At the beginning of the season, the Calgary Flames and numerous NHL experts were optimistic that Brad Treliving had rescued the team from disaster by acquiring Nazem Kadri, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Mackenzie Weegar to fill the voids left by Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk. The Flames were predicted to be one of the top contenders in the Pacific Division.
Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. Instead of battling for the top spot in the Pacific Division, the Flames find themselves out of the playoff picture entirely, trailing the Winnipeg Jets by four points for the final Wild Card spot.
Throughout the season, reports from Calgary have indicated that there are ongoing tensions between players and Head Coach Darryl Sutter. Earlier in the year, Jonathan Huberdeau's agent, Allan Walsh, criticized Sutter and his coaching methods when Sutter incorrectly stated that Huberdeau was "taking a shit" when he was actually receiving treatment for an injury.
It appears that another new acquisition to the Flames is also experiencing issues with the team's Head Coach. According to Elliotte Friedman, tensions boiled over for Nazem Kadri following the Flames' 3-2 loss to the Dallas Stars.
In the past, Kadri has been identified as a troublesome player for teams, but he was able to dispel that image during his time with the Avalanche last season. This situation begs the question: is Kadri simply dissatisfied with a coach who is keeping him accountable for his actions, or is he reverting back to his former reputation as a "problem" player from his days with the Leafs?
