Quote:
Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina
I don’t see it as pettiness
Tkachuk had options to simply walk to free agency and pick his landing spot
He worked with the Flames to give them a real chance making a good deal and have this be a win win
I respect that
Johnny was twice the player but handled his departure as badly as you can.
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Tkachuk has never done anything for the benefit of anyone else than himself. He wanted to get an 8 year deal coming off a career season. He's still picking his landing spot remember and the reality is that if he went to UFA next year he could have found himself in the same situation as Johnny where the Blues couldn't fit him in and he would have to settle for 7 years in another place. This way he's in one of his preferred destinations and he gets an 8 year deal. It's a big win for him and I'm sure the Tkachuks were celebrating last night like they won the lottery. I respect that the Tkachuks are first and foremost businessmen that have no attachment to any team or teammates but to insinuate that he did any of this for the Flames is pretty naive.
Johnny would have handled his departure a lot better had he had no attachment to the Flames like Tkachuk but he's a human being that had deep feelings for the fans, the city, and the organization. He eventually elected to do what was best for his wife and her family but it's just so strange to see a player that loved the organization vilified while a guy that never wanted to be a Flame is getting respect like he did any of this for anyone but himself.