Flames stars Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau stick together

[sureLoss]

http://www.si.com/nhl/2016/07/20/joh...-new-contracts

​“We don’t talk numbers and stuff like that,” Monahan says. “We let our agents do that. They’ll talk to us, and if we had the same agent, it would be different. But we have different agents, and we’re both letting them do their job. We want to play in Calgary together. We think we have a good chance to win there and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Still the unassuming, baby-faced winger who gets mistaken for a paperboy, is currently taking nighttime online classes to finish his degree at Boston College. Gaudreau shows little interest in discussing a payday that will likely eclipse $7 million. “Honestly, I don’t really know what’s going on half the time,” he says between photo and autograph sessions at Hartley’s camp. “I let my agent do all the work. I’m not a big guy with contract stuff. Whatever he thinks is the best contract, that’s what I’m going to sign. I don’t really enjoy going through this stuff, but it’s part of the job. Hopefully it gets done here soon so I can get back to hockey.”

Monahan, who finished second behind Gaudreau in goals (27) and points (63) for Calgary last season, took a similar approach. Picked sixth overall in 2013, Monahan has seen peers like Seth Jones (six years, $5.4 million average annual value), Aleksander Barkov (six years, $5.9 million AAV), and Nathan MacKinnon (seven years, $6.3 million AAV) re-up over the past six months. Now, it’s his turn.

“It’s going to be different, for sure,” Monahan says. “At the end of the day, to be honest, I don’t even look at it as the money. We just play because we love to play. Getting paid to play is pretty cool, but at 21 years old, my friends are still doing their thing, in school and stuff. It’s pretty easy for me to not think about the money, live my life and enjoy what I do. It’s easy to keep my mind off the huge business side of my job.”

Indeed, if Gaudreau and Monahan discuss anything about their prospects as long-term teammates, the assumption that they’ll re-sign already comes baked into the equation. “We don’t really talk about contract stuff together,” Gaudreau says. “We don’t feel like getting into that kind of stuff. Just how excited we are, how we have a young team, guys like [Sam] Bennett and Michael Ferland and [2016 first-rounder Matthew Tkachuk. It’s a bright future for our team.”

Standing near the poster that the campers made, decorated in hand-drawn Flames logos, Gaudreau looks onto the ice, where another session has just kicked off. He seems anxious to join the drills. “I could just be out here, going through camp for the whole year, playing hockey, and I’d still enjoy it,” he says. But if he has to endure all this contractual stuff, at least it helps to have a friend experiencing it too. “It’s a great city and we want to win in Calgary,” Gaudreau says, “so it’s great to have two minds like that working alike and being on the same page.”

[djsFlames]

I said before that Johnny and Mony are the sort of young guys that wouldn't put much emphasis on the numbers or be holding things up themselves and that it's likely the agents, cause these kids are pretty humble in that regard. I was told I was wrong and that the difference between 6 or 7 million is a big deal to them and that getting paid like the other big names was something they probably thought about.

Looks like that myth has been busted.

[Stud_McCool]

...and if we had the same agent, it would be different. But we have different agents...

Classic boring Sean Monahan.

[jonesy]

I like those guys but this is a bit much.

'has to endure'
'don't enjoy going through this stuff, but part of job'
'easy not to think about money'

Sorry, but this is being laid on a little too thick.

[DynastyEra]

Love the attitude from these guys. It does concern me seeing how much control their agents seemingly have. Gaudreau in particular would likely agree to whatever his agent suggests and we know they will be shooting for the moon.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by jonesy

I like those guys but this is a bit much.

'has to endure'
'don't enjoy going through this stuff, but part of job'
'easy not to think about money'

Sorry, but this is being laid on a little too thick.

I think it is the right call. Reading articles like that eliminate the paranoia of the fan base and speculation from the media that these guys want out.

These 2 are going to be key players in turning the Flames into contenders

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by DynastyEra

Love the attitude from these guys. It does concern me seeing how much control their agents seemingly have. Gaudreau in particular would likely agree to whatever his agent suggests and we know they will be shooting for the moon.

I doubt that very much. They hired these agents to do this for them. Therefore they wanted that

[Jacks]

What do you guys expect him to say?
"We're close but my agent thinks we can get an extra couple of million on a long term contract"
"We're just working on term, it's my best interest to get to UFA as young as possible"
I have no idea what the hold up is but this interview is hardly proof of anything.

