Seravalli: Gaudreau has informed the Flames he will not return

[edn88]

Oh the important question is if JG goes to NJ, who gets #13?

[liamenator]

One thing that seems clear is that most of the brainpower in the NHL is with the agents. They just keep taking the old-school hockey dudes to the cleaners. They are cutthroat in using every possible avenue and platform to get the best deal for their clients -- media leaks, PR, manipulating emotional dimensions of fan bases and organizations, etc. It's all on the table.

GMs and organizations seem too often to rely on abstract concepts of loyalty, legacy, camaraderie, but those are no longer the primary currency in professional sports (if they ever were). This is my single biggest critique of Treliving. He keeps trying to operate in a world that no longer exists, and then appears totally rattled and personally wounded when people act contrary to his expectations. Hence all the leaks over the years of "we were right there..."; it's always someone else's actions scuttling a deal at the last minute. He fixes mistakes but doesn't seem to learn from them very well.

I wonder if we'll see more teams try to make Kent Hughes, Julian BriseBois-type appointments in the coming GM hiring cycles. Types that have a different orientation to team building, asset management, cultivating relationships, etc. that help them carve out competitive advantages. This team could use that kind of approach; in a small-market Canadian city that just doesn't have the cache to woo players to play or stay, you need to find other ways to tilt the balance in your favour. I'm no longer convinced this management group has the creativity to do so.

[zuluking]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

maybe just maybe he also liked Calgary and this was not an easy decision to make along with his family.

that's not my point. family-based reasons are completely valid. they are also not new reasons and they aren't the ones that you leave to the very last minute to influence a decision. if the reasons provided by johnny through his agent (family, not money, decision) are true, then they played tre and the flames. that's it.

[littlereddevil]

Originally Posted by JohnnyB

I feel the same about the way he handled this. It wasn't a stand-up way of dealing with the organization. His last press conference after the playoffs he talked about wanting to be remembered as a good person in Calgary, but choosing this path in negotiations won't leave that impression. It was a long relationship, and he chose to take a pretty harmful approach in how it ended. Fine, that is his right and he put family above money etc., but he didn't need to take it down to the wire like that and the stand-up thing to do with someone you've had a long-term relationship with would have been to make the decision earlier and make it clear. It's not the decision he reached that ultimately makes him look bad, but the timing of the decision along with when it was communicated between parties.

I happily cheered on Iggy after he left, and I happily cheer on Gio and Brodie still. I'm happy seeing Hamilton and other former Flames who gave a lot to the team find success in new places, but this departure feels different. Despite Johnny having been my favorite player over the years I don't find myself having much will to cheer him on in his next destination.

Exactly. He's a pro athlete. He could have IMO handled this more professionally, by being more up front a year ago when contract negotiations started that the upcoming season would likely be his last season with the Flames. No one's blaming him for wanting to return home to be closer to family, we're just upset that he didn't make his intentions clear until the last minute.

I'm sure that he was torn about this decision and that's why he delayed it for so long, but for anyone able to connect the dots, it was obvious that Gaudreau would leave for an American team the moment he had that chance (and he was just being polite with us in order to delude us into thinking he would stay). His agent played his hand perfectly and the Flames gave away a franchise player for nothing. That's what really stings.

Moving forward, I sincerely hope that the Flames organization learns from this mistake with Gaudreau and does more to protect the team and the reputation of the organization whenever they have star players, so this doesn't happen again. Sometimes as an organization you do have to push back when players show indecisiveness/hesitation. You can't let a player have the upper hand in all negotiations. Ultimately, we're selling a product on the ice and the Flames have to protect that product, even if it means that they may end up having to trade players the moment they realize that they're no longer a fit for the organization. Or better yet, when you first draft/acquire these players, understand what their long term plans are, and where they see themselves playing for the rest of their career (and then constantly reevaluate how they see themselves after every season). Don't let players and their agents control the situation and leave it to the last minute when they're just hours away from free agency.

[Ashartus]

Originally Posted by curves2000

Johnny didn't just come to the realization that he didn't want to play in Canada on the morning of. He had a very very good inclination on what he wanted to do, which is totally fine.

Him and his agent concluded that it wasn't a financial thing and a family thing. That's great, closer to family and getting paid about what you would have in Calgary as well. There is nothing wrong with that.

To do it at the last moment when the expectation was he would sign is a garbage move by a point a game player, never mind his 115 point season.

Yeah I think he was probably already leaning towards leaving when he didn't sign last summer. Waiting until the last day to say he wasn't signing here hurt the team since it prevented them from trading his rights or making other moves at the draft, so I'm a bit disappointed in him for that.

