Who should replace Ryan Huska as Flames Head Coach?

[Igottago]

Looking to change the coaching at this stage of the retool/rebuild is certifiably insane. And its not about "defending" him. Huska is fine. I don't know if he's an average, good, or great coach. At this point it really doesn't matter too much. Good enough is okay for now. Once the team starts taking steps towards being a decent playoff team you can re-evaluate.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

Unless you saw last season as more a result of goaltending than Huska's magic touch (lol).

Considering the track records of jack adams winners getting fired shortly thereafter, its not the accolade people hype it up to be.

We're seeing a huska coached team with average goaltending now and its uuugly. It literally has no strengths.

That people line up to defend him and put it all on roster quality is basically balling him out no matter whar asinine in game decisions he makes.

The truth might be somewhere in fhe middle, but going all the way to absolving him of all blame for the on ice product is its own type of delusional.

At least we'll benefit from it, but im not going to pretend this guy is good or proven solely because of last seaaon.

The apologists are equally as perplexing.

Apologists?

That's a reach. To see a flawed roster and not think it's all the coach's fault isn't being an apologist.

I like world realist better!

Flames are the SECOND best team in xGA60 in the NHL this year by the way. May be a system in place there!

[1Nite]

He has a new job, just got elected as mayor of edmonton.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by mikeecho

Coming into this year, Gulutzan was a career 0.53% Head Coach. He's the definition of mid. Having no coach would yield similar performance as he has had as a Head Coach.

You are assuming that an average team with no coach for an entire season would do no worse than an average team with an average coach.

Show your work. What is the all-time record of NHL teams with no coach? Heck, you can bring in evidence from other leagues if you want.

[Infinit47]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Apologists?

That's a reach. To see a flawed roster and not think it's all the coach's fault isn't being an apologist.

I like world realist better!

Flames are the SECOND best team in xGA60 in the NHL this year by the way. May be a system in place there!

I did see the Flames were 7th in 5v5 xgf%, which shocks the heck out of me. It just doesn't feel like the Flames are getting either a large volume of shots, or significant number of high danger chances to drive that xgf% up. Truly a perplexing difference in how I would guess people perceive these games and what this metric suggests.

[Rhett44]

Originally Posted by Infinit47

I did see the Flames were 7th in 5v5 xgf%, which shocks the heck out of me. It just doesn't feel like the Flames are getting either a large volume of shots, or significant number of high danger chances to drive that xgf% up. Truly a perplexing difference in how I would guess people perceive these games and what this metric suggests.

Yeah I think this just proves how flawed advanced stats are. Our shots are mostly from the perimeter with no screen.

I don't know how anyone could watch the Flames and believe they are actually generating a lot of chances.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Infinit47

I did see the Flames were 7th in 5v5 xgf%, which shocks the heck out of me. It just doesn't feel like the Flames are getting either a large volume of shots, or significant number of high danger chances to drive that xgf% up. Truly a perplexing difference in how I would guess people perceive these games and what this metric suggests.

I think it's possible that expected goal models give too much weight to medium danger shot locations.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Yeah I think this just proves how flawed advanced stats are. Our shots are mostly from the perimeter with no screen.

I don't know how anyone could watch the Flames and believe they are actually generating a lot of chances.

Guess what!

They're not.

So calling a stat flawed that doesn't even support what you are arguing it supports isn't a good look.

In fact they actually support what you should be advocating.

Flames are 22nd in xGF60
Flames are 2nd in CF60

That's the definition of getting a lift from shooting from everywhere.

However I said they are 2nd in xGA60 which is a defensive system that appears to be working.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Rhett44

Yeah I think this just proves how flawed advanced stats are. Our shots are mostly from the perimeter with no screen.

I don't know how anyone could watch the Flames and believe they are actually generating a lot of chances.

No they aren't. That's just the narrative. Most of their shot attempts are from close in. Which means they get blocked a lot, and don't make the goalie move much. It's not even true of their successful attempts. They scored twice from the point with people tipping/screening last game. The game before they scored on a rebound and a one timer. The game before they had a one timer and two goals from the slot.

Look at the heat map from a random game, say, the Preds loss:

https://moneypuck.com/g.htm?id=2025020183

Or the Sens game:
https://moneypuck.com/g.htm?id=2025020168

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

No they aren't. That's just the narrative. Most of their shot attempts are from close in. Which means they get blocked a lot, and don't make the goalie move much. It's not even true of their successful attempts. They scored twice from the point with people tipping/screening last game. The game before they scored on a rebound and a one timer. The game before they had a one timer and two goals from the slot.

Look at the heat map from a random game, say, the Preds loss:

https://moneypuck.com/g.htm?id=2025020183

Or the Sens game:
https://moneypuck.com/g.htm?id=2025020168

NHL.com has the new advanced stats.

Flames are more than the NHL average in high danger and low danger shots, below average in mid danger shots.

https://www.nhl.com/nhl-edge/teams/c...-20/20252026/2

[SuperMatt18]

And the problem is little pre puck movement.

Shot from a point, maybe get a tip, smash the puck into the goalies pads on rebounds from in close.

[Ba'alzamon]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

And the problem is little pre puck movement.

Shot from a point, maybe get a tip, smash the puck into the goalies pads on rebounds from in close.

That and shot velocity, which IIRC the Flames also grade rather poor in.