[AC]

I think its telling once again that Gaudreau named Ferland in the same breath as Bennett and Tkachuk.

Really think this team, from the players to the management think very highly of Ferland and his potential on the Flames.

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by AC

I think its telling once again that Gaudreau named Ferland in the same breath as Bennett and Tkachuk.

Really think this team, from the players to the management think very highly of Ferland and his potential on the Flames.

Johnny, small in stature, saw Ferland single-handedly destroy the Canucks. He won't soon forget that.

[DynastyEra]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

I doubt that very much. They hired these agents to do this for them. Therefore they wanted that

Absolutely, you're right. It just worries me seeing how little these two are actually involved in the discussions. I wonder how good these agents are at selling to players that want hometown discounts to simply ignore that.
"Oh you can do that with your second contract down the road, for now you need to cash in as much as possible, trust me, I've been in the business a long time".

Hopefully that is not the case, and Sean might of said he will go no less than 6M and doesn't want to handicap them at 7M. Happy medium is 6.5. Which is reasonable.

I am hoping for 6.5 for Sean, and 7 for Johnny.

[saillias]

Originally Posted by jonesy

I like those guys but this is a bit much.

'has to endure'
'don't enjoy going through this stuff, but part of job'
'easy not to think about money'

Sorry, but this is being laid on a little too thick.

They certainly have a good handle on PR spin. I don't believe for a second they are as uninvolved/unconcerned with $ as they say they are.

[polak]

It's fluff piece from two kids that won't say anything to piss anyone off.

None of it means a thing. Johnny could very well be holding out for 10 million and he would say the exact same thing.

[jayswin]

Not good or bad news, just the same working towards contracts. I think we'll see them mid August personally.

Also, lol at those reading into their money/contracts quotes too deeply. "Well, looks like that myth is busted!!!".

Yeah, no, players hire agents to get them their contracts, a quote like Johnny's is nice to read, and fits the PR style answer they're trained to give, but no Johnny is not actually oblivious to the contract negotiations and ready to just do whatever his agent sees fit. He's involved, haha.

[Locke]

Whatever, I like it. Taken at face value its just two enthusiastic (ridiculously talented) kids looking forward to playing.

In truth, there isnt much they can do about their contracts at the moment, their agents know the score, their numbers are in and the club likely has a long-term idea of valuation.

Treliving and their agents will hammer it out behind the scenes and so in the spotlight these two can just do their thing.

I like the youthful enthusiasm because the time will come when it will be ground away by an absolute need to win.

[DiracSpike]

Do other fan bases panic this much about players leaving/liking the team or the city?

I honestly have no idea where this sentiment comes from, who was the most high profile player to bail on the Flames, a washed-up Theo Fleury? Chris Drury? Erixon??? Every piece that says both are committed here long term is greeted with dismissal, but one interview where JG says playing in Philly might be cool someday is treated as gospel.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by DiracSpike

Do other fan bases panic this much about players leaving/liking the team or the city?

I honestly have no idea where this sentiment comes from, who was the most high profile player to bail on the Flames, a washed-up Theo Fleury? Chris Drury? Erixon??? Every piece that says both are committed here long term is greeted with dismissal, but one interview where JG says playing in Philly might be cool someday is treated as gospel.

I dont know, Johnny has definitely been a special case because as a signing out of College there was definitely opportunities from him to do something else, especially as, at the time, we had a fluctuation in management.

I dont think people are worried that they're going to leave, or not want to play here, as has been indicated in numerous threads, the game is heavily rigged in the team's favour for the initial few years.

Its that if they want $10M each and this is all lip-service then the whole plan as we as fans have understood it gets shot to the moon.

[TheScorpion]

It's nice to see that Johnny's willing to play in a place where it Gau-snows. He'll have to wear mittens on his Mona-hands during the winter months.

OK, really, I'm done now.

Hope these guys get locked up soon.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by DiracSpike

] I honestly have no idea where this sentiment comes from, who was the most high profile player to bail on the Flames, a washed-up Theo Fleury? Chris Drury? Erixon???

Joe Nieuwendyk, Doug Gilmour, Al MacInnis. And Fleury was a long way from washed up when he left.

[DiracSpike]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

Joe Nieuwendyk, Doug Gilmour, Al MacInnis. And Fleury was a long way from washed up when he left.

Did all three of those guys demand trades though? Honest question, kinda before my time. From what I've heard there was some sketchy stuff with Gilmour going on, but that was really related to the team/city per se.