Has there been an off-season turnaround as fast and dramatic as this one.
Consider how this played out
- Tree enters the off-season with confidence he can sign Johnny and if so, perhaps Tkachuk
- Tough negotiations with Johnny but culminates in the Flames matching Gaudreau's ask, and thinking the deal is done. At that point, Tree is probably contemplating his next step which is to get Tkachuk signed (which may or may not have happened, looking with 20/20 probably not)
- Johnny instead reneges on the deal last minute and walks
- Tkachuk then services notice he won't sign long-term and offers a 5 team list, of which 3 are possibilities
- At this stage the real threat is an offer sheet, and specifically a team signing Tkachuk to a 1 year deal where the compensation is a 1st, 2nd and 3rd. The Flames would then have a choice between accepting the deal (and not being able to trade Tkachuk, losing him for nothing in a year) or taking inadequate compensation.
That's the low point. Where it's all coming undone.
- He makes the right move to go with arbitration to take away the offer sheet threat and buy a limited amount of time
- At some point here he pivots to Zadarov and gets him signed on a pretty reasonable deal
- Negotiates a great trade with the first ever sign and trade in NHL history
- Signs his two key RFAs
- Now signs one of the two big acquisitions.
All in a matter of 2 weeks?
I mean that's impressive work.
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