Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperMatt18
One is a situation where a guy was actually making a tough 50/50 decision that he really couldn't decide on. I bet there are times right now where Gaudreau questions/regrets the decision.
Tkachuk on the other hand couldn't get out of here fast enough, and this was just the best way for him to do that and still get paid. I had heard that the rumors that Tkachuk had indicated he'd welcome a trade in the 20-21 offseason were true, but the Flames weren't willing to sell low on him after the poor 20-21 season, which is what got to this point.
For all the blame being placed on Gaudreau the thing I always come back to is it's not like the team gave him a deadline either. Gaudreau gets all the blame for not making his decision before free agency, when really it should have been the Flames (Either prior to the season, or prior to the draft) that said "If we don't sign by x date then we have to look at other options"
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Again, Tkachuk being upfront and honest about what he wanted is literally what allowed the team to plan accordingly and make the best move they could with the information they had.
Deep down Johnny always knew that he had to move to the eastern US for family reasons, but he just couldn't admit it to himself until the last minute. A more mature person would have reached that conclusion sooner and let the team know.
As for the team giving Johnny a hard deadline, that would expose the team to all kinds of criticism from the fans and media about "Why didn't you keep trying to sign Johnny after the deadline passed?" The Flames were in a no-win situation in regards to Johnny, and were going to end up with egg on their face no matter what.