Speculation: Armchair GM Thread Mk. II - Now Paging Derek Ryan

[Dack]

Why? Under Barry Trotz the Cap have been one of best regular season team's but come playoffs, they don't go far. Same thing happened in Nashville with Barry Trotz.

Because I don't think that a coach changes their style specifically for game 7s. If his system is one of the best in the NHL for 90 games a year why do other teams suddenly figure it out with his season on the line and then go back to losing against the Caps?

I think if he were doing something wrong it would show up in more than just the playoffs. The Capitals just simply haven't been good enough to win it IMO.

 

[viper0220]

Trotz coached a ****ing expansion team in Nashville and they always severely lacked offensive talent during his tenure there. He instilled in them the identity they have now, he is a big reason they are contenders now. But after a decade or however long he was there, it was simply time for a change.

Barry Totrz did coach "a f***ing" expansion team but in that decade, he never could take them over the hump. when Barry Trotz came to Washington, he was not coaching an expansion team, he had one of the best players in the world and a very good supporting cast around them and he still could not do shit.

I don't know who the next coach will be(it might be GG) but we should not leave any stone unturned for this search. If I am interviewing Barry Tortz, I ask him the question, "Why have your team's never have postseason success despite being a very good regular season team" and not take him freaking mountain climbing.

 

[viper0220]

Because I don't think that a coach changes their style specifically for game 7s. If his system is one of the best in the NHL for 90 games a year why do other teams suddenly figure it out with his season on the line and then go back to losing against the Caps?

I think if he were doing something wrong it would show up in more than just the playoffs. The Capitals just simply haven't been good enough to win it IMO.

It goes further than Washington, even in Nashville, they had some very good regular only to be blown out in the playoffs.

Let's assume, he comes here, are we a better team than the Capitals? If he can't take the Capitals deep into the playoffs, what are the chances he does it with this team?

 

[Unlimited Chequing]

Why? Barry Tortz has never won ****. His team's always choke, if he can't get the Caps past the 3rd round he is a **** coach.

Not that there's any truth to this, but even if there was, I'd rather be choking in the playoffs year after year, than just barely sniffing at the post season year after year.

 

[viper0220]

Not that there's any truth to this, but even if there was, I'd rather be choking in the playoffs year after year, than just barely sniffing at the post season year after year.

There is truth to this, my dear sir. I would like to win some Stanley Cups. I would be ok with Barry Tortz as the head coach but it would be very interesting to see what he can do in the playoffs with this team.

On CP, they are going crazy to Eric Francis saying that, "some players mailed it in during the stretch run", I just can't seem to get the audio working, of someone can please get it working, let us know what Eric Francis said.

Eric Francis on the Flames: 'found ways to lose games when it mattered the most' - Sportsnet.ca

 

[Anglesmith]

I always pump the brakes when it comes to narratives about coaches and players having consistent poor results in the playoffs. The playoffs are the ultimate small sample size. And just statistically, the runs that guys like Boudreau have of bad results in the playoffs are completely within reason even if they aren't in any way worse in the playoffs. May seem silly to say, but every player and coach who has ever won the Stanley Cup had never won the Stanley Cup before they won the Stanley Cup.

I mean, take Joel Quenneville, for instance. Now considered a playoff coaching genius, but look at his history leading up to that championship. He was the coach of a very successful St. Louis Blues team that reached the playoffs 7 years in a row under him, and he won five series in that time, making it to the conference finals once. In three seasons in Colorado, he never made it past the second round. Then he heads to Chicago and suddenly is a playoff wizard.

Given the playoffs are under such a microscope, we as fans, and the media as well, just absolutely fall in love with narratives about how every result must have a story behind it. Coincidences and runs of statistically-reasonable bad results just aren't accepted, but it's just the truth of reality. If Thornton never goes deep in the playoffs, it can't just be a run of bad results where his team just gets narrowly edged by another team every year. No, it has to be all Thornton's fault. He must be a choker. Until one year he makes it to the SCF and everyone stops talking about it.

Who's to say it can't be the same with Boudreau, for instance?

 

[Body Checker]

OK, my one plan is this and it's fairly conservative -

1. New coaching staff - last crack for this group to show it's the coaching (Hartley, Gulutzan)
2. Embrace youth and see what happens. Keep cap space for 2019 and on
3. Trade Stone to Toronto for 2018 3rd, Matt Martin. 1.0 M savings next two seasons. Gain a pick. Martin is our "Lucic" answer. Also a cheaper buyout option
4. Brouwer to Vegas for Jon Merrill (we retain $2.0)
4. If 2019 is similar to this year then Ferland, Frolik, Brodie, Hamonic and Smith at the trade deadline should get us at least two 2019 late firsts, a bunch of 2nds/3rds and some mid range prospects that can fill in spots (the "Ranger" plan - quick retool). Likely Dube, Valimaki, Kylington and Mangiapane can step in with those prospects for 2019-20.

