When Darryl Sutter was hired for a second stint with the Calgary Flames in March 2021, fans expected to see a more disciplined, hard-nosed hockey team with him at the helm. He brought the Flames to a Stanley Cup Final in 2004 and was well-respected around the league as a no-nonsense coach. He seemed like the perfect fit to address Calgary’s inconsistent play that plagued them throughout the 2020-21 season.
In his first full season with the Flames, they finished with the best record in the Pacific Division. Their goals per game improved a full goal from the year prior, and they ranked third in the league in goals allowed per game. After beating the Dallas Stars in seven games before losing to the Edmonton Oilers in the second round, the second Darryl Sutter era in Calgary seemed to be off to a solid start.
As I write this with four games left in the Flames’ 2022-23 season, they sit two points out of the second wildcard spot in the West, and some fans are calling for Sutter’s firing. On top of that, there have been rumblings that Nazem Kadri is dissatisfied with his head coach (per Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts podcast). Kadri joins fellow veteran Jonathan Huberdeau on a growing list of Flames players who are reportedly not pleased with Sutter (from ‘Gilbertson: Huberdeau’s agent takes social media shot at Sutter,’ Calgary Sun, 2/17/2023). After a year that has been characterized by underperformance, the question must be asked: should the Flames retain Sutter next season?
The Case for Retaining Sutter
Not many teams (or coaches for that matter) can rebound from losing their two best players in the offseason. Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk factored in on over a quarter of the Flames’ goals last season before signing elsewhere in free agency. Tyler Toffoli is the only Flames player in the top 65 in points this year (Gaudreau is 45th, and Tkachuk is 5th). The blame for any drop-off seen because of their absence should fall on the shoulders of general manager (GM) Brad Treliving, not Sutter.
The Flames have played better than their record shows. Their five-on-five expected goals percentage of 54.74% is third in the NHL behind only the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils. With save percentages (SV%) below .900, however, Dan Vladar and Jacob Markström haven’t always given them the best chances to win games. Their five-on-five SV% ranks second worst in the NHL. No other team in the bottom five in that statistic currently holds a playoff spot. If goaltending is addressed in the offseason, they could easily be right back in contention – with Sutter as their coach.
Related: Flames: 3 Teams Who Could Target Tyler Toffoli This Summer
Finally, if the Flames decide to move on from Sutter, there is no guarantee that his replacement will be better. History tells us that a new coach probably wouldn’t be. His .619 points percentage over the last two years is better than every coach’s career percentage in Flames history besides Terry Crisp. Sutter is also proven, he has won two Stanley Cups: he knows what it takes. You likely would not be able to say that about the coach they bring in to replace him. Plus, Sutter will now have a year of experience working with these Tkachuk and Gaudreau-less Flames. Kadri, whose first year as a Flame has largely been regarded as a letdown, will have a year under his belt with his new teammates and coach. Both bode well for the 2023-24 Flames.
The Case for Firing Sutter
Some of the most obvious issues with this 2022-23 Flames team seem to be addressable through coaching, and they just haven’t gotten better throughout the season. They have lost 28 games by one goal, 15 of which came in overtime or shootouts. Both are the most in the league. They often seem to make careless mistakes when it matters most and are in the bottom five in third period goal differential. For a coach that is known for being hard-nosed and preaching discipline, this team makes a lot of errors at the worst times. Maybe that means it’s time to look elsewhere.
If these reports are true about players being dissatisfied with Sutter, and they are indicative that he has lost the locker room, the only option may be to let him go. It would be more than wishful thinking to go into 2023-24 with a coach that has lost the respect of his players and expect the result to be any better than this season. Plus, Kadri and Huberdeau, two players who have reportedly vocalized frustration with their head coach, are under contract for seven and nine more years. It is not a sustainable long-term solution to keep Sutter around if his relationship with these players is beyond repair.
The Verdict
Unless Sutter’s relationships with key players are truly damaged beyond recovery, the Flames should keep him around for at least one more season. Treliving, not Sutter, is at fault for the dropoff that resulted from Tkachuk and Gaudreau walking. With better goalkeeping and the same head coach, the Flames could be right back in contention next season.