Huberdeau's agent: "Negativity sucks the joy right out of players"

[ben voyonsdonc]

I know the owners will be loath to fire a coach who has two years on his contract. If he’s making $3m a season, that would be a $6m expense. However, if it can help get Huberdeau, Bread, and Markstrom going (or even two of the three), I think it is absolutely an investment worth making.

[TheIronMaiden]

If you want to come in and be The Guy then be the guy. No one cares about last season. It is no ones fault you are not moving the needle but your own.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Buff

Huberdeau came here thinking he was going to be THE guy and probably even thought he could have some input on how the team plays or at least how his line plays. Sutter and Huberdeau didn't see eye to eye on this and a power struggle happened.

9.9/10 the "taking a sh#t" comment would not have been ill received by the players. Sutter was not making a comment on Huberdeau's play, he was just not answering a question based on a percieved injury. He never talks about injuries. Huberdeau, already frustrated with Sutter, took that the wrong way. If the player is good with all the players then the players will always side with another player vs head coach and the rift started to spread across the room.

We saw Kadri start the season like a beast. Lately he has been a distant memory of that player. Just one of many signs that something stinks in the room and it has spread.

Out of all the theories I’ve read, all of which still seem like nothing better than uneducated guesses, this is definitely the most plausible.

I’ve pointed it out before, but most guys on the team are having good seasons. It doesn’t seem like it, because the ones that aren’t also happen to be the highest profile guys in the team, but it’s true. And that (to me) calls into question the idea that this is “all Sutter’s fault.”

Playing off your theory, we have quotes from Lindholm about how he struggled to connect with new line mates early in the season, quotes from Sutter after Ruzicka got moved to the 1st line in place of Huberdeau and found some success that he “Likes that Lindholm likes who he’s playing with,” and you’ve got Kadri who came out the gates super hot and has cooled right down playing with Huberdeau (including some instances where Kadri doesn’t seem interested in playing the same game as Huberdeau).

It wouldn’t surprise me if it’s not as one-sided as a lot of people are desperate to make it out to be.

[81MC]

^ agreed. A small amount of execution and a little bit of luck leaning the other way and the outcome from this team looks totally different. People clamoured for Sutter for years, and aside from Peters (whatever still annoyed about that) Sutter is the first real coach in how long?

If elite players on new mega contracts are tuning out a multi-championship coach after half a season, I can’t look at the proven winner as the problem.

Big boy pants time for these guys. If they need coddling, I’d suggest Is rather they weren’t making millions on our team.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by 81MC

^ agreed. A small amount of execution and a little bit of luck leaning the other way and the outcome from this team looks totally different. People clamoured for Sutter for years, and aside from Peters (whatever still annoyed about that) Sutter is the first real coach in how long?

If elite players on new mega contracts are tuning out a multi-championship coach after half a season, I can’t look at the proven winner as the problem.

Big boy pants time for these guys. If they need coddling, I’d suggest Is rather they weren’t making millions on our team.

I hear you, but I personally think that a good leader/manager etc is able to adapt their approach to set their team up for success. Wither it be in sport, or businesses or whatever.

[Strange Brew]

And a great player should be a great player even if they are being asked to play some defense.

[Toonage]

First 30 minutes of the Jeff Marek show was all about this and the Flames today. Worth a listen.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Toonage

First 30 minutes of the Jeff Marek show was all about this and the Flames today. Worth a listen.

Did they add anything to the story or just rehash Walsh's comments?

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Buff

We saw Kadri start the season like a beast. Lately he has been a distant memory of that player. Just one of many signs that something stinks in the room and it has spread.

This is the one that is more interesting to me.

Kadri has always played with a bit of a chip on his shoulder...that has disappeared since about game 15.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Did they add anything to the story or just rehash Walsh's comments?

In general context Friedman mentioned that Sutters comments on Pelletier after his first game was taken note of by every under 25 player in the league. Thought that was interesting.

[Derek Sutton]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Did they add anything to the story or just rehash Walsh's comments?

Friedman said that in the past Walsh has not send out a tweet like this without the blessing of his client.

[Toonage]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Did they add anything to the story or just rehash Walsh's comments?

Lots of opinion. Lots of discussion about Walsh and previous tweets and what his clients knew or didn't. The idea being that this was a message from Huberdeau through Walsh. They brought up Sutter's treatment of the players. The Pelletier number thing was noticed by every player under 25 in the league. How the team doesn't look happy. How the Flames could be faced with some huge, difficult decisions in the summer.

The one that raised my eyebrow was how Friedman mentioned that if the Flames come out flat against new York, he'd be wondering exactly what he was looking at. Kind of a comment you could read anything into, but the tone, to me, seemed like he was implying the team has quit.

Podcast will be up shortly I'd imagine, look forward to seeing what others think.

[Badgers Nose]

Originally Posted by keenan87

Anymore fuel to this fire yet by reporters? I want to see chaos - then changes.

User name checks out.

[Royle9]

Originally Posted by Toonage

First 30 minutes of the Jeff Marek show was all about this and the Flames today. Worth a listen.

There an online link for this?
I like Marek's takes usually.
NVM I see it above

[Toonage]

Originally Posted by Royle9

There an online link for this?
I like Marek's takes usually.
RECAP of what you recall perhaps would work too

Spotify, Amazon Music or Apple Podcasts will have this probably within the hour

[GhostCookie]

Originally Posted by 81MC

^ agreed. A small amount of execution and a little bit of luck leaning the other way and the outcome from this team looks totally different. People clamoured for Sutter for years, and aside from Peters (whatever still annoyed about that) Sutter is the first real coach in how long?

If elite players on new mega contracts are tuning out a multi-championship coach after half a season, I can’t look at the proven winner as the problem.

Big boy pants time for these guys. If they need coddling, I’d suggest Is rather they weren’t making millions on our team.

I think part of the problem though is that any player has a certain set of skills and things they are better/worse at. Huby's skillset isn't a 1 for 1 replacement of either Jonny or Chucky, which means regardless of how he plays, we won't be able to score goals the same way as last year. It's on Tre to put all the right tools in the toolbox, and Sutter to use them properly. Sutter had a lot of success using a hammer and nails last year and how he's getting upset because he has to use screws this year and is calling out the screwdriver for not being a hammer.

[Ashasx]

My favorite team hates me and I hate it

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Did they add anything to the story or just rehash Walsh's comments?

Yeah just that Walsh doesn’t do this stuff without his clients blessing, and that everyone knows things are not going well in Calgary.

So, not much. Nothing added to the conversation.

[FlamesAddiction]

Blow it up. GM, coaches, players.... just blow it all up. There is a bit of rot in every aspect, and keeping one part will just let it spread to the other parts if you don't cut it all off now.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by GhostCookie

I think part of the problem though is that any player has a certain set of skills and things they are better/worse at. Huby's skillset isn't a 1 for 1 replacement of either Jonny or Chucky, which means regardless of how he plays, we won't be able to score goals the same way as last year. It's on Tre to put all the right tools in the toolbox, and Sutter to use them properly. Sutter had a lot of success using a hammer and nails last year and how he's getting upset because he has to use screws this year and is calling out the screwdriver for not being a hammer.

Whatever the problem is, I don’t think it has anything to do with that. He can maximize guys like Gaudreau, Tkachuk, Lindholm, Bennett, Zadorov, Kylington, Toffoli, etc, all different guys with different skill sets, but Huberdeau is such a unique, special, and generationally gifted player that his incredible talent is beyond Sutter’s grasp entirely?

I doubt it.