I believe parting ways with Brent Sutter was the right thing for the organization, regardless of who ended up making the ultimate decision. It was time for a change in that particular area, but make no mistake: more change has to be on the horizon for this offseason to be a success.
Sutter was not a fit with this organization. He was given three years to elevate a somewhat mediocre group to a postseason spot and did not, which is unfortunate, but it wasn’t for lack of his best efforts. The guy did everything in his power to try and get the most out of the team, and it just never worked out. I really wanted it to, because I respect the man a great deal, but in the end, I believe it was time to move on.
However, if anyone thinks making a coaching change is going to be the cure all solution for the Calgary Flames, they’re wrong. This team needs numerous significant changes, and a coaching change better be just the first of a number of shoes to drop.
The core of their problems this year was not locker room issues, it was not coaching issues, it was simple: the team was just not good enough. They are a team with middling talent that needs to overachieve to get beyond 82 regular season games. That is not a sustainable model for success and it has yielded diminishing returns since the lockout came to an end.
It’s all fine and good to talk about building a high end team, but there are specific ways the team needs to go about that. And more importantly than that, there has to be a realization that it will take time. The next couple years will be transitional years in my eyes, where the team will look to stay somewhat competitive while also giving time to allow their next impact players to develop to that level.
A big start will be letting most, if not all, of their pending unrestricted free agents to walk away. Full stop, that signifies a new way of doing things for next season. Sven Baertschi seems to be guaranteed a spot for next year, and that’s great…having some open room at training camp makes that a realistic possibility.
By having a few spots open, it allows somebody who could surprise us to jump up and earn a spot. Maybe Roman Horak is a legit day one starter next year, as opposed to being a guy who’s in there thanks to an injury in camp. Maybe Max Reinhart shows us his short time in the AHL was enough for him to take a huge leap. Maybe midway through next season, Michael Ferland shows us he understands the game at a high enough level that he can play the final half of the season on the big team. These things may or may not happen, but the opportunity needs to be there.
Let’s be clear here: Parise and Suter aren’t signing with the Calgary Flames this summer. But that dosen’t mean the team shouldn’t look at exploring free agency. I believe the team needs to address two main areas: a tough minutes center and a top four defenseman. There will be options there, and filling those two voids on two year contracts will be possible. It’ll help the team stay competitive while developing, and it will give the team possible options to bring back if the fits are right.
Finally, we have to address the big topic. Jarome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff cannot be untouchable. I’ve been on record as saying I don’t believe trading the captain is the way to go, but to close the door completely on it and be unwilling to explore the possibility would be doing a disservice to your team. If the trade is right and if the partners are there, the Flames must explore the options, and they must be willing to pull the trigger. They don’t have the option of having any one player untouchable at this point.
The only way a team becomes a truly elite squad is by taking the time and energy to draft and develop properly. The Flames have missed the playoffs for three straight years and are not facing an easy climb, but the patience to let something grow needs to be there, or else the same results will just keep on coming.
12 Responses to “More Has To Come”
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Pat when did you become such an expert on the flames if you know so much about all that is wrong maybe you should become the coach. Keep the negativism to yourself instead of trying to convince the flame fans.
- edbukowskiUh excuse me…I thought a blog was supposed to be passing along an opinion, which is exactly what to do. If I was the expert, I’d run an NHL team. Terrible take.
And how is what I said negative? All I did was say this team needs a new direction, period. I think there’s a good chances this summer is quite positive.
- Pat SteinbergRight on Pat….
- Chris RichardsonYou came up short,but I understand.Ken King and Feaster must also go,replaced by hockey people.Ken can play with the Stamps.
The Flames need a world class scouting staff to scour The World.
If Iggy is going,let it be at the Trade Dead-line,if we’ve had another season like the last 5 or 6(ya,5 or 6).
Absolutely walk away from EVERY one of the UFAs and RFAs. They didn’t help us win.So long!
We need a group of 25-30 year olds!
The Sutter Brothers don’t believe in team chemistry.I strongly dissagree .Barry Frazier filled openings in Edmonton with skilled players that fit in.McClelland and Marty both came from Pittsburghs farm,fit in well.
All of this is mute Pat,unless The Ownership wants The Cup above all else!
just saying!
Who are you looking at as a top 4 d-man and a centre? I looked at the 2012 free agent list and it looks pretty lean.
- Eric@Chris Richardson
Chris, I agree that the team needs to define what their priority is. If it’s all about bottom line and profit, then yeah, maybe we won’t see all the steps some say are necessary to build a Cup winner. If it’s all about winning, I’m very much interested to see what path they go down. I think we’ll get some answers this offseason.
