[News Roundup] Flames head coach search. Friedman: Huska is the leading contender

[Burning Beard]

Originally Posted by musth

It's playfair or gully or ward all over again IMHO, and the stakes are much higher.


They can't (couldn't?) Afford to #### this up

Who did you want to see, and why?

[memphusk]

Originally Posted by Major Major

He's a good rebuild coach. If that's the plan, I am for it. Trade Lindholm, Backlund, Toffoli, etc and all of a sudden I don't care who the coach is.

This is fair.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

Love is good.
Love can be strong.
Gotta get right back to where we started from.

What’s Love got to do, got to do with it?

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Buff

I don't know if Huska is the correct coach but to call it an epic failure before it is even announced? That is ridiculous.

Go look at my profile wall, there is a comment there I made about how I didn't like Huska's coaching back in 2017. . Nothing in his history leads me to believe this guy is a great coach. His teams offense has always been underwhelming. People call him a defensive whisperer based on what? Guys that turned into NHL d men who were always projected to become that? How many legit number #1 D men has he produced? You could argue Andersson but in how many other teams is he a #1 D? Last season we saw this team give up odd man rushes every game, that doesn't seem the product of a defensive guru. My biggest issue with Huska though is he is absolutely the wrong choice if this team wants to get more creative offensively. Now if they are bringing in a guy like Tanguay to run the offence and PP then I have a lot more hope this will work. Even Love is a guy you can see the players respect and look up to, does anyone ever get that impression from Ryan Huska? I just don't see anything special there, certainly not more than the other candidates mentioned. I am a Flames fan first and foremost though so if Huska ends up being the guy I hope he shoves a big fn crow down my throat.

[bluejays]

At this point I'm confident that whomever Conroy brings in, will work well with the players. I just hope the search is over soon...it seems like it's been going on for ages when the focus can be on trades leading up to this draft. I'll be happy with whomever Conroy chooses because he does appear to be a people person. Now I want to see some strategy as to what the heck he's going to do to bring in high end prospects.

[musth]

Originally Posted by Burning Beard

Who did you want to see, and why?

Reirden or possibly someone like Blysma - good former NHL coaches who have been around but maybe been overlooked

I didn't want Love or Tanguay as HC either

You need an experienced guy at this point, someone who's done it before and had some success with a veteran roster and skilled players, the team isn't rebuilding, they need to be competitive, so why give the reigns to someone who's learning the ropes? And you definitely weren't getting the high end guys, with possibly Q being the exception, just so he could salvage his rep

Plus, I think that after last year's debaucle, no one from the coaching staff deserved a promotion

The fact that muller was even considered was astounding to me, considering the crap job he did with our PP and skilled players

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by troutman

What’s Love got to do, got to do with it?

Love, Love will tear us apart....again.

[jar_e]

Wonder what the Flames do with Muller if Huska gets promoted.

[Burning Beard]

Originally Posted by musth

Reirden


I didn't want Love or Tanguay as HC either


You need an experienced guy at this point, someone who's done it before and had some success with a veteran roster and skilled players, the team isn't rebuilding, they need to be competitive, so why give the reigns to someone who's learning the ropes?

Plus, I think that after last year's debaucle, no one from the coaching staff deserved a promotion

The fact that muller was even considered was astounding to me, considering the crap job he did with our PP and skilled players

I would have been happy with Rierden as well. This says to me that Lindholm and more might be gone.

I reckon they considered Muller as a courtesy. Gets his name out there after being a good soldier for a couple of years.

[mile]

Originally Posted by jar_e

Wonder what the Flames do with Muller if Huska gets promoted.

Nothing. Has an expiring contract, sounds like he's already gone

[Calgary4LIfe]

It amazes me how some people are so completely sure how 'x' coach is going to work out here.



We have all seen around the league how some coaches just turn a team around, some seemingly have no impact, and some coaches just completely tank a team. I would love to read insightful posts from some posters who are so completely sure, as I am strangely completely in the dark at the moment.


Flames have mostly hired 'new coaches' in their history in Calgary. Some of them were brilliant hires (Badger Bob Johnson, Terry Crisp) and some of them were atrociously terrible (Greg Gilbert, Don Hay). Flames have hired experienced coaches that were terrible (Iron Mike Keenan, Brent Sutter), and experienced coaches that were awesome (Darryl Sutter, Bob Hartley - yes Hartley, and I will die on this fricken hill lol).



Point is, at this stage, I am simply amazed at how some people are so sure how it is going to work out with Huska (even though he hasn't been officially chosen yet, at least apparently not yet). For a number of years now he has been tagged as one of those 'up and comers'. What changed? Just because the Flames had a lousy season, we are going to blame it on Huska? What if Sutter had stepped down last off-season, and Huska was getting promoted - would we be all giddy because at least he came from a 'winning program'?


Whomever it is, I am just happy that Conroy is going to be choosing a coach based on how he wants this team to play - green light offensively to be creative, but a very structured defensively sound team. That should be more fun to watch. Hockey is supposed to be entertaining, as Conroy pointed out. So, with whatever choice he ends up making, it will be someone who is going to allow me to enjoy watching this team a bit more, and I hope with it, some more success. If not, then that's ok too - this team will then enter a rebuild, and more changes will be made.



I am just going to keep enjoying "the great off-season of change" that we are witnessing in Calgary. There may be a whole lot more to come dependent on what Lindholm wants to do.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

Love, Love will tear us apart....again.

I want to know what Love is.
I know you can show me.

[musth]

Originally Posted by Burning Beard

I would have been happy with Rierden as well. This says to me that Lindholm and more might be gone.

I reckon they considered Muller as a courtesy. Gets his name out there after being a good soldier for a couple of years.

My Sat connection is sketchy so I had to keep editing


Yeah muller hopefully was just courtesy

[Paulie Walnuts]

What happened to teaching offence and changing the emphasis on how we play?

Was Conroy just paying lip service?

Huska a defensive coach has been around 3 coaches being fired is that guy?

I'm sure he's a great guy and probably works in another organization I just don't see it here. Hope I'm wrong but as a head coach he's been medicore at best.

[DionTheDman]

Originally Posted by troutman

I want to know what Love is.
I know you can show me.

I would do anything for Love... But I won't do that.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Sec214

If it’s Huska… I need a new job.

Also… give me Tkachuk tears.

Umm, about that.

[ForeverFlameFan]

I trust Conroy.

[Erick Estrada]

Those players on the last year of their deal aren't going to commit until a coach is named. If Love is the hire I question the why they took so long as they have long known what they have in him. Clock is ticking here.

[Tbull8]

Were we all bamboozled by Sec???

[flamesgod]

Originally Posted by Tbull8

Were we all bamboozled by Sec???

In Sec I trust.