[Signing] Gaudreau to Columbus (7 x $9.75 million)

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by jayswin

No, you're overthinking it as it was a fluid situation where things changed based on life circumstances and likely a lot of family discussion, combined with what was available and being offered by teams around free agency. Those aren't holes, they're a husband and wife making a major life decision on a clock with an agent and NHL teams involved with offers.

- Wife doesn't want to be too close to his partying friends, wants to start their own little life together, liked her time in Calgary alone with Johnny, probably made lots of friends here.

- Johnny's leaning towards getting back to all his friends and family in the Philly area, but open to staying in Calgary, but assumes him and his wife will have a pick of where to go among 3-5 eastern markets.

- Market is soft, offers aren't flying in at $10mil+ AAV as anticipated.

- They get an offer from Jersey for a little more, but as a family they decide on Columbus to be in their own little space together but still close enough to travel "home" for Johnny during breaks.

This is the most believable account I've read of how it happened. So much of the situation hasn't made a lot of sense in terms of motivations etc., but this account makes the pieces fit pretty well.

[Erick Estrada]

I assume the people that are still pissy and will boo him are the type that would hold a major grudge after a failed relationship even after both sides moved on with new partners. I was as big a Gaudreau fan as anyone but now that he's gone I don't even think about him or how things ended. He's been replaced and the team has moved on and so have I. I think the pissy fans should follow the Flames lead and move on rather than be that type of fanbase. Long tenured players leave their teams in free agency every single summer so it's kind of funny to see Flames fans acting like some sort of crime was committed against their team.

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Impressive until you see the Pens roster last night

I don't doubt he will get his points but I really hope we don't need to bump this everytime he gets a point like the Bennett thread

It's just a shame they didn't broadcast the game in any way. I would have been interested to see the highlights of Johnny's first points on the Jackets if someone shared them. It would certainly be more interesting to watch Johnny play than to read salty posts about him leaving.

[squiggs96]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

And I have enough knowledge to know you are 100% full of something brown and smelly. You know nothing John Snow.

For over two years I have mentioned it here, and to you personally on CP, that he had a desire to play elsewhere. I know this because I have connections to people in his inner circle. Through my business I have met some interesting people and one of them happens to be in Gaudreau's camp. I also know several NHL execs on different teams and sometimes I stay at their houses when I'm in their cities. Sometimes they are at my house. I don't care if you believe me or not, but I have verified some of them with a mod.

[Jethro Choicebro]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I assume the people that are still pissy and will boo him are the type that would hold a major grudge after a failed relationship even after both sides moved on with new partners.

I suspect most people who end up booing will do so cause it's fun. Sports are fun, and booing the opposition is also fun...add in a player who has somehow slighted you, even better.

Sure some will have taken it personally as you describe, but I think the vast majority at the Dome will just be having a good time

[VilleN]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand what changed. What happened just after that time period where he wanted to stay with the Flames for his career? Meredith happened. Now this is not me putting the guy down for putting his wife's desires ahead of his own but if you look at everything that happened it is pretty clear to me who ultimately made the decision to leave Calgary and go back to the US and it was not Gaudreau or his family who by all accounts seem to have wanted to continue the relationship with the Flames. Given what we know about Gaudreau it would fit that he is the submissive one in his relationship and she is the decision maker and the boss. Guy probably just wants to keep her and her family happy and play hockey first, winning and legacy can take a back seat. Again, not saying he is wrong to do that although someday down the road when his career is over and he is just another skilled player who didn't really accomplish much he might regret not sticking to his guns.

This is an embarrassing post. Nothing that you think is ‘obvious’ actually is. You’ve done your weird investigation without any evidence at all.

[Strange Brew]

I still can’t believe people want to talk about Gaudreau and his wife and whatever decision process they went through. It’s his private life, let it go. He left as a free agent. Which is what free agents in sports often do.

Boo him if you want if his decision really bothers you. IMO a classier response would be a nice acknowledgment during his tribute and then cheer for the home team. If he does something obnoxious during the game, sure let him have it.

