Throw Down who is the worst Flames GM of all time

[Goriders]

I didn’t see all of them. But it did seem to me that Sutter’s transition from coach to GM wasn’t the best. Especially at the draft table. How many 6’ 4” 225lb plugs from Red Deer can you possibly draft in the first round.

That era of drafting really set the organization back.

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by Goriders

I didn’t see all of them. But it did seem to me that Sutter’s transition from coach to GM wasn’t the best. Especially at the draft table. How many 6’ 4” 225lb plugs from Red Deer can you possibly draft in the first round.

That era of drafting really set the organization back.

Sutter first round picks were
Phaneuf
Chucko
Pelech
Irving
Backlind
Nemisz
Erixon
(No pick Jokinen trade)

So one plug from Red Deer was far and away the best player.

The Flames were rebuilding up their scouting a development system in those years. So I think the teams scouting and drafting in those years was really poor largely because they had cheaped out on it a lot from 97 to 04.

[Steve's Stick]

First post. I've been a long-time lurker, but this thread inspired me to finally sign-up. The history with the GMs has fascinated me. I think each has their own era (or as with Button and Feaster, weird interlude).

I want to plug Al Coates as the clear #2 after Fletcher: the 90s were not great, but he Nieuwendyk hold-out and the trade after losing Suter and MacInnis nearly broke me. And what did Coates get - some unknown kid who wasn't even the best RW on his junior team (I remember whining about this to my cousins waiting to get seated at a Pizza Hut... then the 96 World Juniors happened, Iginla had that break-away and I knew it was all going to be ok).

I don't think many GMs (especially the Wiz) would have the guts to trade their franchise centre for one piece and that one piece being a recently drafted, unproven prospect (yes, I know Corey Millen was included).

We had the 04 run thanks to Sutter and Coates - but I sometimes wonder what would have been if the Coates constructed team had been allowed to hit their prime together: Iginla, St. Louis, Stillman, Savard (Saprykin, Wiemer, Bure, Tkaczuk*), Regehr, Gauthier, Morris, Giguere.

The only real complaint I had with Coates was drafting Rico Fata - but iirc, Nick Polano pushed hard for him - I had hopes they'd take Alex Tanguay).

(*he was probably sadly done after the concussion, but any chance of rehabilitation was over after Button dumped him).

For what it's worth:
1. Fletcher
<gap>
2. Coates
<gap>
3. Sutter
<gap>
4. Burke/Treliving
5. Feaster
<gap>
6. Button
7. Risebrough

Thank you for the years of enjoyable conversation. Apologies for bumping this chat-up.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Goriders

I didn’t see all of them. But it did seem to me that Sutter’s transition from coach to GM wasn’t the best. Especially at the draft table. How many 6’ 4” 225lb plugs from Red Deer can you possibly draft in the first round.

That era of drafting really set the organization back.

I've seen them all. Sutter really didn't draft well. He traded well for his purposes off the bat, but then got pretty silly and knee jerk with some of them. I think he falls behind Treliving, who had a lot more cap constraints as the rules got tighter and tighter, and pulled off some good trades to match his bad ones. And some of Treliving's moves made sense on paper but just didn't turn out well because the players received just underperformed their history.

Risebrough and Feaster and Button are behind them. All of them made moves that were baffling not just in hindsight, but right up front.

[Kipper_3434]

Originally Posted by Goriders

I didn’t see all of them. But it did seem to me that Sutter’s transition from coach to GM wasn’t the best. Especially at the draft table. How many 6’ 4” 225lb plugs from Red Deer can you possibly draft in the first round.

That era of drafting really set the organization back.

1. He drafted 1 lol .