Quote:
Originally Posted by Fischy13
I really feel that the Flames are suffering from a few things:
Players "traded" that remain
Frolik, Brodie, Jankowski, Bennett - Can't be much motivation to play for a team that had traded you and now you're expected to give it your all when you know you aren't wanted. Professionals or not, that has to have some impact.
Tkachuk getting paid:
I strongly feel JG is being a little whiner and pouting that Tkachuk was paid above the "Gio" cap that was used effectively to keep him at a reasonable number. It's the big ole FU to the team, "I had to come in less, and then you bend for him?". Right or wrong, this is probably weighing on the situation.
Smith and Neal:
While Neal didn't pan out here, I think he had the attitude (more so Smith I think) to get these guys out of the whoa is me mentality and pull up their panties when things get tough. Smith had that, his glares, he held people accountable. Neal I thought had that, but he pouted like the best of them when he wasn't gifted top 2 line minutes.
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As per "traded" players:
It's a business. A player knows that he could be traded at any time. They don't want to be traded, but they know that they could be a piece in a trade that gets the team a player they want. They don't take it personally and quit on the team. If anything, they get a bit stressed about having to leave friends or what to do with their family in their current city if they're rooted in that city and that affects play, but these guys are professionals. They don't quit on the team because they were rumored to have been a part of a trade that fell though. To the player it is mostly just rumors anyway. Unless they have a trade or movement clause they don't hear too much about potential trades from management.
As for player salaries, they don't care that somebody else is making to the point that they quit on their team. They know the environment when they signed their contracts and they know that things will change. They are professionals. If they were scared of salaries going up in a couple of years then they should sign for less term. I remember reading a player's interview about people getting paid more and they are generally happy for their teammates and not upset that somebody else is paying for them. While they may be envious, it isn't to the point of it affecting their play, and if it does they don't hang around long.