[GioforPM]

Gaudreau’s decision didn't bother me at all, even though I think he made a mistake in it. His decision making process hurt the team though. We’ve now seen what Treliving can do with even just a little time to make a deal.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Gaudreau’s decision didn't bother me at all, even though I think he made a mistake in it. His decision making process hurt the team though. We’ve now seen what Treliving can do with even just a little time to make a deal.

But let's say he says he's not signing, "go ahead and trade me". He is a UFA so the return would be mediocre, and it would have to come with cap coming back. And if so, they probably wouldn't have had room for the Tkachuk trade. Or even if they did, they wouldn't have had room to sign Kadri.

It's impossible to say how it would have played out, but it certainly would have changed what did happen. In the end, they got cap space for him, and they used it well.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by Jethro Choicebro

I suspect most people who end up booing will do so cause it's fun. Sports are fun, and booing the opposition is also fun...add in a player who has somehow slighted you, even better.

Sure some will have taken it personally as you describe, but I think the vast majority at the Dome will just be having a good time

This sums up my opinion exactlly. Sports grudges are fun.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

I still can’t believe people want to talk about Gaudreau and his wife and whatever decision process they went through. It’s his private life, let it go. He left as a free agent. Which is what free agents in sports often do.

Boo him if you want if his decision really bothers you. IMO a classier response would be a nice acknowledgment during his tribute and then cheer for the home team. If he does something obnoxious during the game, sure let him have it.

This is entertainment and we owe no loyalty to gaudreau just as he owes none to us now. The sport is built on subplots like this and fanbases villifying players for petty reasons and sometimes no reason at all. This is a part of the fun, it's not about being classy or not. They know it's not personal but a symptom of passionate fandom. These young millionaire players will get over it. Johnny had every chance to be classy by your definition in his media scrum comments and went another way about it. So people will boo and you know what, that's fine

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Gaudreau’s decision didn't bother me at all, even though I think he made a mistake in it. His decision making process hurt the team though. We’ve now seen what Treliving can do with even just a little time to make a deal.

The team could have traded him last summer, they chose not to. Why should they only trade a player because they ask to be dealt?

Sue he wasted their time during the last second negotiations and I understand their frustration with that in the moment. But rather meaningless in the big picture.

I doubt many clubs announce to their pending UFA's a year in advance whether whether they plan to re-sign them in free agency. It depends on many factors.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

But let's say he says he's not signing, "go ahead and trade me". He is a UFA so the return would be mediocre, and it would have to come with cap coming back. And if so, they probably wouldn't have had room for the Tkachuk trade. Or even if they did, they wouldn't have had room to sign Kadri.

It's impossible to say how it would have played out, but it certainly would have changed what did happen. In the end, they got cap space for him, and they used it well.

Its not about trading him to get a useless 6th round pick, it allows the team to move on and do other things. They had to operate with with a 10.5 million cap charge not knowing what is going to happen with him.

I also think he cost himself money by waiting till the last second to announce he is going to free agency. If more teams knew prior to his announcement I am sure some others would have made moves to open up cap space, kind of like when Brad Richards hit the market.

The post by Squiggs pretty much confirms what some of us are saying, he had no intention of signing and he knew he was gone he just strung along the negotiations. His reasons for leaving don't matter that's a right he earned, but there was no reason to drag out negotiations with us if his heart was set on leaving years ago. If people read what Lewis wrote in that special letter to the fans, it says he began thinking about playing closer to home back in 2018 after his dads health scare.

[tvp2003]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

James Neal scored.

The most James Neal-iest goal you can imagine -- loses the draw, but multiple defensive miscues/breakdowns and he scores into an open net from less than a foot away.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1574099727355740161

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

This is entertainment and we owe no loyalty to gaudreau just as he owes none to us now. The sport is built on subplots like this and fanbases villifying players for petty reasons and sometimes no reason at all. This is a part of the fun, it's not about being classy or not. They know it's not personal but a symptom of passionate fandom. These young millionaire players will get over it. Johnny had every chance to be classy by your definition in his media scrum comments and went another way about it. So people will boo and you know what, that's fine

I have yet to see anyone suggest that Gaudreau in now owed loyalty. You have every right to be boo him over what he has said in the media, I'm just surprised why anyone would care about the vanilla comments he has made.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Its not about trading him to get a useless 6th round pick, it allows the team to move on and do other things. They had to operate with with a 10.5 million cap charge not knowing what is going to happen with him.

