Flames GM: We've underperformed and have to address that

Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving understands something needs to be done to turn his struggling team around, and he has no shortage of adjectives to describe his feelings about the season to this point.

"You can come up with a whole lot of words: disappointment, frustration, a lot of things," Treliving told TSN's Salim Valji.

However, the GM doesn't think the issue is with his new head coach, Darryl Sutter.

"We're in a results-oriented business, so the results we have are certainly not acceptable and not what we wanted to have happen," he said. "But I think there (have) been some changes that have come into our game, specifically on the defensive side. But the good things that have happened aren't what we want to talk about."

Calgary sits in second-last place in the North Division with a 16-21-3 record and holds the second-worst goal differential (-21) among the Canadian squads. The Flames have gone 5-7-1 since Treliving fired head coach Geoff Ward and replaced him with Sutter following a win on March 4, and the club has won only two of its last eight games.

The GM knows Calgary has underachieved and acknowledges there's work to be done, but wouldn't specify what changes he'll look to make.

"Certainly we have to improve our team. Right now, this is the group of players we have. We've got to find a way to maximize performance out of them, and like every other team, you're going to look at how you can improve yourself and what changes you can make leading up not only to the (trade) deadline but beyond that."

Treliving has been the Flames' GM since April 2014. During his tenure, Calgary has made three first-round playoff exits and another in the second round - its deepest postseason run since he was hired.