Matthew Tkachuk & Johnny Gaudreau Signing Watch Thread

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

Cue the video of that NYI fan going off on Tavares: You coulda told us John!! You shoulda told us!!!

Guess I’m the fool who renewed my tix thinking Gaudreau would re-sign.

I am still confident he will, don't let some he said she said rumour get you down yet. Remember, the most vocal posters in this board also tend to be the negative ones and they love the drama of false rumours. Most of them wanted to run him out of town for years but now like saying things like I want him to stay hit he will or should be going back East to be close to home. Like he is still a 10 year old boy who can't live without mommy and daddy. Almost every NHL player plays far from their family/friends but because some hack beat writer put out the narrative for click bait it gives the boo hoo bunch something to run with.

[Macman]

I don’t think trading Gaudreau would have gotten to good a return just because another team would have been in the same situation now and him being a UFA.

I think the Flames being this close to winning it all is a real consideration for Gaudreau because it just may not happen for him elsewhere.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Or perhaps.... realize it's pro sports and most players say all the nicest things they can about their fanbase and still leave.

It's more rare to find a brutally honest player openly saying they're leaving than it is to hear platitudes about staying.

Johnnys staying, or he's going. And absolutely nobody on CP can say unequivocally they know anything about the outcome.

Best anyone can is guess.


It's gonna suck for you if Johnny leaves. It's going to suck a lot.

Personally, I hope you choose to take a looooong break if he leaves. Because it's gonna be hell here for you after what you've put others through here for years about this specific topic.

You can take your long break and stick it where the sun doesn't shine. How is it going to be worse than being one of the very few optimistic posters on a board full of negative, miserable, pessimistic fans? I know, it will be hell on me because I wanted the player to stay and the team to succeed instead of the drama and misery of them failing. I can't wait.

[Major Major]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

I’m not sure why some random flames staff member would be throwing that kind of info to somebody unless they were very close. As for the grandparents info , all grandparents want their grandchildren leaving close by . That is not news .

Exactly, if it's future grandmothers making the big hockey decisions for this 30 year old then that would be a real shame. Total nonsense in my opinion. Their families will be supportive and they will somehow figure out a way to raise a child in the "fourth most livable city in the world" with their 100 million dollars is my prediction.

[The Fonz]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

What don't you understand about a fan being sore about a star player saying he wants to stay over and over and all these reasons why and then leaving? Maybe that star player should have been more silent.

If he leaves, that does not mean he did not want to stay in Calgary. This decision and situation is not as simple for him as you believe.

[Mr.Coffee]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

What don't you understand about a fan being sore about a star player saying he wants to stay over and over and all these reasons why and then leaving? Maybe that star player should have been more silent.

What did you expect him to say? The guy can like Calgary and want to leave all at the same time. That said, the message you responded to I agree with, I can see why fans would feel snubbed for sure.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by Yoho

I’ve heard from someone who went golfing with a Flames team staff member that Jonny’s wife is pregnant and both sides of the family want them closer to home (East) and that it’s a done deal he is leaving which would make a ton of sense. I wasn’t there and I can’t confirm anything other than the person telling me would have no motive to lie.

Yeah, don't know if this true or not but I believe this will 100% be the reason he goes back east. Not only pressure from his family, but pressure from his wife's family.

[Manhattanboy]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Yeah, don't know if this true or not but I believe this will 100% be the reason he goes back east. Not only pressure from his family, but pressure from his wife's family.

In-laws all suck.

[Mr.Coffee]

Originally Posted by dammage79

It'll be an amazing thing to watch unfold as to how they'll attempt to replace Johnnys production. It'll be as moneyballers say, in the aggregate.

Because as far as things go positional, losing a LW isn't the worst thing in the world. Flames have players at RW that can move up to take Chuckys spot on RW and he reverts back to LW. Mangi has LW 2 locked up unless he goes super nutty on this next contract. And the Flames have more close to NHL ready LW than they do anything else on the farm. IMO, the reality is that if Johnny leaves they're losing a top line forward. I think they can find one out there, just can be a center or RW now as well.

IMO, sign/acquire a top 6 center and dump your dollars into Val Nichushkin.

