Change was already the name of the game for the Calgary Flames this offseason after the departure of general manager Brad Treliving. However, things are changing even more with the departure of head coach Darryl Sutter.

Sutter was fired recently after the Flames failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He coached three seasons in Calgary in what was his second stint as the team’s head coach.

Things just didn't work out for the Flames following an active offseason. Calgary missed the playoffs despite adding star power in the form of forwards Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau. That's not even mentioning the addition of defenseman MacKenzie Weegar.

To say this past season was a disappointment would be a major understatement. Now, Calgary has to find a new bench boss on top of a new general manager. It is clear the Flames are not happy with their performance this past season, and they are looking to change things around.

It’s hard to get a gauge on who the Flames will target for this vacancy until we know who they bring in as their new general manager. However, here are three names the new GM of the Calgary Flames could consider.

3) Mitch Love, Calgary Wranglers head coach

Love’s inclusion on this list is based on actual concrete reporting. Love, the head coach of the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, is currently the favorite for the job, according to NHL insider Frank Seravalli.

The knock on Love is rather straightforward. The 38-year-old has no experience in the NHL, as a coach or as a player. However, he does have a track record of winning, and that’ll go a long way.

Love is in his second season as head coach of Calgary’s AHL affiliate. He led the then-Stockon Heat to the AHL Western Conference Finals in a losing effort last season. After the team relocated to Calgary, the 38-year-old has once again led them to the Western Conference Finals.

Love has fostered great relationships with the team’s top prospects. And they have all thrived under him in the AHL. Perhaps it is wise for Calgary’s new GM to keep the relationship going and promote Love to the NHL.

2) Cory Stillman, Arizona Coyotes assistant coach

Stillman has all the credentials Love lacks. The Arizona Coyotes assistant coach played over 1000 games in the NHL and won two Stanley Cups as a player. And now, he could return to the organization that helped kick-start his career.

The Flames drafted Stillman with the sixth overall pick in the 1992 NHL Draft. Stillman spent seven years with the Flames, scoring 109 goals and 235 points in 393 games.

Stillman left the Flames in 2000-01, and eventually retired after the 2010-11 season. The 49-year-old began coaching in 2017, when he took over as head coach of the Ontario Hockey League’s Sudbury Wolves.

After an abysmal first season, Stillman led the Wolves to a playoff birth in his second season. Sudbury were eliminated in the second round of the OHL playoffs that year. Another playoff birth seemed likely in 2019-20, but COVID-19 canceled the OHL playoffs.

Stillman joined the Coyotes in 2020 and has held his current role ever since. The two-time Stanley Cup champion is poised to be an NHL head coach soon. Perhaps his head coaching career begins with the same team his playing career did.

1) Spencer Carbery, Toronto Maple Leafs assistant coach

Finally, we end this list with one of the rising stars in the coaching world. Carbery just helped the Toronto Maple Leafs end their 19-year playoff series winless drought with a defeat of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Even beyond that huge victory with the Leafs, Carbery is going to be a popular coaching name this offseason. He has won Coach of the Year in the ECHL and AHL but left the AHL for this opportunity with the Maple Leafs.

Carbery is tasked with running Toronto's power play unit, and he has done a remarkable job. This past season saw the Maple Leafs ice the league's second-best power play behind the Edmonton Oilers.

The Flames won't be the only team interested in Carbery. Toronto could look to him should they decide to move on from Sheldon Keefe. And the Washington Capitals are likely to have him on their radar, given his connections to their AHL affiliate.

However, Calgary should not be deterred. Carbery is worth a look, even if they aren't the only team vying for his services. Should they hire him, the Flames could turn the ship around sooner rather than later.