I also think he cost himself money by waiting till the last second to announce he is going to free agency. If more teams knew prior to his announcement I am sure some others would have made moves to open up cap space, kind of like when Brad Richards hit the market.

The post by Squiggs pretty much confirms what some of us are saying, he had no intention of signing and he knew he was gone he just strung along the negotiations. His reasons for leaving don't matter that's a right he earned, but there was no reason to drag out negotiations with us if his heart was set on leaving years ago. If people read what Lewis wrote in that special letter to the fans, it says he began thinking about playing closer to home back in 2018 after his dads health scare.

The bolded was entirely within the club's control. They decided to focus all of their attention on trying to sign a pending UFA.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

The bolded was entirely within the club's control. They decided to focus all of their attention on trying to sign a pending UFA.

People would tar and feather Treliving if he announced he is focusing on making trades over signing Johnny and Matthew. Would you be ok the GM of the team is letting a guy coming of 115 points walk without trying to get a deal? He has said numerous times that he believed they negotiated in good faith and deal was to be made.

Also I keep seeing the Devils offered more. Pierre Lebrun has stated multiple times that they offered around a 9 AAV.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by jayswin

No, you're overthinking it as it was a fluid situation where things changed based on life circumstances and likely a lot of family discussion, combined with what was available and being offered by teams around free agency. Those aren't holes, they're a husband and wife making a major life decision on a clock with an agent and NHL teams involved with offers.

- Wife doesn't want to be too close to his partying friends, wants to start their own little life together, liked her time in Calgary alone with Johnny, probably made lots of friends here.

- Johnny's leaning towards getting back to all his friends and family in the Philly area, but open to staying in Calgary, but assumes him and his wife will have a pick of where to go among 3-5 eastern markets.

- Market is soft, offers aren't flying in at $10mil+ AAV as anticipated.

- They get an offer from Jersey for a little more, but as a family they decide on Columbus to be in their own little space together but still close enough to travel "home" for Johnny during breaks.

If true, a truly massive blow for the single middle-aged misogynists that we’re attempting to paint Gaudreau as a weak, #####-whipped submissive. Guess the boys will need a new way to make themselves feel better.

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

I have yet to see anyone suggest that Gaudreau in now owed loyalty. You have every right to be boo him over what he has said in the media, I'm just surprised why anyone would care about the vanilla comments he has made.

Yeah, this. I don’t know that I’d boo Gaudreau. I might, anyone could, but I would for the same reasons I would boo Tkachuk (both guys turned their back on the franchise that drafted them after becoming star players).

The hoops people go through to justify how one was better, the other wasn’t, one got nothing the other got something etc etc is bizarre. Both guys deserve booing for the same reasons. If you make it all about the return, then why not boo any player that leaves in FA or gets traded for a bad return? lol. We should be cheering Adam Fox For helping us secure Lindholm and Hanifin!

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

People would tar and feather Treliving if he announced he is focusing on making trades over signing Johnny and Matthew. Would you be ok the GM of the team is letting a guy coming of 115 points walk without trying to get a deal? He has said numerous times that he believed they negotiated in good faith and deal was to be made.

Also I keep seeing the Devils offered more. Pierre Lebrun has stated multiple times that they offered around a 9 AAV.

The Gaudreau decision point was over a year ago. I don't see any victims in any of this, sorry.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

The team could have traded him last summer, they chose not to. Why should they only trade a player because they ask to be dealt?

Sue he wasted their time during the last second negotiations and I understand their frustration with that in the moment. But rather meaningless in the big picture.

I doubt many clubs announce to their pending UFA's a year in advance whether whether they plan to re-sign them in free agency. It depends on many factors.

From all accounts it’s because he was saying he wanted to stay and negotiate a contract. At least that’s what he was saying to them. So they had a choice to not believe that or trust it and move forward. And I don't think he was lying at the time.