Calgary Flames Head Coach Darryl Sutter Replacement Odds & Top Candidates
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The Calgary Flames former General Manager, Brad Treliving, tried to fire Head Coach Darryl Sutter several times. Eventually, that came to pass as Sutter was dismissed on May 1st. It seemed Calgary was preoccupied with searching for a new General Manager.
The Calgary Flames want to be back among the NHL’s elite teams and on the top NHL betting sites next season. After all, Calgary had a lot of the pieces desirable for success. However, it felt like the team was not getting the performance levels needed. Usually, that falls more on the Head Coach.
Top Contenders For The Flames Head Coach Job
After the season, events turned uglier for Calgary. This was when rumors started to surface that Darryl Sutter was on the hot seat several times during the season. Ownership voted down any such changes, then cleaned house anyway. It has been a bizarre Spring in Calgary, Alberta.
Sutter was in the final year of his contract and had signed a two-year extension last offseason, but after a 38-27-17 record last year, management decided a change was needed. It was Sutter’s second stint with Calgary.
Below are odds on some top head coaching candidates, compiled by Gambling.com NHL reporters.
Projected odds set by Gambling.com are not currently available at legal sports betting sites. This page will be updated should odds become available.
Calgary Internally Has Some Ideas And Some Connections
Don Maloney said in the past that the Calgary Flames would work with a new General Manager regarding naming a Head Coach. That being said, some candidates and connections seem to make a lot of sense to return to Calgary. There is always that Jarome Iginla possibility too.
The Flames need a Head Coach who can maximize talent while not sticking to their guns. What doomed Darryl Sutter the most was his stubbornness. Decisions made in shootouts and not finding a way to bring up Dustin Wolf sooner were significant points of contention.
Calgary’s next coach must be able to adapt and “stop the bleeding” better. The Flames blew too many third-period leads last season.
Calgary’s ideal Head Coach must develop players and steer a veteran core. Getting more out of players like Elias Lindholm, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Jacob Markstrom is paramount to success. The Flames started promising but need to finish with a kick. It seems like Maloney and company have ideas about where they want to go here.
Among The Calgary Head Coaching Candidates
A few of the top candidates have some Calgary connections. Cory Stillman was a former Flames player and is now an Arizona assistant. With how things are trending in Arizona, a lifeline may not hurt Stillman. However, the favorite for the job may be Mitch Love. Love has experience with a lot of the players on the Calgary roster.
Furthermore, Love checks all the boxes regarding an ideal internal candidate. There are few red flags, and the Wranglers are enjoying solid playoff success. Love also mentored Dustin Wolf, who many feel is ready for a more prominent role in goal in Calgary.
Ryan Huska is a current assistant. He is looked at as more of a long shot. The Flames’ job could get interesting as Huska was in the early running for a few head jobs last year. With that waning, some previous head coaches have moved up our leaderboard. Do not be surprised to see Bruce Boudreau or even Gerard Gallant get a look or two.
Maloney and Calgary approach this with the intent of doing their full due diligence. Do not expect them to rush into a decision.
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