Calgary Flames staff were worried Darryl Sutter was going to cost them one of their top prospect

On Sunday the Calgary Flames finally made the announcement that many fans were hoping to hear. On Friday night, top prospect Matthew Coronato and his teammates from Harvard University saw their NCAA season come to an end. The end of the season meant Coronato was finally eligible to sign an NHL deal.

Before his signing there had been rumors and concerns circulating within the fan base that Coronato would be unwilling to sign a deal with the team. As is the case with all College players, if Coronato refused to sign, he'd eventually be eligible to sign with whatever team he wanted as a College Free Agent.

According to Elliotte Friedman, it appears it wasn't just fans who were concerned about losing Coronato. On this week's 32 Thoughts Podcast, Friedman shared that members of the Flames' management team also had their concerns.



Despite having an impressive coaching record, Sutter does have a tendency to not appreciate young players or prospects. Instead, Sutter relies almost too heavily on veteran players. Since Coronato's signing there have already been reports he will be eased into the Flames' lineup.

With this signing Coronato will immediately burn the first year of his NHL contract, making this situation all that much more interesting for the Flames and their future. If organizational concerns are this high, it's hard to imagine Sutter returns next season.