The future of Bob Hartley

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Finger Cookin

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

Well, this is 14/15 and I think this will be their worst year.

15/16 - Hard to say, it seems likely because it would the first year after their worst year.
16/17 - Likely some improvement from bottom, but bottom five?

I dont think that the Calgary Flames will be competing for a playoff spot in 2 years.

[Finger Cookin]

Originally Posted by Locke

Well, this is 15/16 and I think this will be their worst year.

This is 14/15.

[Erick Estrada]

Burke likes him and the team played well last season but the fact they haven't worked out an extension going into the season likely mean he's coaching for his job and that Treliving isn't going to commit until they work together for a meaningful amount of time first. If things continue from last season I would expect to see something around December/January. If things slide and nothing gets done by January the writing could be on the wall.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Finger Cookin

This is 14/15.

Sorry, doing too many things at the same time. I edited my post.

[timbit]

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.

Hartley has established a positive culture over the last two seasons that has near unanimous buy in from the players.

The new player leadership group seems to be totally onboard.

Very difficult to find a coach that can successfully instill the work ethic and character 200 ft game that a rebuilding team needs to have in order to grow into a contender.

Up to this point, which is very early in the rebuild, he seems to be a perfect fit for at least 2 more years and likely longer if he continues to build what seem to be very strong relationships with the young core players and key veterans.

Lots of roster movement moving forward over the next 3-4 years.

No need to remove the coach who is very much responsible for making players better and having them play a hard working and entertaining style through the rebuilding process.

The mantra that the Flames have birthed early in their rebuild is one of getting better everyday and earning your icetime. I do not see the entitlement issues that are pervasive up north.

[Ashasx]

If the Flames are picking top 5 in 2017 our rebuild will have gone the way of the Oilers.

[wretched34]

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.

Two of the three guys you listed, to point out Hartley's failure to motivate are great examples of the opposite.
David Jones was injured half the season, so how you can blame Hartley's inability to motivate him to be more productive is a little strange.
As for Galiardi, he spent time in the press box, and was released at the end of the season.
O'Brien was waived, and then bought out.
Hartley implemented a system, the new leadership group bought in, and together they had the team buy in, players who didn't are no longer here, which pretty much shows it was the players who were not willing to buy in, not Hartley being unable to coach them.

You have to remember, especially with the guys you listed, they are grown men. Hartley can't force them to do anything, it's a matter of them being open to the system, and wanting to be a part of the team. The fact that you could only name 3 guys as examples of players that Hartley couldn't coach up to your standards is pretty impressive when the Flames had 40 skaters dress for them throughout the year. That's a 92.5% success rate of having players buy in to a hard working system, when they weren't working for anything. I'd call that a a job well done.

[combustiblefuel]

I think the lock out season should be a wash on his 2 year tenure record.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

If the Flames are picking top 5 in 2017 our rebuild will have gone the way of the Oilers.

I'll agree with that. Improvement should be seen by year 5 and they should probably be competing for a playoff spot.

Originally Posted by combustiblefuel

I think the lock out season should be a wash on his 2 year tenure record.

I think it has been for the most part.

[Goriders]

I think just by he fact he didn't get turfed in the off season when the new GM came in that speaks volumes.

That's the perfect oppurtunity to dump a coach. So I'm guessing the right people like him.

My guess is he gets this year and next year and if things don't pick up perfromance wise he's gone. This year he still doesn't have much to work with. But come next year there will be a number of our draft picks on teh team and less excuses towards lack of skill ect.

[FBI]

Yeah I think Locke is being a little TOO patient there. I expect this team to make a push next year.

[Barnet Flame]

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.

I don't understand why we'd be getting restless. I loved our hockey last season - it was the most enjoyable it has been for years.

We are in on the ground floor with these players and Hartley is doing a very good job with them.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by FBI

Yeah I think Locke is being a little TOO patient there. I expect this team to make a push next year.

Not me. The team is 2-3 years away at the minimum IMO.

[Textcritic]

I think that Hartley's shelf-life with the Flames is another three years at most. Like most teams who undergo a rebuild and a culture change, a coaching change seems to be an essential step to take a team from improving to competitive to improving to a contender.

What I am especially interested in is whether Hartley has managed to secure his place as a future NHL coach once his time with the Flames is over. I know a lot of people had this pegged as his last NHL opportunity. Has he made good enough on it to get another one? I would like to think so.

[Oil Stain]

Originally Posted by Barnet Flame

I don't understand why we'd be getting restless. I loved our hockey last season - it was the most enjoyable it has been for years.

We are in on the ground floor with these players and Hartley is doing a very good job with them.

You loved finishing 4th last because it was a change. Everyone is expecting good things to follow the change.

If the Flames still play hard but get less bounces this year and end up losing a lot of games by 2-3 goals, I bet you there will be a lot of fans pretty fed up with watching it come Jan-Feb.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by FBI

Yeah I think Locke is being a little TOO patient there. I expect this team to make a push next year.

Really? I honestly think they might be bottom 3 this year, to attempt to make the playoffs the next year seems pretty optimistic.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Not me. The team is 2-3 years away at the minimum IMO.

2–3 years away from what exactly?

In two years they should be out of the basement and entering the playoff bubble.
In three, they should be looking like a playoff team.

[PsYcNeT]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

You loved finishing 4th last because it was a change. Everyone is expecting good things to follow the change.

If the Flames still play hard but get less bounces this year and end up losing a lot of games by 2-3 goals, I bet you there will be a lot of fans pretty fed up with watching it come Jan-Feb.

Well yeah, every franchise has unrealistic impatient scrubs in the fanbase.

[Stupid]

Originally Posted by nik-

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

O'Brian was sent down so that's being held accountable I think.
Galiardi is no longer on the team and I can't really say that I thought he was floating to be honest; more of a situation where it wasn't working out (for both sides). This was reinforced by his statements after he left Calgary.
Jones I didn't think was floating to be either. I really think he tried but he seems to have lost his scoring touch. He kind of seems like Blake Comeau 2.0 to me.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

You loved finishing 4th last because it was a change. Everyone is expecting good things to follow the change.

If the Flames still play hard but get less bounces this year and end up losing a lot of games by 2-3 goals, I bet you there will be a lot of fans pretty fed up with watching it come Jan-Feb.

As I've said before, I think this will be their worst year. 4th last was better than expected, but the team is in a real state of flux now, veteran players getting older, some vets being gone entirely and a very, very young team. This team is going to suck and suck hard this year, but I think most people have made peace with that.