Quote:
Originally Posted by bubbsy
so frigin true.
Just finished 4 hours straight of back to back meetings, come to CP, click on 'last page' of this thread with numerous "if gaudreau were to sit" related posts. went back to the first post in this thread made today, and skimmed each page for any actual news or statements about this, just to realize that the thread is going all over the place.
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I fear that this is probably my fault by suggesting that Gaudreau's only leverage in this negotiation is to withhold services, which—as StrangeBrew has concurred—is no real leverage at all in the light of how badly it hurts the player.
My point was actually to show how highly probable it is that Gaudreau is signed to a long-term deal before the start of the season.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Strange Brew
...His leverage is in refusing to sign a long term deal and leaving at his earliest opportunity. Forcing the Flames to lose him for nothing or trade him and likely not get full value. If the Flames want a long term deal, which they should, they are ceding some leverage here.
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Of course they are, but I still maintain that the counter offer of a short term deal is also not a significant amount of leverage for Gaudreau. This is precisely because he is five years removed from unrestricted free agency: a "short-term" contract that carries him to free agency is actually a long-term deal that covers the bulk of his prime-playing years, and a shorter, two or three year deal still leaves him in restricted free agency.
The reason this is dragging on seems to be Gaudreau's inordinately high number of remaining RFA years, which are effectively controlled by the Flames.