One thing I will say is it might not be as bad as people think. With increased ice time a lot of good players I think can become great players. Johnny is better but ultimately somebody fills the ice time and it’s not like they’ll never score. They just won’t win as much and miss the playoffs but, meh, then we shoulda traded him at the deadline and didn’t. Oh well. They’ll end up rebuilding because they will have to if Johnny leaves. Hopefully they don’t prolong that decision though because that would be dumb.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

One thing I will say is it might not be as bad as people think. With increased ice time a lot of good players I think can become great players. Johnny is better but ultimately somebody fills the ice time and it’s not like they’ll never score. They just won’t win as much and miss the playoffs but, meh, then we shoulda traded him at the deadline and didn’t. Oh well. They’ll end up rebuilding because they will have to if Johnny leaves. Hopefully they don’t prolong that decision though because that would be dumb.

Losing Johnny doesn't require a full tear down and rebuild. There's still a strong core the Flames have to work with. Ultimately it's up to Tkachuk evolving more and being here long term. The next iceberg after Johnny leaving would be Tkachuks appetite to stick around long term.

I just don't see "rebuild" when I look at the roster without Johnny. I see an opportunity to perhaps better round out the top 9 forwards and equalize production throughout.

[Major Major]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Yeah, don't know if this true or not but I believe this will 100% be the reason he goes back east. Not only pressure from his family, but pressure from his wife's family.

I call bs. We are all seeking reasons to be worried. Johnny and his wife will make the decision that is best for them. If they sacrifice 15 million dollars and winning to appease family, it will be a regret.

If the pressure is that in their face, I find it a bit off putting tbh.

[Royle9]

It’s his choice, can’t fault him.

Ultimately he’ll pick between what’s best for his family and then himself.
If someone offers a max 7 year deal to keep him out east I find it hard to believe he stays. Unless of course he feels cementing his legacy as a Flame is important to him.

Tough to say, but this team will not be good without him and we’ve burned our window on bad coach’s prior to Sutter so it’s going to feel like dark times.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by Major Major

I call bs. We are all seeking reasons to be worried. Johnny and his wife will make the decision that is best for them. If they sacrifice 15 million dollars and winning to appease family, it will be a regret.

If the pressure is that in their face, I find it a bit off putting tbh.

Naw, I don't mean they'd be putting heavy pressure on Johnny. It's just one more thing to sway his decision that way.

There is really nothing tying him down here but his own loyalty and a chance at Flames legacy. The 8th year is the only other thing, but if he waits to see what the other offers are, that goes out the window too.

It'd be different if he'd met and married a local Calgary girl.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Johnny can leave if he wants. Holding a grudge against him for it would be kinda lame. He owes the fans and the city nothing. It’s his life, he can live it how he wants.

Ultimately Tre and the flames knew this was a possibility and decided to proceed without maximizing the return for Gaudreau and avoiding losing him for nothing. Pretty much the entire fan base supported this decision too.

This is just the reality of pro sports and free agency.

[Roof-Daddy]

If Johnny leaves, there will be some sour Flames fans, but I'm 100% confident he would get a standing ovation at the dome the first time he returned.

He isn't Adam POS Fox.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

What did you expect him to say? The guy can like Calgary and want to leave all at the same time. That said, the message you responded to I agree with, I can see why fans would feel snubbed for sure.

I expect him to dodge the question, like Tkachuk did two offseasons ago. He can say we will see what happens or my agent will talk to The. He doesn't have to go in about how he has never said he didn't want to be here, he loves Calgary, his family loves Calgary, his wife loves Calgary, it would be cool to play his whole career here, and on and on. He has told the fan base this is where he wants to be so why would a passionate fan not be bitter? That being said it doesn't matter, he isn't going anywhere.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

If Johnny leaves, there will be some sour Flames fans, but I'm 100% confident he would get a standing ovation at the dome the first time he returned.

He isn't Adam POS Fox.

Except the dome is not a message board where everybody has to come off as politically correct and when someone bs's their fanbase they don't have to be "aw thanks, here's a hug and best wishes". I would give him the Tavares treatment.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Except the dome is not a message board where everybody has to come off as politically correct and when someone bs's their fanbase they don't have to be "aw thanks, here's a hug and best wishes". I would give him the Tavares treatment.

And that doesn't surprise me.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Except the dome is not a message board where everybody has to come off as politically correct and when someone bs's their fanbase they don't have to be "aw thanks, here's a hug and best wishes". I would give him the Tavares treatment.

If Johnny leaves it doesn't mean anything he said was BS or dishonest or untruthful.

[The Fonz]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

He doesn't have to go in about how he has never said he didn't want to be here, he loves Calgary, his family loves Calgary, his wife loves Calgary, it would be cool to play his whole career here, and on and on.

This can all be true, and he can still leave. It's like you're unable to comprehend all of the context that weighs on a decision as monumental as this for Gaudreau.