In nine years at the helm of the team, this general manager has reached the second round twice, but never beyond. He lost in the first round three times, but also missed the playoffs four times, almost half of his reign.
This club has also broken through the top 15 overall in the NHL just twice in nine seasons. This team was located at the bottom of the standings when he arrived in 2014, it should be mentioned, but he benefited by the very fact of the fourth overall pick of the rich repechage a few months after his appointment, and also inherited a center of 19-year-old already established in the first line after being drafted sixth overall in 2013.
After a surprising first season in 2014-2015, with a third place in the Pacific division and a victory in the first round, his team fell back in the standings the following year (26e overall), but was at least able to draft sixth overall in 2015.
With this trio of youngsters drafted among the top six between 2013 and 2016, our man did not skimp on the means to win. He even had to fire four coaches in six years, between 2015 and 2021, including one dropped due to a skeleton in the closet.
Among his worst contracts on the free agent market: 29 million for six years to a 30-year-old forward who has never reached the 40-point mark in a season; 28.7 million to a 30-year-old winger who was traded after a year for another overpaid forward, after a 19-point season in 63 games; 18.5 million for four years to a winger whose contract was bought out after seasons of 25 and 22 points; 9.4 million for three years to a center whose contract was bought out after two years and 28 points in 86 games; 9 million for two years to a goalkeeper who ended his reign as an auxiliary after only one year.
This manager lost his job a few weeks ago, after a second exclusion from the playoffs in three years, a third in six seasons.
The first of the members of his young core at the time cost a first-round pick to get rid of him. In the GM’s defence, he was worn down by injuries.
The second moved on to a rival club for a second-round pick and a prospect. He had never flourished with his team. That second-round pick was traded last year for a rental player and the prospect also switched sides, traded with a first-round pick for a solid forward in his thirties.
The third core member also plays for another club. But unlike the other two, he had demanded a transaction. In return, we got a 29-year-old forward, 55 points, including 15 goals, in 79 games this winter, a 29-year-old defender also, third in the hierarchy of defenders, and a first-round pick in 2025.
The third member of this nucleus has just reached the Stanley Cup final with the second. He has 21 points in 16 games since the start of the playoffs — second in scoring in the NHL, soon to be first — including four game-winning goals. The second, traded for the second-round pick and prospect is his regular center. He has 11 points in 15 games and averages 21 minutes per game.
Our fallen manager leaves to his successor, named this week, an experienced club, of course, but whose first two attackers, a first of 32 years old, a second of almost 30 years old, will be under contract until 2027 and 2031 respectively, to annual salaries of 10 million and 7 million. A club which has only one player under the age of 26 within its top 9 on offense or his first quartet of defenders.
A team whose first two centers, the first scorer and the number two defender will be entitled to full autonomy at the end of the next season.
An organization that has drafted only one first-round pick in 2022, a second-round pick, which has had no first-round picks in 2018 and whose first-round pick in 2017, 16e overall, was lost on waivers at age 23 last year and now has a place in his new team’s top pair of defensemen.
That manager, Brad Treliving, is favored for the job of general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The three Calgary Flames core members traded in recent seasons are Sean Monahan, Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk.
Coaches Bob Hartley, Glen Gulutzan, Bill Peters (for past racist behavior) and Geoff Ward lost their positions under Treliving.
James Neal, Blake Coleman, goaltender Jonas Hiller, Troy Brouwer and Mason Raymond are failures in the free agent market. Juuso Valimaki is the defender lost on waivers.
On the Treliving defense, the Florida Panthers are in the Stanley Cup Finals after amassing one point less than the Flames in the regular season. On the other hand, Calgary won four games less. The Flames have won just 38 games in regular time and lost 17 in overtime.
They come to 21e rank in the overall standings for regular-time wins and are 38-44 overtime and regular-time losses combined, compared to 42-40 for the Panthers.
Andrew Shaw blames Kyle Beach
PHOTO JEROME MIRON, USA TODAY SPORTS ARCHIVES
Andrew Shaw
Kyle Beach is the architect of his misfortune, said former Blackhawks and Canadiens hockey player Andrew Shaw during his appearance on Chris Nilan’s podcast, The Raw Knuckles Podcastthis week.
“I have nothing bad to say about him, but this story should never have gone so far; At 20, I would never have placed myself in such a situation. I don’t know what happened in his case, but he put himself at a disadvantage. »
Shaw was also defending Joel Quenneville, fired from his coaching position and since unemployed for covering up for Beach’s sexual assault at the hands of then-Hawks video coach Brad Aldrich.
“They sabotaged Quenneville’s (career). It’s a matter for the management, not for the coach. This one must put all his energies to allow the team to win the Stanley Cup. »
Shaw’s comments have already sparked a lot of anger on social media.