- Pat Steinberg@Eric
I’ve identified a couple guys I want the team to go after, and I’ll be doing individual blogs on them in the coming days and weeks.
On the blueline, there are two Blues set for UFA and I’m doubting they’ll re-sign both of them. Barrett Jackman and Carlo Colaiacovo are both UFA, and my guess is the latter won’t be brought back. He’ll be relatively inexpensive, he’s 29 so a perfect fit for a 2 yaer deal, and can play top four minutes on any team in this league. If Jackman is available…sell the farm to get that guy for a year or two. Other potentials are Matt Carle and Shane O’Brien.
As for centers, my two guys I think they should target are Paul Gaustad and Jay McClement. They both are used to taking a heavily slanted amount of defensive draws and playing almost all shutdown hockey. Both are good candidates for two year contracts, especially McClement.
- Pat Steinberg@ Chris…….By all accounts, the Flames already HAVE the right scouting staff in place as well as the right evaluators of talent. I don’t believe that was there during Darryl’s tenure. The objective now is to get this thing turned around.
I don’t want to do what the team up the highway has done. That’s just too painful.
- DarrenHey Pat. Pretty much the only thing I can agree with is that Sutter had to go. Well, maybe also that you respect him. That is obvious when you can criticize the contents of a team that has been at best completely dis-organized for the last three years. The only thing that Sutter seems to have accomplished during his tenure was to convince the fanbase, media and even the team itself that they weren’t good enough. On paper, Calgary is at least as good as Nashville, Florida, Phoenix, Ottawa, etc, with one exception. Those teams have head coaches that seem to know how to get the best from their players night in & night out. Brent Sutter is too fixed on his supposed ‘system’, and has no idea how to maximize the individual talents of his players. His totalitarianism was painfully apparent during Fleury’s tryout, when after a multi-point night, Brent was asked what he thought of Fleury’s performance. The answer was somewhat snide, to the effect that Fleury puts himself in the right place at the right time. Well, 3 years after that, we had waaaay to many games with players that were never in the right place at the right time. Yes, we need some changes, some talented youth, but most of all, Brent Sutter had to go. On a side note, too bad he took Dave Lowry down with him.
- Perry@Darren
We’ll see if the Flames have the right scouts in place. I like their first draft under Jay Feaster, and now the real test is what happens when those picks are put through the Flames development system. The second draft under Feaster will be very interesting as well.
- Pat Steinberg@Perry
Thanks for the comments Perry. I agree with all those teams being as good as Calgary on paper with the exception of Nashville, but that doesn’t matter, because I firmly agree with your overall point. This has been my argument the entire time when combatting the “Brent had to stay” side of things. Paul Maclean, Dave Tippet, Kevin Dineen all elevated their teams while Brent’s underachieved. It doesn’t make him the only problem, because the Flames still aren’t good enough to do anything more than squeek into the playoffs…but they didn’t even do that.
As for Lowry, it was the same as Sutter I believe…contract expired, time to move on.
- Pat SteinbergPat, first I agree with you, regarding what the first response to your blog was. You were only expressing your opinion as we all do, you definitely were not being negative. I find your blogs very well written and informative, even though I don’t always agree with you (MMA for example)
Anyway, I don’t necessarily agree that the letting go of Brent Sutter was the right thing to do. If players do not wish to buy into a system put in place by a coach, ultimately it is the coach who is let go. However, I do feel that this is NOT the end, and I tend to agree with Lanny’s comments from Friday. While I’m kinda on the fence with Kipper, maybe it is time for Iginla to waive his clause and go elsewhere, and I do think that this will happen. If the Flames are going to go with younger players, then go all the way, free up some cap space by not resigning older players and go for broke, getting a good coach is also important.
In closing, I want to add that the L.A. Kings under Darryl Sutter have the Canucks hamstrung, simply by playing a similar style of hockey that Brent tried to instill here in Calgary. Only difference is that the L.A. players are younger and are buying into the system. That’s my opinion any way. Great job Pat, I’m going to try and get through to the Fan someday when you have open line.
- curmudgeon@curmudgeon
Bruce, just don’t call when we’re talking about MMA. I don’t want us to yell at each other;)
In terms of Sutter leaving, let’s not forget the team didn’t let him go…they parted ways after his contract expired and it’s pretty clear that it truly was a mutual thing. He didn’t want to come back because he didn’t share the direction fo the team.
As for Darryl Sutter…well…what else can you say???
- Pat Steinberg