The 2023 offseason will be one of the busiest in modern Calgary Flames history. President Don Maloney must find a general manager and a head coach after layoffs and figure out a way to win back his players.
As Daily Faceoff reporter Frank Seravalli pointed out Wednesday, the departures of key players like Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau have left a big hole in the chemistry. The additions of Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri, who are unaccustomed to a diet like Darryl Sutter’s, have yet to pay off.
Sportsnet’s Eric Francis explained a few days ago that Sutter had created a “toxic” environment around himself.
“Players just hated going to the rink, where Sutter liked to have it tense, heavy and unpredictable. Sutter built a culture of fear and felt that helped him become one of the best coaches of his generation,” he said in his Monday column.
These words align with the words of Huberdeau, who experienced a huge drop in productivity in 2022-2023 and never clicked with the experienced pilot. In an interview earlier this week, he admitted that Sutter didn’t give the Flames a chance.
The CEO in front of the coach
Maloney has a lot under his belt, but according to several observers he has made the necessary personal decisions. The hockey player has already started searching for a new general manager to replace Brad Treliving.
“Of course I made a list and a lot of people called me – everyone in the league from employees to other GMs to people I know in the industry – I’m always on the lookout. […] There are a few names I don’t know very well, but I’m definitely interested,” Maloney told TSN on Monday.
The new head of the hockey department will turn all the stones and learn from former players, current members of management or even agents. It’s that final path the Montreal Canadiens took with the January 2022 hiring of Kent Hughes.
A few names are already circulating, including that of former Flames color bearer Craig Conroy. He is already the assistant to the GM of the team and knows the organization inside out.
Maloney also said he will appoint his general manager and let him choose the head coach. Andrew Brunette, a man Huberdeau knows fairly well from his days in Florida, is one of the favorites for the position.