In what came as a shock to the Calgary Flames and fans alike, Brad Treliving has moved on, and the search for the next general manager is underway. Flames fans and the whole hockey community are speculating who the next GM might be, but one thing is crystal clear, this GM needs to get this team back to a Stanley Cup contender status. With a talented roster, and high expectations after such a disappointing season, the Flames need to prove that they are able to compete for a Stanley Cup. The individual who will be making roster decisions will have a major influence. But, who should that person be? We asked, you answered.
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Rumoured names for Flames GM
Craig Conroy
The runaway winner in this poll was Craig Conroy, and it makes a lot of sense. Conroy has been an Assistant GM to the Flames since 2014, and as a result, he is very experienced with the Flames management group. Additionally, he spent a good amount of years playing in Calgary, and is very well connected with the fanbase. It seems like Conroy was the next in line for quite some for the GM position. The one question that I have, and will have about every single GM candidate, is whether they will actually be the ones making the calls, or if they will just be doing what Sutter tells them to do.
Brad Pascall
To me, this would come as a surprise, however it is worth noting that Brad Pascall is currently the general manager of the Calgary Wranglers. The same Calgary Wranglers who put up 51–17–3 record and had the best record in the AHL. Pascall has built a fantastic team with the Wranglers, and it would not be out of the question for the Flames to give Pascall the same task for the Calgary Flames. The success that Pascall has had with the Wranglers might just be enough for the Flames to feel comfortable giving him the job.
Mike Futa
Now this would be Darryl Sutter’s dream. Futa was promoted to Vice President of Hockey Operations and Director of Player Personnel for the Los Angeles Kings in 2014. Darryl Sutter on the other hand, coached the Kings from 2011 to 2017. There is a clear connection between the two, and it might just be the path for Sutter to have more influence in the organization. It makes sense why not many votes picked Futa as who they want as the next GM, especially after how this Sutter coached team performed this season.
Other candidates
Let’s explore what some of the readers offered as names that they would like to see as the GM in the replies.
Hey, if Kyle Dubas is available, sign me up. Dubas’ contract expires this year with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and I believe it would be very fair to say that he has done a great job as the GM for the Leafs. Though the team seems cursed, and has not been able to get past the first round of the playoffs, nobody can deny how great of a team they are. If the Leafs are not able to beat the Lightning this year, what does that mean for the future of Dubas? If the Leafs decide to move on, and he is available, the Flames should take major swings to bring him to the organization.
Well, let’s just move on from this suggestion.
Eric Tulsky would be a very interesting (and smart) choice for the Flames. Tulsky is currently the assistant GM for the Carolina Hurricanes, but with rumours of the Pittsburgh Penguins looking into hiring Tulsky as their next GM, it would be foolish of the Flames to not consider Tulsky as well. Tulsky is an individual who places importance on analytics. Don Maloney, when discussing what the organization will be looking for in their next GM, used the words “young and progressive”. Tulsky (and Dubas) fits that description perfectly. Hiring Tulsky would be a very welcome change among the Flames fanbase.
Decisions need to be made
The Flames do not have a long time before they need to pick who their next GM will be. With the draft and free agency upcoming, The Flames need to pick a direction for their organization, and the first step to doing that is hiring their next GM.
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