The team needs a shakeup. what to do?

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Patience is key.

Disagree, for every team that has success being patient there's at least 5 others that are terrible for many years, good managed teams don't put up with mediocrity. the best teams define their core and tinker with the rest.

My patience was thin after loosing the first two games against the Oilers, now after going 0-4 and being clobbered at home no real fan should be patient.

[ThePrince]

Originally Posted by Gaskal

CalgaryPuck Drinking Game:

Take a drink everytime someone...

• Wants to trade Brodie
• Wants to trade Bennett
• Wants to trade Hamilton
• Suggests firing Gulutzan
• Suggests firing Treliving
• Suggests firing Burke
• Complains about the system sucking

According to this board, everyone outside the Backlund line has been awful this year, goaltending has been bad, and the system sucks, yet we're miraculously still in the playoff hunt. People were happier last year when we were battling for a lottery pick because our players were putting points on the board. I honestly think half the people on this board don't watch any games, they just look at the stat sheet and make comments based on that.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

My patience was thin after loosing the first two games against the Oilers

Guess we really need to tighten things up.

[The Professor]

Originally Posted by Gaskal

CalgaryPuck Drinking Game:

Take a drink everytime someone...

• Wants to trade Brodie
• Wants to trade Bennett
• Wants to trade Hamilton
• Suggests firing Gulutzan
• Suggests firing Treliving
• Suggests firing Burke
• Complains about the system sucking

That escalated quickly. I'm very drunk!

[ricosuave]

I'd go after Strome, Yak and or Duclair

[tvp2003]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

It would be rash to just up and trade any of the core players considering how well the team has played for the majority of the season. However, I find it really hard watching the same defensive mistakes from Wideman and Jokipakka. Constant mistakes, constant turnovers and constant coverage issues cost this team on a regular basis. The Flames need an upgrade on these guys quick.

The Oilers have improved their defence by leaps and bounds because they've rid themselves of poor performers and now have a correctly slotted defence core. As a result, now their forwards have easier breakouts and more time in the offensive zone. The Flames really need a similar transformation because the same constant mistake are killing the team.

Brodie and Hamilton have had challenges defensively too, but at least their offensive game has helped the team this season unlike Wideman and Jokipakka who aren't good enough anywhere on the ice. At this point, I'd be ok with Engelland replacing Wideman on the top 4 and playing Kulak with Wideman on the bottom pair. Jokipakka is not an NHL caliber defenseman to me. His hockey IQ is non-existant.

I agree 100%. Wideman and Jokipakka have no future on this team, and it's not like they're contributing much in the present. Wideman isn't even playing on the PP anymore. Forget about trying to maximize a return at the deadline -- send Wideman away for a bag of pucks and let Engelland keep the #4 spot warm until one of Kulak, Wotherspoon, or even one of the Stockton prospects shows they can handle that spot alongside Brodie. It's called investing in your prospects.

Remember when we had Nicklas Grossman in the starting lineup? Yeah, that happened... this year.

[dirk diggler]

Originally Posted by FBI

Call Ups is my solution to shake up.. We need fresh energy..

thats what Pittsburgh did last year and it really woke them up, not that the flames will go and win the SC but what is their to lose. this team lacks desire and isnt ready to move to the next step.

[killer_carlson]

Originally Posted by Gaskal

CalgaryPuck Drinking Game:

Take a drink everytime someone...

• Wants to trade Brodie
• Wants to trade Bennett
• Wants to trade Hamilton
• Suggests firing Gulutzan
• Suggests firing Treliving
• Suggests firing Burke
• Complains about the system sucking
  Someone posts a response to mock anyone who wants to make any change

FYP

In my opinion the status quo is going to cost us another season. I am in favor of a change.

[Northendzone]

Originally Posted by ricosuave

I'd go after Strome, Yak and or Duclair

By Yak do you mean Nail Yukupov? Or is there another Yak in the league?

[Caged Great]

People also tend to forget that most of our team is comprised of young players.

Young players don't have a ton of experience and have yet to learn to make the adjustments to the opposition after they have made the adjustments to you. Other teams have learned a lot of Gaudreau's tricks and have found a way to actually be able to hit him this year, both in terms of slashing and with the body. He needs to find a way to make alterations to his game to adjust for that. He hasn't and he is struggling.

[868904]

Originally Posted by FBI

Call Ups is my solution to shake up.. We need fresh energy..

Agreed.

I'm not a Chiasson hater and think he played well earlier in the season, but lately he's blown too many prime scoring opportunities. You have a skill winger in Shinkaruk available, you might as well give him an extended look (10 games) with your skill guys and see what he can do. He has noted finishing ability and you have to think he would have buried a few of Gaudrea's setups.

Shinkaruk hasn't really gotten a fair shake. You can't put him on the fourth line and expect him to produce. He needs to be played in offensive situations to be of any use to the team, and so far he has not had that opportunity.

The Canucks forced Barrtschi and Granlund into these roles and lived with mistakes and early unproductivity and they are now producing, it's time the Flames did the same thing.

[Phaneuf_Phan]

Originally Posted by pgsieve

Gio has been brutal this year. With his contract, what makes you think any team would want him, let alone over pay for him with their top line player?

The Flames should leave Gio unprotected for the expansion draft. This may be our only opportunity to get out of this horrible long-term contract without taking dead weight back. Hopefully he can finish the season strong to give Vegas something to think about.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

The last thing the flames need is a shake up.

They need a steady hand to see this season through without franchise altering decisions.

This isn't a playoff team, stay the course, continue with the process, move assets for a good return at the deadline, continue team building.

Firing the coach right now would be idiotic, this team was going nowhere that mattered at the start of the season no matter who was at the helm.

Oh pffffft.

