[Max Cow Disease]

Sad day. Sad to have to say goodbye to one of the most exciting players in franchise history, and the need to find an obvious direction to point the pitchfork is understandable. However, as is so often the case, multiple things can be true at once. It's true that the team could have theoretically done a better job of "protecting" itself from this eventuality, but it's also true that Gaudreau could have done the team a solid and not taken it down to the wire in this way. Sure, it's his right, and sure, many would do the same, but the gulf between what you "can" and maybe "should" do in a scenario like this is usually somewhat wide. I wish he hadn't handled it this way.

For numerous reasons, it sounds like no extension was agreed to last offseason. For other obvious reasons, the team made no attempt to deal its star player this season in the midst of such a successful campaign. This demand, in hindsight, for shrewdness and foresight by Treliving with regards to this player somewhat miss the mark in a lot of respects. Admittedly, I have a bit of a soft spot for Tree. After hearing him speak over the years and learning how he deals with/views people within the organization (his guest appearance on "Sorry I'm Sad" with Kelsie Snow is a shining example), it's clear that he thought he'd get this done, but that he was somewhat ultimately duped.

It could indeed be a weakness of his, but when you factor in the fact that authorization for something like a scorched-earth rebuild would likely need to come from those signing the cheques...I find it hard to put this outcome entirely in the lap of management. Johnny ultimately didn't extend last season, and with the season they were having, there's no way you trade the guy part way through if there's so much as a chance that you can re-sign him in the offseason. Calgary's a small market team, and we're always going to struggle with retaining talent akin to Johnny. Sure, surgical asset management and a bird's eye view of your players' intentions can keep a team like ours above water as they cycle through rosters, but here we are.

In any case, he'll be north of 30 soon and signed to a deal of astronomical value. I love Johnny but the notion of paying the guy eleven bills for the next eight years didn't entirely sit right with me either. Onward.