2018-19 roster:

Smith/Rittich/Gillies (training camp battle for #2)

Hamilton/Giordano
Hamonic/Brodie
Kulak/Andersson
Merrill

Gaudreau-Monohan-Bennett (just do this and stick to it)
Tkachuk-Jankowski-Foo
Ferland-Backlund-Frolik
Martin-Shore-Lazar
Klimchuk/Hathaway

 

[Calculon]

Coach: Trotz

Tkachuk-Monahan-Marner
Gaudreau-Jankowski-Ferland
Bennett-Backlund-Frolik
Lazar-Shore-Foo
Hathaway

Giordano-Brodie
Cole-Hamonic
Kulak-Andersson

Smith
Rittich

 

[Lunatik]

I always pump the brakes when it comes to narratives about coaches and players having consistent poor results in the playoffs. The playoffs are the ultimate small sample size. And just statistically, the runs that guys like Boudreau have of bad results in the playoffs are completely within reason even if they aren't in any way worse in the playoffs. May seem silly to say, but every player and coach who has ever won the Stanley Cup had never won the Stanley Cup before they won the Stanley Cup.

I mean, take Joel Quenneville, for instance. Now considered a playoff coaching genius, but look at his history leading up to that championship. He was the coach of a very successful St. Louis Blues team that reached the playoffs 7 years in a row under him, and he won five series in that time, making it to the conference finals once. In three seasons in Colorado, he never made it past the second round. Then he heads to Chicago and suddenly is a playoff wizard.

Given the playoffs are under such a microscope, we as fans, and the media as well, just absolutely fall in love with narratives about how every result must have a story behind it. Coincidences and runs of statistically-reasonable bad results just aren't accepted, but it's just the truth of reality. If Thornton never goes deep in the playoffs, it can't just be a run of bad results where his team just gets narrowly edged by another team every year. No, it has to be all Thornton's fault. He must be a choker. Until one year he makes it to the SCF and everyone stops talking about it.

Who's to say it can't be the same with Boudreau, for instance?

Excellent post AS

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Would go for him but don't want the Flames to piss away the prime years of Johnny Gaudreau as a Flame.

He turned Valeri Bure into a star in this league. Imagine what he could do with Gaudreau?

In all seriousness I'd like to see if Trotz remains without a contract - and I'd be willing to consider AV as well as Lindy Ruff (if he's not hired as AV's replacement)

I'm not convinced this is a team that is built to suit a coaching style like Darryl Sutter would implement - change my mind.

 

[Rangediddy]

What if we just cleaned out the assistant coaches? I think we've all agreed that in the end it was our special teams that did us in down the stretch. Cameron's power play was embarrassing.

Personally I'm right on the fence between firing the coaching staff and letting GG grow with the team. I'd be ok with giving GG another shot (hoping for similar outcomes Jets, Avs, Flyers etc saw when they didn't fire Maurice, Bednar and Hakstol), but at the VERY least, Cameron has to go.

Why can't Trotz be hired as an assistant coach? We've been seeing lots of ex-head coaches take on that role.

 

[Unlimited Chequing]

What if we just cleaned out the assistant coaches? I think we've all agreed that in the end it was our special teams that did us in down the stretch. Cameron's power play was embarrassing.

Personally I'm right on the fence between firing the coaching staff and letting GG grow with the team. I'd be ok with giving GG another shot (hoping for similar outcomes Jets, Avs, Flyers etc saw when they didn't fire Maurice, Bednar and Hakstol), but at the VERY least, Cameron has to go.

Why can't Trotz be hired as an assistant coach? We've been seeing lots of ex-head coaches take on that role.

I mentioned this on the mainboards and it echos my feelings too. If there were no better options available, I wouldn't hate it if we gave Gully another shot (but on a short leash) if we had someone better manning the power play.

 

[Flames Fanatic]

What if we just cleaned out the assistant coaches? I think we've all agreed that in the end it was our special teams that did us in down the stretch. Cameron's power play was embarrassing.

Personally I'm right on the fence between firing the coaching staff and letting GG grow with the team. I'd be ok with giving GG another shot (hoping for similar outcomes Jets, Avs, Flyers etc saw when they didn't fire Maurice, Bednar and Hakstol), but at the VERY least, Cameron has to go.