Wanna bet under another year of Hartley they would be at least 8 points higher at this juncture? (I mean firstly, his Flames wouldn't get swept by the Oilers, not the coach that absolutely dominated that team in both rinks)

It's partly on the players and make up of the team, but don't pretend that coaching doesn't matter. We've seen more resilience in games and offensive production from these same players 12 months ago and 24 months ago. They didn't suddenly lose that ability. It also falls on the guy(s) telling them what to do, and how to play. The ones mentoring the young players through their adversities.

Sutter, Boudreau, hell Torts would get this team up for games better than Gulutzan has. There would be more output, and therefore more games tied up to snag an extra point or at least less games lost 20 minutes into them.

They've had no comebacks larger than a goal. I don't think they've scored a single goal with the empty net. How many times under Hartley did they make that happen? That's confidence, that's belief. And that comes from a coach and a culture. The players have the tools, even the ones on this team now, but the coach has to guide them to wield them and maximize their output. To know their players strengths, and also know how to match up best against specific opponents.

Gulutzan does not know how to get the most out of these particular players and it's quite plain to see.

You're telling me the Blue Jackets under any coach would thrive the way they have this season? That their roster is unquestionably tops in the league-good? If the answer is no (or even not a resounding yes) then surely you can't say the opposite of the Flames.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

Oh pffffft.

Wanna bet under another year of Hartley they would be at least 8 points higher at this juncture? (I mean firstly, his Flames wouldn't get swept by the Oilers, not the coach that absolutely dominated that team in both rinks)

It's partly on the players and make up of the team, but don't pretend that coaching doesn't matter. We've seen more resilience in games and offensive production from these same players 12 months ago and 24 months ago. They didn't suddenly lose that ability. It also falls on the guy(s) telling them what to do, and how to play. The ones mentoring the young players through their adversities.

Sutter, Boudreau, hell Torts would get this team up for games better than Gulutzan has. There would be more output, and therefore more games tied up to snag an extra point or at least less games lost 20 minutes into them.

They've had no comebacks larger than a goal. I don't think they've scored a single goal with the empty net. How many times under Hartley did they make that happen? That's confidence, that's belief. And that comes from a coach and a culture. The players have the tools, even the ones on this team now, but the coach has to guide them to wield them and maximize their output. To know their players strengths, and also know how to match up best against specific opponents.

Gulutzan does not know how to get the most out of these particular players and it's quite plain to see.

You're telling me the Blue Jackets under any coach would thrive the way they have this season? That their roster is unquestionably tops in the league-good? If the answer is no (or even not a resounding yes) then surely you can't say the opposite of the Flames.

I am astounded at the assertions you make in this post. There's zero guarantee that any other coach would be doing better with this team this year. Every year is different in the NHL and players are not always going to perform the same way, so you can't count on coaches to get the team to perform the exact same way from year to year. You know how I know that? Your example of the Blue Jackets. They have a nearly identical roster to last year, except with the addition of a good rookie defenseman, and much better seasons from their top players. They had the EXACT same coach last year that saw them near the basement of the league. Is Tortarella simultaneously a genius and an idiot? No, obviously not. The players still have to play the game. You ask the coach to make improvements to team play and create strong systems. You also ask the coach to make adaptations throughout the year to improve on areas of weakness. Gulutzan and co. have done all of these things this year. He's given the team a fighting chance to be a competitive team and make a run at a playoff spot. The next step falls on the young players to up their game, make adjustments, and find a way to be difference makers every game. Until then, we will have to be satisfied with this team as a bubble team, and wait for a few more prospects to develop in to NHLers.

I'm going to use the Burke analogy again. We're in the "jog" phase of the build. Perhaps in a year or two we can "run", and then soon after we will "sprint" and make a serious cup run.

Patience everyone. Enjoy the fact that we aren't in the basement again this year and that we've beaten some very good teams throughout the year.

All of these reactions today are because we lost all 4 games to the Oilers. If we had lost all of our games against the Kings or Sharks nobody would be talking like this.

[EldrickOnIce]

Haynes article good place to start.
In summary:
Tkachuk with Monahan / Brouwer
Gaudreau with Backlund / Frolik
Brodie back to right side with Kulak
Play Elliott

http://www.flamesfrom80feet.ca/2017/...id-be.html?m=1

[bubbsy]

This Warrener rant at the moment is pretty awesome.

Edit: the entire transcript of the fan discussion should just be dumped into this thread. Really good stuff.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

Haynes article good place to start.
In summary:
Tkachuk with Monahan / Brouwer
Gaudreau with Backlund / Frolik
Brodie back to right side with Kulak
Play Elliott

http://www.flamesfrom80feet.ca/2017/...id-be.html?m=1

I do like the idea of adding Gaudreau to Backs and Frolik. Doubt we will see it but it's something that the coach should try out as this team needs something to kick start some good hockey.

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

It's clear unless the stars and moon align this team just can't play with any consistency or for the most part, fire in their belly's. I'm starting to question Giordano as captain when I see Gaudreau get slashed 10 times a game and nobody touches the other teams star.

My take, if Giordano could land a top line sniper I do that trade.

do you honestly think that contact, at his age, considering his level of play, Giordano would generate much interest, let alone get a top line sniper?

doubtful. you need to first fairly evaluate the value of flames players.

[flambers]

Interesting note, Flames are 4 points ahead of last year's pace.

For sure I would like to see the team make a trade. However in the cap era. trades have all but disappeared.

With the limited cap space, its way to hard to generate a trade.

[Erick Estrada]

Yikes. Friedman on 960 this morning said even if the Flames make the playoffs this season he's not convinced Treliving will be the GM next season. Sounded like he knows a little more than he was letting on.