[Beatle17]

Off topic, but does Pierre Maguire ever shut the hell up. Between him and the young lady on the panel (sorry forgot her name) it is non stop chatter about nothing. The only guy that made a competent point was Amber about how Campbell has only played 1 season over 25 games, last year with the Leafs.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by littlereddevil

Exactly. He's a pro athlete. He could have IMO handled this more professionally, by being more up front a year ago when contract negotiations started that the upcoming season would likely be his last season with the Flames. No one's blaming him for wanting to return home to be closer to family, we're just upset that he didn't make his intentions clear until the last minute.

He could have been more upfront, but I have to wonder why Treliving couldn't connect the dots like a lot of fans were able to do who aren't surprised at the eventual outcome. It always seemed like the eventual outcome, but we put our trust in management thinking that they must know something we don't. Turns out they were just wearing rose coloured glasses and couldn't see what was right in front of them.

[NOISIA]

Matthew Phillips will easily just take over Gaudreau spot.

[Locke]

So...

Regehr, Jagr and now Gaudreau.

Once I get their jersey they are off the team within 6 months. There are serial killers without a resume that solid!

So if I go out today and get a Tkachuk jersey we can be confident he will be off the team by the Trade Deadline....

[Buff]

Originally Posted by Locke

So...

Regehr, Jagr and now Gaudreau.

Once I get their jersey they are off the team within 6 months. There are serial killers without a resume that solid!

So if I go out today and get a Tkachuk jersey we can be confident he will be off the team by the Trade Deadline....

It's time you consider getting jerseys of players the fan base really don't like? At least players you don't like.

[crapshoot]

I get why Johnny made the choice he did, but to me it's very far fetched to think that he's been negotiating in good faith. Therefore I now wish that Johnny Gaudreau is severely overpaid by some crap team in the NJ area and reverts to being a 70-point player causing tons of frustration for both himself, his team that will be hamstrung by his contract and his fanbase who will fail to enjoy any kind of success. I wish him nothing but failure for the entirety of his career, but wish him well with his family and everything that obviously is dearest to him. Thanks for the good times Johnny.

[littlereddevil]

Originally Posted by NOISIA

Matthew Phillips will easily just take over Gaudreau spot.

And he's a Calgary boy, so he's already home

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by edn88

Oh the important question is if JG goes to NJ, who gets #13?

No one, cursed number now

[Royle9]

Coronato

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by Locke

So...



Regehr, Jagr and now Gaudreau.



Once I get their jersey they are off the team within 6 months. There are serial killers without a resume that solid!



So if I go out today and get a Tkachuk jersey we can be confident he will be off the team by the Trade Deadline....

I don't like you very much right now

[Moneyhands23]

Originally Posted by Royle9

Coronato

I bet he plays 4 years in Harvard....

[manwiches]

I find it odd Johnny hasn't signed w a team yet. Is he truly conflicted and might turn around back to the flames? Lol

Sent from my SM-N975W using Tapatalk

[Beatle17]

I hate to see Johnny go but the best troll job would be for him to sign with Arizona because he knows that Austin Matthews is coming in a couple years and Patrick Kane coming next year (just a twist on the NBA players having behind the scenes discussions).

This would actually make me laugh. Got to have a little lightness on a day like today.

[Moneyhands23]

Originally Posted by manwiches

I find it odd Johnny hasn't signed w a team yet. Is he truly conflicted and might turn around back to the flames? Lol

Sent from my SM-N975W using Tapatalk

It's probably done. They are just giving it time to announce. No need to have it be an even bigger slap in our face

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by liamenator

One thing that seems clear is that most of the brainpower in the NHL is with the agents. They just keep taking the old-school hockey dudes to the cleaners. They are cutthroat in using every possible avenue and platform to get the best deal for their clients -- media leaks, PR, manipulating emotional dimensions of fan bases and organizations, etc. It's all on the table.

GMs and organizations seem too often to rely on abstract concepts of loyalty, legacy, camaraderie, but those are no longer the primary currency in professional sports (if they ever were). This is my single biggest critique of Treliving. He keeps trying to operate in a world that no longer exists, and then appears totally rattled and personally wounded when people act contrary to his expectations. Hence all the leaks over the years of "we were right there..."; it's always someone else's actions scuttling a deal at the last minute. He fixes mistakes but doesn't seem to learn from them very well.

I wonder if we'll see more teams try to make Kent Hughes, Julian BriseBois-type appointments in the coming GM hiring cycles. Types that have a different orientation to team building, asset management, cultivating relationships, etc. that help them carve out competitive advantages. This team could use that kind of approach; in a small-market Canadian city that just doesn't have the cache to woo players to play or stay, you need to find other ways to tilt the balance in your favour. I'm no longer convinced this management group has the creativity to do so.

Some good points raised here.

No doubt Treliving is a smart guy. But his background is hockey player, co founded a fledgling hockey league and then stepped away from it, AGM for a semi pro team (Coyotes) and now with the Flames. Now he's on point for negotiating a near $100 million contract with the club's most valuable asset. I have no idea who else is working with him but I have often felt that NHL clubs are still run like smaller family businesses. Other pro sports leagues seem to invest far more in their front offices.