[News Roundup] Flames head coach search. Friedman: Huska is the leading contender

[Major Major]

I don't really like it. Yes, yes, we don't know, but to me
Huska's strength is developing dmen and running a pk. There's very little in his head coaching history that would point to him having that it factor successful coaches have. That and there being such a poor rate of return on assistant coaches turned head coaches. Lastly, is this a guy with offensive vision? I have no clue but it's not his reputation.

[Yamer]

I recall Huska being highly touted and praised while coaching Stockton, in spite of results. He earned his way at every step up, and his assignment in the bigs reflects the strongest part of the team in recent years.

If they manage to get Love and Tanguay as Associate/Assistant, however that rings out, it would be the freshest approach since Gulutzan. Except this would be growth from within, of which I'm a huge advocate.

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

I’m a bit surprised by people being sour on the idea of Huska as HC. If nothing else, it again - much like the Conroy hire, continues to show that the Flames believe in the momentum they’ve been building internally as an organization in the last decade. Things may not be great, but things are better than they were before that.

Huska may not have the “new toy” shine of Love, but he is a product of the same system - and Huska certainly didn’t have a Dustin Wolf when he was coaching in the AHL. I hope we don’t lose Love. Ideally, I’d like to see Love and Huska on the bench.

Coaching hires are tough things for fans to assess. We don’t know #%^*, generally speaking.

Players seemed to believe in Love and go to the wall for him, not sure if Huska has that with the players. If it doesn't work that would be another set back for this group. I would rather have a coach with a winning track record but at the same time the Flames may see other things (or have other ideas) in that interview process that we are not privy to.

[musth]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

.......or there was an extensive search and interview process and Conroy believes he's the best candidate to follow his vision and turn the team around?

Within an extremely likely small coaching budget

Don't care that you're all rosy with optimism, I think he was part of the problem and his overall coaching history doesn't suggest success to me

[AustinL_NHL]

If Huska comes in and provides his very big strengths when it comes to the defense and is able to provide a solid defensive system that gets the Flames the puck, and another guy like Tanguay comes in to handle the offensive creativity and more loose systems, and finally perhaps a guy like Love to kinda be the middle-man between the coaching staff and younger players that ensures proper lineup managing and handling of the younger guys, I can totally buy into that

[Major Major]

He's a good rebuild coach. If that's the plan, I am for it. Trade Lindholm, Backlund, Toffoli, etc and all of a sudden I don't care who the coach is.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Major Major

I don't really like it. Yes, yes, we don't know, but to me
Huska's strength is developing dmen and running a pk. There's very little in his head coaching history that would point to him having that it factor successful coaches have. That and there being such a poor rate of return on assistant coaches turned head coaches. Lastly, is this a guy with offensive vision? I have no clue but it's not his reputation.

Yeah and it’s not really a hire where we can sit back and be like “oh they hit a home run!” (Although yeah…what can we really know?)

Largely…it’s a pretty standard hire for this team/organization. I hope it works out to a degree that we haven’t seen here in a long time…but largely, I don’t think it matters for this season. This team isn’t a contender. They’re a bubble team, so we’re hoping for a Cinderella run…who knows what happens.

[Hockey_Ninja]

I knew it'd be down to Love and Huska. Hopefully Love is one of the assistants

[Spurs]

Originally Posted by Major Major

He's a good rebuild coach. If that's the plan, I am for it. Trade Lindholm, Backlund, Toffoli, etc and all of a sudden I don't care who the coach is.

Sure if that is the plan he seems like a fine option to eat losses while the team isn't great, but does that seem like a likely path they are going to take?

[Buff]

Originally Posted by Reign of Fire

Just cause a decision was made doesn't mean it was the right one. You act like people with NHL experience never miss. Time will tell, but people can be underwhelmed.

I don't know if Huska is the correct coach but to call it an epic failure before it is even announced? That is ridiculous.

[Major Major]

I'd honestly leave Love down in the A... It made a certain amount of sense if he understudied with a veteran coach, but I'd like him to keep getting legs as a head guy. If huska is a short term coach and then you move love up from assistant, you are just perpetuating the cycle.

[stang]

Originally Posted by stang

Huska is my guess?

I heard Huska was signed when i posted this. Done deal.

[Burning Beard]

Huska didn't have the AHL goalie of the year for his tenure in the AHL. We all saw how goaltending can make or break a team here last year.

[Buff]

Love doesn't want to rush his way into NHL bench boss position.

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by Major Major

I'd honestly leave Love down in the A... It made a certain amount of sense if he understudied with a veteran coach, but I'd like him to keep getting legs as a head guy. If huska is a short term coach and then you move love up from assistant, you are just perpetuating the cycle.

Thats an excellent suggestion. And if things don't go as planned they can always swing back to Love. Doubt he would get a HC offer elsewhere at this point but I could see him being pursued when, if vacancies open up..

[activeStick]

I definitely don't know enough about any of the rumored candidates to be upset about who gets hired. I'd prefer to have Love move up into an assistant role if he's promoted, rather than directly to NHL coach, so I'm good if Huska is the guy. Huska seems to be highly thought of around the league, so there's likely something there.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Buff

I'm curious about your experience with NHL coaches and your experience in hiring them to coach an NHL team. Clearly you know better than everyone.

Yes, because you have to have hired a head coach to have an opinion on their ability to do the job. What a stupid take.

[1qqaaz]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

.......or there was an extensive search and interview process and Conroy believes he's the best candidate to follow his vision and turn the team around?

The biggest mistake GMs make in hiring coaches is overvaluing the interview process and discounting actual results.

[musth]

It's playfair or gully or ward all over again IMHO, and the stakes are much higher.


They can't (couldn't?) Afford to #### this up

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by 1qqaaz

The biggest mistake GMs make in hiring coaches is overvaluing the interview process and discounting actual results.

TBF, Conroy has seen the actual coaching by both Love and Huska a lot.