The future of Bob Hartley

[shogged]

If the team still wants to play for him and they show it by buying into the systems, I have no issues with Hartley as coach.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Diemenz

Examples? I am not trying to play devils advocate I am honestly asking.

O'Brien, Jones, Galiardi. I think the guy is getting overrated because we didn't quite suck as much as we should have last year. I think he's also getting too much credit (although he obviously deserves a good portion of it) for the culture change that resulted from Iginla leaving.

[Oling_Roachinen]

I see him around for the next 2 or 3 years until the team's expectations change to actually competing and he's let go mid-way through a season. Seems typical for rebuilding teams to do so. Hardworking is nice, but I think it's being overblown.

[sa226]

In one season, just one, this franchise has re-established an identity. The fans see it, the players on this team and other teams see it and the media sees it.

All things considered thats actually quite remarkable. Whats being and has been established in regards to this new identity can't really be quantified. We still are a bad team standings wise. This is the foundation for this franchise moving forward.

Hartley is largely to thank for this. He stays as long as the identity remains intact. When results become more important (1 yr? 2yrs? more?) Then you re-evaluate the coaching.

[Stupid]

Originally Posted by nik-

O'Brien, Jones, Galiardi. I think the guy is getting overrated because we didn't quite suck as much as we should have last year. I think he's also getting too much credit (although he obviously deserves a good portion of it) for the culture change that resulted from Iginla leaving.

If someone doesn't perform it's not automatically the coach's fault. They're underwhelming performance may just as easily have been their own fault. In the case of the players you listed I think I'd put my money on that rather than blaming Hartley.

[Nme-Territory]

Originally Posted by troutman

He's a top 10 coach in this league. Successful franchises favor stability.

Not sure how someone can come up with a way to quantify coaching prowess but I agree that stability will be key for developing the younger players. We don't need a coach that can get the most out of vets, we need a coach that can instill work ethic and consistency in to younger players.

Hartley seems to be that coach.

[Oil Stain]

What is the longest that a coach has lasted through a rebuild?

Hartley has two years out of the playoffs. Another one surely coming down the pipe.

When do the natives get restless and Hartley goes down as a result? I'd say next season if the Flames start poorly.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

What is the longest that a coach has lasted through a rebuild?

Hartley has two years out of the playoffs. Another one surely coming down the pipe.

When do the natives get restless and Hartley goes down as a result? I'd say next season if the Flames start poorly.

Why would we get restless? No one has expectations that this is a playoff team for at least 2-3 years.

[dissentowner]

Unless Babcock goes there is no upgrade out there to Bob Hartley. I like him and hope he takes this team into the future toward another SC. He has coached one of those in the past too.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Stupid

If someone doesn't perform it's not automatically the coach's fault. They're underwhelming performance may just as easily have been their own fault. In the case of the players you listed I think I'd put my money on that rather than blaming Hartley.

Nope, he can't make them score. But when they're floating, he can make them accountable. Especially when preaching meritocracy.

[Oil Stain]

Originally Posted by troutman

Why would we get restless? No one has expectations that this is a playoff team for at least 2-3 years.

If your team is still losing games on a nightly basis next December the fans will get restless. Believe me.

Fans will be expecting progress after this season, and if they don't get it will start to turn on everything except the prospects.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

If your team is still losing games on a nightly basis next December the fans will get restless. Believe me.

Fans will be expecting progress after this season, and if they don't get it will start to turn on everything except the prospects.

Really? I'm not expecting progress for another 2-3 years.

I think this is the year that the team hits bottom. The last two years are basically irrelevant.

[Regular_John]

I think Hartley is exactly what the Flames need for the foreseeable future, he's doing a great job of exceeding expectations while delivering some highly entertaining hockey. For a team that's expected to finish in the bottom five in the league they're still coming out fighting every night.

Remember during Iginla's last few years (not bagging on him, just using him for date reference here) the air would come right out of the balloon as soon as the other team went up a goal? Heck the Flames could be up by two during that time, get scored on and you could just see the confidence/fight leave the building even though they were still ahead by 1.

Hartley's team has completely shed that quality, as long as the team is playing a full 60 minutes, and the young guys are improving their skills I have no problem with him being here another 2 seasons at least.

[ComixZone]

I think a lot depends on how the next year goes (...naturally).

If we end up drafting Eichel/Hanifin/McDavid while putting forth the same amount of effort as we saw last year on a nightly basis, it'll be hard to argue against re-signing Hartley. If he can maintain last year's motivation level in another "lost" season, he deserves to be brought back.

...unless Mike Babcock hits the market. If Babcock becomes available, and we have one of the previously mentioned top 3 picks, I'd have to believe Calgary will be a pretty appealing destination for a high profile head coach. McDavid/Eichel/Hanifin, Bennett, Gaudreau, Monahan, Baertschi, Brodie, Poirier, Klimchuk...I think you'd be hard pressed to find a more promising group of young players.

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

If your team is still losing games on a nightly basis next December the fans will get restless. Believe me.

I'm expecting the same as last year or probably worse. Didn't even care that we were losing games last year as long as the games were entertaining. We lost some really fun games last year by one goal.

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by Locke

Really? I'm not expecting progress for another 2-3 years.

I think this is the year that the team hits bottom. The last two years are basically irrelevant.

Exactly. The other thing that Hartley has on his side is the fact that Addy will be full of up-and-comers itching to take jobs off complacent vets. That and Gio's leadership should help make it less likely that Bob will lose the room.

[Finger Cookin]

Barring some ridiculous +10 game regulation losing streak, I'm confident he'll be here for the entire season.

[PsYcNeT]

It's probably better to just emulate Edmonton and kick him up to GM in a few years.

[Finger Cookin]

Originally Posted by Locke

Really? I'm not expecting progress for another 2-3 years.

I think this is the year that the team hits bottom. The last two years are basically irrelevant.

So you expect the Flames to be bottom five in the league at the end of the season in 2017?

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by troutman

He's a top 10 coach in this league. Successful franchises favor stability.

Craig MacTavish is about the only stable thing going in Edmonton - and by that I mean somehow he remains with the Edmonton Oilers throughout the history of time no matter how good or bad he performs.