Overall, the Calgary Flames were a major disappointment in 2022-23. They fell short of the Stanley Cup Playoffs while seeing major offseason acquisitions Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri underperform. Calgary changed things up this summer in the front office and behind the bench. And as far as Kadri is concerned, these changes are a welcomed sight.
“I think a lot of guys on the team are ready to kind of play to their potential,” the 32-year-old Flames forward said this week, via NHL.com. “For whatever reason, we got a little restricted last year, so I'm just looking forward to a clean slate and starting the year off strong.”
Kadri did not clarify how exactly the team was restricted. However, former head coach Darryl Sutter drew criticism for his demanding and disciplinary style of coaching. Calgary moved on from the veteran bench boss back on May 1.
Sutter was not the only major Flames figure to leave the team. Brad Treliving left the team after nine years in charge, electing not to renew his contract. Treliving landed with the Toronto Maple Leafs as their new general manager.
The Flames stayed in-house to fill these roles. Longtime assistant general manager Craig Conroy took the job as general manager. Conroy spent time as a player for the Flames during his career, as well. Former assistant Ryan Huska was named as head coach back in mid-June.
How Calgary performs under the watch of Conroy and Huska is obviously still up in the air. From Kadri's perspective, however, the changes bring a breath of fresh air to the franchise.
“Any time you get fresh faces, it's just a new energy and a new enthusiasm,” Kadri said, via NHL.com. “So, of course, with the type of personnel we have, we can play creative. We have a lot of skill.”