TSN and Sportsnet here in Canada are all over this one, folks: Mike Keenan is on the verge of being hired by the Calgary Flames as their new head coach.
It's going to be very interesting to see how this situation plays out for the Flames. It was obvious that they needed a firmer whip hand than Jim Playfair's last season, but it's also obvious that GM Darryl Sutter has no intention of returning behind the bench.
Keenan, known as "Iron Mike" for his hard, no-nonsense approach to coaching, had his best years coaching the Philadelphia Flyers, Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers from 1984 to 1994, culiminating in his coaching the Rangers to the 1994 Stanley Cup.
However, Keenan was unable to match that success in St. Louis, Vancouver, Boston and Florida, possibly because he was sidetracked by either management duties or battling with management.
What'll be most interesting will be how the Flames react to Keenan's methods. Some players, like Jeremy Roenick, Joe Thornton and Olli Jokinen, thrived under Keenan and have nothing but kind words to say about him. Others have struggled under his domineering ways and couldn't wait to get away from him.
Jarome Iginla, Miikka Kiprusoff and Dion Phaneuf are the three big stars on the Flames, so their response to his coaching will be watched closely. Given their temperaments they're likely to respond well to his style.
Others, like Kristian Huselius and Matthew Lombardi, might chafe under Iron Mike's rule.
One thing's for sure, Keenan won't be able to pull off that constant
goaltending change during games with "Kipper", unless Sutter brings in
a better backup for him. Kiprusoff might not take too well to getting
yanked and then re-inserted a couple of minutes later.
There's no question that Keenan is a more than capable coach, but he does come with the reputation of being difficult for general managers to work with.
That being said, however, in Darryl Sutter, he's met his match. The Flames GM is every bit as iron-willed as Keenan, and if Keenan tries to overstep his limits, Sutter will crush him.
Yet this could be a match made in heaven, of a coach and GM with the same mindset working toward similar goals, which could ultimately benefit the Flames. Sutter was an assistant coach for Keenan in Chicago, so they probably won't have any trouble working together now.
For the Flames sake, here's hoping Iron Mike's presence shakes up the Flames in a positive way.
In the wake of the Edmonton Oilers trading away Ryan Smyth at the trade deadline, I’ve read a couple of articles noting the Calgary Flames could face a similar problem around this time next season, or by the summer of 2008, with team captain Jarome Iginla and goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff.
Both are the two key components of the Flames, and both are eligible for unrestricted free agency next July.
The obvious assumption is the Flames will re-sign both players, even if, as one columnist noted, it could involve tying up over $13 million per season in valuable payroll on two players.
But let’s assume for a moment that the Flames aren’t able or willing to re-sign both, that they’d be forced to choose between the two. Which one would they retain?
The obvious answer would appear to be Iginla, their captain, heart-and-soul, former Art Ross and two-time Richard trophy winner and the Flames leading scorer for each of the past six seasons, including this one.
Yet it can also be argued that, as good as Iginla is, the Flames didn’t truly turn into a strong playoff club until they acquired Kiprusoff. For the past three seasons he’s be one of the best goaltenders in the NHL, winner of the Vezina Trophy in 2006 and a potential candidate again in 2007.
It’s been suggested Iginla could seek “Jagr-type” money (over $8 million per season) after next season, whilst Kiprusoff could seek a considerably cheaper $5 million per.
If it were my choice, I’d take the publicity hit and keep “Kipper”, and use the savings from “Iggy’s” salary to acquire a good young star or two via trade or free agency.
As I’ve said before, how far you get in the playoffs ultimately depends on your goaltending. A rival club can shut down your top forward, but they can’t shut down your top goalie if he’s on his game. Without Kiprusoff or a comparable netminder, the Flames are a marginal playoff contender.
Besides, having more depth on defense and at forward is more difficult to shut down than if an opponent had to focus on one specific player.
That’s not to denigrate Iginla. Indeed, I believe the Flames are a better team with him than without, but if it comes down to finances, I keep my star goalie and use my savings to fill the void from either trading away my star forward or letting him walk via free agency.
So, here’s the question, dear readers: if you were Flames GM Darryl Sutter and were faced with having to make a choice, which player would you retain?
Iginla or Kiprusoff?
Would you keep your perennial leading scorer and face of the franchise, arguably one of the greatest players in Flames history? Or would you stick with the goaltending who's likely to be among the very best in the league for years to come, upon whom your playoff hopes ultimately rest?
I'm Lyle Richardson, also known as Spector, Foxsports.com 's "Prince of Pucks".,which is based on the fact I live in Prince Edward Island, Canada and I couldn't think of a better byline. I've been an NHL hockey commentator since 1998 on my website, Spector's Hockey, and I'm a contributing writer for Foxsports.com , The Hockey News and Eishockey News. I'm also a regular on The Faceoff Hockey Show and a frequent guest on "The Late Crew" on The Team 1200 Ottawa.
