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Now that the dust has begun to settle around the fact that the Calgary Flames have hired a new GM, the ‘honey-do” list (so to speak) can be created and put into action.
Brad Treliving, who was not very well known around the hockey world just a few weeks ago, has many tasks to accomplish and many faces to meet as he attempts to sort through and further add to the Flames off-season game plan. While most GM's might take a few extra fishing trips and sit with their feet up over the summer, this particular GM likely won't have much time for any of that.
First on his list, according to the new GM, is to finalize the new deal that will send the Abbotsford Heat to Glen Falls NY, ultimately moving the Flames affiliate club closer to the rest of the AHL teams. As I previously mentioned, I feel that this is a good move for the club because it allows for more practice time between games as the team will require less travel time than they did while located in Abbotsford, British Columbia.
With that, Treliving will be meeting with Heat coach Troy Ward who to this point has only heard good things about. Ward is due for a contract extension, and while Treliving has not necessarily done his full research on the coach as of yet, he should have ample time to not only meet with the coach, but to also discuss his game plan for both clubs in the near future. So far so good, as Treliving was quoted saying that "...Troy has done a really good job. He has a reputation in the hockey community as a hard-working, knowledgeable guy."
And while he may be meeting with and discussing plans with his AHL coach first, the new GM and Flames head coach Bob Hartley will have a lot of discussing to get out of the way themselves. Having now spent a fair amount of time assessing the Flames GM, I would offer that he and Bob Hartley will certainly get along as they seem to hold very similar stances when it comes to running a hockey team.
This is critical to future success as you don’t want your players to receive mixed messages from your GM and your coach.
Outside of these “regular” duties as a new GM, fans should be more interested about his upcoming discussions with the free agents of the team. With five UFA’s (Cammalleri, MacDonald, Breen, Westgarth, Butler) and six RFA’s (Cundari, Colborne, Bouma, Byron, Galiardi, Billins), Treliving will certainly have his hands full and will need to rely on Burke’s notes when discussing possible contract extensions.
While many of these types of decisions will likely be heavily influenced by Burke, what the new GM decides upon right off the bat will certainly set up future expectations from fans moving forward. With all the attention focused on him and much excitement from the fan base after an arguably successful 2013-14 NHL campaign, he will need to take his time with his first few decisions. The biggest, of course, is what happens with Mike Cammalleri.
Given his history of working with players on a personal level, in addition to the types of assignments which he’s worked with while in Phoenix, I have a feeling that Treliving will want to create a very strong supportive cast for their future players. By ensuring that the right number of vets stick around to help mold their youth is very important to a rebuilding team, but knowing which vets need to be moved in order to acquire longer term assets, is equally important.
With that established, where Cammalleri fits into the above description is left to be seen, but I have the impression that the Flames extend the forward for three years at a respectable number for both the player and the team moving forward, in terms of salary.
Calgary will want to ensure that Cammalleri is committed to the team’s plan moving forward, and if they do extend him, that his contract is something which they can entertain moving down the road.
As such, a limited no trade clause will be offered and he will be stuck with an A on his jersey. At the age of 31, Mike has plenty of hockey left in him and playing another year or two with the Flames will not set him back in his personal career…outside of maybe challenging for a Stanley Cup, that is. Conversely, showing his leadership qualities and putting up respectable numbers while with the Flames next season could increase the level of interest from other GM's who may have otherwise been hesitant.
Outside of Mike, the remaining players will be given a chance to impress the new boss and earn a new contract. While I’m sure that Burke has plenty of notes on each of them, in addition to the opinions of their direct coaches, any wise GM will want to get a look over for themselves before making any type of decisions. Or at least I would hope so.
And while this is all going on, don’t forget that Brad has a draft coming up soon which he will be selecting 4th overall. There is certainly a lot ahead for this new and young GM, and thankfully he has some nice building blocks set up for him to work with.
Thanks for reading!
Calgary Flames Blogger • 
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