Quote:
Originally Posted by dissentowner
That doesn't check out with anything I have heard at all. Johnny Gaudreau had every intention of signing with Calgary, he even ok'ed his agent on the final day of free agency to sign a contract. Then his wife put her foot down and that was that, he never tried to circle back to the Flames, that was never an option. He didn't choose Columbus either, another choice made by his wife. I am not degrading him here I am just telling you what happened, he had a choice between is hockey dreams and his new wife and soon to be family and he chose the latter. I think this is a guy who internally is torn, he loves his wife and being a dad yet he threw away everything he dreamed of accomplishing his whole life, he basically threw away becoming a hockey legend in a great hockey market to appease his wife and her family and so he has totally embraced that and has put hockey on the backburner. He didn't train pretty much at all this past offseason, he was too busy playing family guy and so he looks like #### out there, always gassed midway through shifts, not putting in anything but a go through the motions effort on the ice. He doesn't care about winning or the game now because I imagine that would eat him up inside because he isn't where he wanted to be. I do know Guy Gaudreau thinks he made a big mistake and I get the impression he is not a big fan of his daughter in law or her family.
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Yeah these events are pretty consistent from what I’ve heard as well which was insinuated by Derek Wills, Pat Steinberg and etc. Gaudreau even told his parents the prior offseason that he’d stay with the Flames if the offer was in the ballpark of what he was looking for.
I don’t think Columbus was ever on Johnny’s radar. He even admitted in his presser that he never didn’t know anything about Columbus, hated the cannon and never even explored the city, just stayed in around the hotel. Not to mention they were horrible and were rebuilding, so all in all, doesn’t really sound like a destination for a top free agent who had better teams/cities to pick from.
From day one, I was pretty convinced it was more so his wife’s decision. I even had a bad feeling about it back when I heard he was marrying a Philly girl instead of a Calgary girl. It’s hard to even blame her as I’d probably feel the same way being uprooted from my friends and family and having to live on the other side of the continent in the cold prairies all pregnant and alone. It was probably also very enticing that her best friend in Gudbranson’s wife was heading to Columbus too and the money was close, so naturally, Columbus was the best choice for her. Shoot, I think most people would sell that idea to their spouses too.