On Tuesday the Calgary Flames announced they've relieved head coach Glen Gulutzan, and assistants Dave Cameron and Paul Jerrard, of their duties.
Flames GM Brad Treliving later spoke about why the moves were made and hinted at how he could proceed moving forward.
Let's take a look at some of the highlights.
"The shortcomings of our season are not solely placed on the coach" Brad Treliving pic.twitter.com/sc4WObDaTt
— Jermain Franklin (@TSNJFranklin) April 17, 2018
Nor should they be. Given the high-end talent on the roster, the Flames should have been better. How much better is definitely up for debate. The lack of depth, particularly up front, was an issue all season long. If the top guys weren't scoring, nobody was. David Rittich, Eddie Lack, and Jon Gillies didn't perform well enough as backup goaltenders, either. That's not on Gulutzan. He and his staff are the ones paying the price but, as Treliving suggested, there is plenty of blame to go around.
Treliving on the next #Flames coach: “Profile yes, I’m clear in the profile we have. But it isn’t defined by ‘new guy’ or ‘experienced guy.’ I think having experience in this league is critical. I think knowing the league is an important aspect…but we haven’t got there yet."
— Kristen Anderson (@KdotAnderson) April 17, 2018
Based on those quotes, I'd be pretty shocked if Treliving went off the board a bit and took a chance on some new blood. If someone interviews and is extremely impressive maybe Treliving would move off that position a bit but it sure sounds like NHL experience/success is a prerequisite. I think that's understandable given the team's personnel. They have the high-end talent to get back on track and, at the very least, be a playoff team sooner than later. They're not a rebuilding team littered with young players and prospects that can give a coach time to figure things out.
Treliving declines to comment on whether the candidates who are available influenced his decision. Which is an easy no if they didn't.
— dellowhockey (@dellowhockey) April 17, 2018
This is absolutely true. I think the available pool was a factor in Treliving deciding to make a change rather than giving Gulutzan another year to try and right the ship.
Bill Peters is pretty highly regarded and could be had for a reasonable price ($1.6 million if the Flames, or another team, pick up his contract with potential for less if it could be negotiated down). Dave Tippett is available. Alain Vigneault is available. Even Darryl Sutter is available.
Maybe some of those guys are out of the team's price range but there are only so many head coaching jobs to go around and the Flames' job should be attractive. It can't hurt to aim high and adjust on the fly.
Recent posts: …‹What about Bill Peters?