Why can't Trotz be hired as an assistant coach? We've been seeing lots of ex-head coaches take on that role.

Trotz simply might not be willing, and given the likely coaching turnover this season, I'd think he likely finds a better position.

 

[Rangediddy]

Trotz simply might not be willing, and given the likely coaching turnover this season, I'd think he likely finds a better position.

For sure, but the same idea could apply to any other coach us fans have considered. Keep GG for another year and hire a top quality assistant (or two). Lowers the risk of the team under performing in (another) new system.

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

I like Girard. He’s turned our awful PK around both years.

 

[MDCSL]

Is anyone else a bit disappointed in dougies numbers looking at the end of year results? Less even strength production this year, obviously less PP time, still though only 21st for points by a defenseman. It’s great production and hopefully it’ll really improve with more PP time and a better roster next year, but I really expected bigger numbers (60ish points) this year.

In no way does this mean I want him gone, he’s our future #1 and it would do nothing but hurt this team to trade him

 

[SKRusty]

Is anyone else a bit disappointed in dougies numbers looking at the end of year results? Less even strength production this year, obviously less PP time, still though only 21st for points by a defenseman. It’s great production and hopefully it’ll really improve with more PP time and a better roster next year, but I really expected bigger numbers (60ish points) this year.

In no way does this mean I want him gone, he’s our future #1 and it would do nothing but hurt this team to trade him

Something is up with Dougie. Everybody else was at garbage bag day including UFA's that likely won't be re-signed in Stajan and Versteeg. It wouldn't surprise me if Dougie has asked for a trade quietly. Since the trade deadline he was allowed to free-wheel and put up decent point totals. Personally I think there is something up with Ottawa and is the reason BT and other levels of management were so active in the Sens organization.

 

[Anglesmith]

Is anyone else a bit disappointed in dougies numbers looking at the end of year results? Less even strength production this year, obviously less PP time, still though only 21st for points by a defenseman. It’s great production and hopefully it’ll really improve with more PP time and a better roster next year, but I really expected bigger numbers (60ish points) this year.

In no way does this mean I want him gone, he’s our future #1 and it would do nothing but hurt this team to trade him

Nah, I thought his numbers were fine. The thing to remember is that he's not a pure offensive defenceman, and besides that, he's in a system that seems, at least on the surface, to have really minimized offence from the defence. I take his numbers along with his very solid play with Gio any day of the week at that price tag. Maybe if he was making Pernell Karl money, it's a different story, but he's not. He's making under $6M, which is crazy good value for what he brings, in my opinion.

 

[JPeeper]

Is anyone else a bit disappointed in dougies numbers looking at the end of year results? Less even strength production this year, obviously less PP time, still though only 21st for points by a defenseman. It’s great production and hopefully it’ll really improve with more PP time and a better roster next year, but I really expected bigger numbers (60ish points) this year.

In no way does this mean I want him gone, he’s our future #1 and it would do nothing but hurt this team to trade him

When one out of four lines scores over 80 freaking games, your numbers are going to drop.

When your system has you shooting into 8 people in front of the net, it's going to be hard to score goals.

Guy still lead the league in goals after a horrible offensive first half and almost no PP time for 2/3's of the season.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Is anyone else a bit disappointed in dougies numbers looking at the end of year results?

Yeah, I'm disappointed he only tied the league lead for goals by a defenseman.

Can't expect assists when nobody on the team scores.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

If the Flames were smart, they would deal Gaudreau for Nolan Patrick. Maybe add in Bennett for Konency.

 

[I Pity The Foo]

Trade Brodie for holtby

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

Gaudreau is the only untouchable piece in this organization imo.

Monahan only if it’s part of a trade to get a #1C (ie Eichel).

I’d be all for going after Holtby though

Philly

2nd
5th

For

Mike Smith (bridges the gap to Hart)

Buff

Stone

For
4th


Wsh

Kylington
4th (Buffalo)
2nd (Philly)
5th

For

Holtby

 

[I Pity The Foo]

Gaudreau is the only untouchable piece in this organization imo.

Monahan only if it’s part of a trade to get a #1C (ie Eichel).

I’d be all for going after Holtby though

Philly

2nd
5th

For

Mike Smith (bridges the gap to Hart)

Buff

Stone

For
4th


Wsh

Kylington
4th (Buffalo)
2nd (Philly)
5th

For

Holtby

your not going to get holtby for spare parts. As much as people think goalies hold no value Brodie for holtby is fair value

 

[SKRusty]

Other than trading a d-man for a scorer everything else is lateral moves.

Dougie for Brandon Saad and Nashvilles first Overall pick