After moving on from both their General Manager and Head Coach at the beginning of the off-season, the Calgary Flames announced Craig Conroy as their new GM, and now, it appears they are in the final stages of finding a replacement for Darryl Sutter.
In recent days, we’ve seen the Flames reportedly narrow down their list of candidates to Ryan Huska, Travis Green, Mitch Love and several other names, but now, according to NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, Huska is now the favourite to take the top job in 2023-24.
Elliotte Friedman is reporting that Ryan Huska is the favourite to become the next head coach of the Calgary Flames. pic.twitter.com/hKY0sa226S
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) June 9, 2023
Nothing is officially confirmed yet, but right now, it looks like Huska, who has been with the Flames organization since 2014, before being promoted to assistant with the big club back in 2018, and with this potential hire, it allows them to keep some continuity, while likely bringing in some fresh faces and fresh ideas.
As for Love, it appears that he could take a role as an assistant on this team, as it’s been rumoured the Flames believe he needs more experience before he can land a Head Coach role in the NHL, and if that’s the case, this is the exact type of fresh move that Calgary desperately needed. While some fans out there were looking at proven NHL coaches, the Flames are still playing Darryl Sutter $4 million annually over the next two years, so the cheap, first-time Head Coach was always going to be the solution, and Huska is certainly a solid option.
Ultimately, it may not be the splash hire that some wanted, but the Flames are getting a solid Head Coach that will bring in some fresh names as assistants, and if they can make some good moves on the ice this off-season, there’s a chance that this team can bounce back in a big way in 2023-24.