Top Five NHL Coaches that could be shown the door next -NHL Special Feature Part 4
For the true hardcore followers of the National Hockey League (NHL), they would know that it is not hard seeing that some teams are having a tough time, which is not a problem for a while but when it gets to the point when every season yields a disappointing result despite having a top notch line-up, than it can be safely said that something needs to change.
This brings us to our next coach in the line of top five NHL coaches that might face the sooner or later for the way their teams have been performing over the years.
Brent Sutter (Head Coach, Calgary Flames)
The Sutter family has a deep and long history with the sport of hockey, making them some of the best the league has ever seen in terms of playing and coaching, but Brent Sutter, who at the moment is head coach of the Calgary Flames, has certainly disappointed fans everywhere in the past seasons.
Appointed by his brother, Darryl Sutter, back in 2009, when he was the team's general manager, Calgary has not gone anywhere noticeable in terms of performance and game playing.
The last time Flames were somewhere was back in 2004 when they made the Stanley Cup Finals but lost in a close seven-game series to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The surprising part is that the line-up has not changed much since then but the drop down in performance has been without any reasoning.
Sutter is not a bad coach at all, which can be proved by looking at his coaching history with the New Jersey Devils and how he managed to take them into the playoffs, but that to was limited to the first round, but nevertheless, it was something.
The problem now with Calgary is they need to plan for the future and bring in some major young talent since their top performing player and captain, Jarome Iginla, is getting older and closer to his retirement. He has been leading the team since day one and if he leaves tomorrow, Flames would probably not even survive through half of the season.
Their goalie, Miikka Kiprusoff, is also entering his final years and along with Jarome Iginla, he is their face on the defensive side of the ice.
At the moment, Calgary stands 11th in the Western Conference which is better than being at the bottom position, with 30 points and a below average record of 13-13-4, but with a team that ties them with the same amount of points, the Los Angeles Kings also got rid of their head coach, Terry Murray, which does not make Sutter’s future look any brighter.
Some time in history, Edmonton Oilers were always looked down upon in comparison to the Calgary Flames, but it looks like the tables are turning now and at one point in the season, they were at the top of the conference, while now facing a minor slump. Looking at their dedication, seeing them back up sometime soon will not be surprising.
Calgary is a team that has a number of veteran and experienced players but without a proper strategy and when the hammer is to fall down, Brent Sutter will surely be the first to go unless he can turn around the team in the upcoming weeks.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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