bias if things go well, but not when things are going poorly. I fear them being tempted to re-sign players if we're showing signs of playoff life and further muddy this whole mess.

You also risk injuries and all sorts of problems. You know Tanev will be battered and bruised by March next year, and healthy he plausibly gets you a first+.

Nope, put me in the camp of move these guys in the offseason to maximize your returns and reduce your risk.

[Poe969]

Blow it up.

Fire entire coaching staff. Ask every player for a list of where they'd waive to go, if need be, and then look at moving everyone.

Do not sign any of the UFA'S, it's not working out, stop trying the same thing. Keep Kadri and Huberdeau to help with the youth movement.

[howard_the_duck]

Originally Posted by miraisoup

Genuinely curious because I just don't know. Does Edwards pull all the strings? Like has that been proven?

From stories I've heard at CNRL, the way he conducts business there and with the Flames are eerily similar.

AKA, final decisions go through him and he plays an overly active role in the process.