In any case, the Flames' good xG differential has more to do with their defense than their offense. (and defense is what Bingo was referring to when he pointed to xGA)

[FlameyMcFlameFace]

Whoever works well with our new star player next year.... Mckenna

[CroFlames]

You should keep Husk for this season and next. He's your rebuild guy.

If people are upset at the results this year, then complain about Conny putting together a weak team, not the coaching. Make no mistake, this team is WEAK and not even the GOAT coach could do much with it. No high-end star forwards, no scoring depth, no top tier d-men. Only thing they have is good goaltending.

Remember, they OVERACHIEVED last year. This year they are achieving exactly what we thought they would.



No truer words.

[JusAFlamer]

Not truly upset at the results.
hate to lose but didn't really expect much more than a bottom 1/4 of league team this year (or last)

Upset at the lineups, the blenders, the odd penalizing the players you want to learn by benching or moving to fourth line. The system that stifles any offence or creativity and makes a lot of the games unwatchable.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by JusAFlamer

Not truly upset at the results.
hate to lose but didn't really expect much more than a bottom 1/4 of league team this year (or last)

Upset at the lineups, the blenders, the odd penalizing the players you want to learn by benching or moving to fourth line. The system that stifles any offence or creativity and makes a lot of the games unwatchable.

I think the roster is what makes it unwatchable. They are playing the same system as last year but aren’t playing above expectations. I still don’t see a dynamic scoring roster being held back by a coach.

[Vinny01]

Huska got a 2 year extension, and the team did very little to improve the roster over the summer. He almost certainly is the final Flames head coach in the Saddledome. Depending on how much ownership will want this team to be trying to compete for playoffs in Scotia Place I think the leash could be short by then. If a premiere coach is available I could see the Flames paying up

[Calgary4LIfe]

I would say the Flames aren't getting the goals because of skill level, rather than than the system. Seems like they should fire the coach and replace him with somebody that can coach more skills, right?


The one thing I dislike about advanced metrics is that some people use them incorrectly to support something that doesn't exist, while conveniently leaving out the stats that do challenge their position. However, you can do this with with any argument.


The Flames do get where they need to go. They do get their chances. Flames are also - as both Conroy and Huska have noted - allowed to be creative in the offensive zone rather than limited to structure. However, if there was a team that maybe should have more structure in the offensive zone, maybe it is this team. Maybe bring back Brent Sutter's mandatory cycling along the boards?


I am obviously not serious about it. Flames free-wheel in the offensive zone. They obviously have rules just like every other team - rotate if a defencemen pinches, get back into a structured defensive system once the puck is turned over, etc.


I am trying to pay more attention to the shots on net now as a fan watching this game. Where they are shooting from, are they getting to open spots? Are they trying to screen? Are they going for tips? Are they passing across the 'royal road'? This is a team that, once you start focusing on it actively instead of allowing bias to misremember things, that they do surprisingly get a lot of quality shots off. Some of it is bad luck - missing the net by a smidge, getting it blocked, shooting it into the crest, not elevating, etc., etc, etc. I don't know Huska personally, but I guarantee 100% that he is not telling them to do those things, right?


This team is a low scoring team because it has a low amount of scoring talent. I think Huska is telling them to just get pucks on net right now because that's what teams do. If they are getting their chances, but it isn't going in, what would you tell your players? Eventually they will start going in, even if they are ugly.


At the end of the day, there just isn't enough scoring because Coronato is having a rough start, Sharangovich isn't shooting it like he did the first season here (seems like a guy who rides his confidence 100% of the time), and the defence as a unit aren't great at moving the puck.


This is what a team that is rebuilding looks like. If they were more skilled, they would be higher up in the standings, and they would be executing at a higher rate to push themselves into a higher bracket.


As a guy on team rebuild, I am surprised that the Flames are still playing this well, to be honest. Sharks were fun to watch last season because of their high-talent plays and general lack of defence. I mean, as a Sharks fan, it was fun for half the game, but as a viewer who didn't care if the Sharks won or lost, they were entertaining. However, they were not a committed team at all. The Flames - although not as fully committed as they were last season - seem a heck of a lot more committed and 'dug in' than SJ are right now. Once they touched down as the last place team, while continuing to lose, I figured that their fight would be over by now and we would simply see a team going through the motions. Credit has to go to Huska and the coaching staff for keeping this group motivated and playing overall fairly well (all things considered), as well as to the vets on this team who haven't thrown-in the towel.


I just don't see a team that needs a coaching chance in the slightest.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

I am trying to pay more attention to the shots on net now as a fan watching this game. Where they are shooting from, are they getting to open spots? Are they trying to screen? Are they going for tips? Are they passing across the 'royal road'? This is a team that, once you start focusing on it actively instead of allowing bias to misremember things, that they do surprisingly get a lot of quality shots off.

Score effects really affect how a team looks. When you're behind in the game, you can still generate good scoring chances, but if nothing good develops, you'll have the temptation to just blast the puck at the net from anywhere and hope for a fluke. You end up scoring the same number of goals – plus that occasional fluke – but your shooting percentage looks like garbage because you've added a bunch of low-percentage shots.

We've seen the Flames shoot a lot of garbage at opposing nets when they were trailing, and we saw Columbus do the same thing tonight. We just haven't seen the 32nd-place team play with a lead very often.