Quote:
Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina
For what amount did he want to sign?
Without knowing that how can you judge if it was a mistake or not
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If it was less than the 10.5 million that the Flames allegedly offered Johnny this year it was a mistake. But to pre-empt the "he was not worth that last summer" talking point, I think it is a mistake because unless you have some rose coloured glass view of what Calgary is compared to other NHL markets, every effort should have been made last summer to sign him longterm that summer. Virtually every other NHL franchise does that and does not let their top players enter into their final season without a contract. If you thought he was a piece you wanted last summer, you sign him (even if it is for more than what you think he is worth). Far better to overpay the top guys and sign Carpenter for 750K and let Rooney go to another team for 1.3 million and use than money on an overpaid Gaudreau than it is to nickel and dime your top player.
The list of absolute NHL studs under the age of 30 that made it to the post-season of their final year of their contract where they could become a UFA is very small. There is a reason for that, most teams get that business done long before that date. Not that I think the Flames will sign Tkachuk to a one year deal and let him go to UFA, but if they did, Tkachuk and Gaudreau would be two of the top 5 players to hit UFA in the last decade. It almost never happens for a reason. Even letting Johnny reach that stage, the only two players that compare to him under the age of 30 in the past decade that reached that stage are Tavares and Panarin.