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Update: December 6 Ted
Nolan beat out six other candidates on the Calgary Flames online fan
poll of coaching candidates. However, it is widely expected that baby Flames
coach Jim
Playfair will be drafted from the farm. Flames defenceman Bob
Boughner, who got his chance to stick in the NHL under Nolan in Buffalo,
spoke out in support of the long unemployed coach who took a very mediocre
Buffalo team into the playoffs. From both a fantasy and fan perspective,
hope for Nolan but plan on Playfair.
December 3
What impact will the Flames firing of
Greg Gilbert have on any Flames you have in your Fantasy League? In the
short term, we'd have to say not much. With former Gilbert Assistant
Al MacNeil taking over in the short term, look for it to be status quo.
One question that will be raised is the order in which GM Craig Button
carried out his last two actions. In November he traded center
Marc Savard for a well-travelled prospect and then today he fired
Gilbert - Savard's nemesis. If the Flames continue to struggle offensively
there are many who will wonder out loud if it wouldn't have been better to
sit on Savard until it was decided whether or not to remove the coach.
It's uncertain who will replace Gilbert. The Flames are short on cash and a
big name is all but out of the question. However, the recent firing of
Darryl Sutter and the proximity of Calgary to his family home in central
Alberta could make for interesting watercooler talk. Other names could
include former Oiler and Ranger coach
Ron Low or former Habs bench boss
Alain Vigneault.
Our guess? Unless they can find someone willing to work for the coaching
equivalent of minimum wage, the Flames will finish the season with MacNeil
behind the bench.
Fantasy Impact: After a coaching change the players usually pick it
up a bit, but in the case of the Flames they really don't have the horses to
kick their offense into another gear. Players like
Craig Conroy and
Jarome Iginla may take it upon themselves to try and improve their
output, but don't expect too much. |
