Seravalli: Gaudreau has informed the Flames he will not return

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

Inflation will solve that ... Colorado sure has a pretty top-heavy team.

They actually didn’t really this past season. Rantanen and Makar were the only big contracts and Makar’s is already a bargain.

Rantanen: $9.25M
Makar: $9.0M

I think it was actually these $10 contracts under 7 million that won Colorado the cup though. All good value for what they brought and why they were such a juggernaut.

Landeskog: $7.0M
Mackinnon: $6.3M
Johnson: $6.0M
Girard: $5.0M
Burakovsky: $4.9M
Kadri: $4.5M
Toews: 4.1M
Kuemper: $3.5M
Compher: $3.5M
Nichuskin: $2.5M

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

1. Losing Cup Final 2004
2. Losing Cup Final 1986
3. Jarome leaving in 2013
4. Gilmour Trade?
5. Johnny leaving?

Debatable, but you are probably right. Important to remember he's turning 30. He played his best years already and they were with the Flames. We may have actually dodged a bullet as $11MM @ age 34+ is going to be yikes for anyone.

My position was always that there were 3 outcomes
- Trading Johnny
- Signing him to a larger long-term deal
- Losing him for nothing

I always viewed 2 of those to be not good outcomes. Now Johnny changed my mind somewhat with his last season, however, the speculated deals for Johnny still had a ton of risk and min my view at some point that deal was going to be a negative.

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

1. Losing Cup Final 2004
2. Losing Cup Final 1986
3. Jarome leaving in 2013
4. Gilmour Trade?
5. Johnny leaving?

Debatable, but you are probably right. Important to remember he's turning 30. He played his best years already and they were with the Flames. We may have actually dodged a bullet as $11MM @ age 34+ is going to be yikes for anyone.

Marc Savard trade when we were desperate for offence.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by StoneCole

you mean Meredith Ono?

This team ain’t the Beatles.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

1. Losing Cup Final 2004
2. Losing Cup Final 1986
3. Jarome leaving in 2013
4. Gilmour Trade?
5. Johnny leaving?

Debatable, but you are probably right. Important to remember he's turning 30. He played his best years already and they were with the Flames. We may have actually dodged a bullet as $11MM @ age 34+ is going to be yikes for anyone.

29 but point taken. He will be 34-35 in the middle of this deal. I don't think he will be on a winning team either.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by agulati

Fan 960 mentioning that Flyers might be out of the Gaudreau sweepstakes. Between Isles and Devils apparently.

That's probably for the best for Johnny. Flyers are such a disaster I don't see that ever living up to the dreams he may have had as a kid playing for them.

[Flamesfan05]

Would be funny if he ends up in Seattle

[Hockey_Ninja]

Originally Posted by Lanny'sDaMan

Clearly you don't have greaser fan friends. Those dinks have been relentless at me all morning. Blocked a few as a result.

I’m glad my Oiler fan friends haven’t been like that. One of them told me he wasn’t gonna rub it in because he’s sure McDavid and Draisaitl will leave too

[shotinthebacklund]

Johnny just really wants to play with his buddy Dougie again.

[Royle9]

Originally Posted by Flamesfan05

Would be funny if he ends up in Seattle

Pitchforks will be out in full force if Johnny goes anywhere but NJ/PHI/Islanders

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by Flamesfan05

Would be funny if he ends up in Seattle

Funnier than a guy who has a handle of Flamesfan but actually isn't a Flames fan?

[The Yen Man]

To be honest, the Devils probably have a better chance to become the next Florida (long rebuild that's finally bearing some fruit) vs. either Calgary, Flyers, or Isles. So if we take the emotion out of it, Johnny's best chance at a championship even vs. the Flames is potentially with NJ.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Flamesfan05

Would be funny if he ends up in Seattle

I wish him nothing but the best in his personal life. Lots of kids, lots of love and happiness.

I also wish he tops out at a 60point player from here on out, and never makes it to the dance ever again. Flames win multiple Cups without him and Monahan chirps him for leaving when he comes to his Cup party a la Crosby-Mackinnon.

So, Seattle fits.

[djsFlames]

Enjoy toiling away in New Jersey dude.

Break up the best line in hockey to eat away your remaining years on a team thats been poorly run for the better part of 20 years? Quite a decision.

Hope relative anonymity and proximity to parents is worth never having the shot to win the prize again.

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

1. Losing Cup Final 2004
2. Losing Cup Final 1986
3. Jarome leaving in 2013
4. Gilmour Trade?
5. Johnny leaving?

Debatable, but you are probably right. Important to remember he's turning 30. He played his best years already and they were with the Flames. We may have actually dodged a bullet as $11MM @ age 34+ is going to be yikes for anyone.

2 and 3 were way lower IMO. 86 was a just happy to be in the final year. Losing to the Oilers this year was far worse. Iginla leaving was emotional, but everyone knew the time had come and team was bad, so wasn't doing anything useful here. Fleury, Nieuwendyk, Macinnis and Roberts leaving were all more painful than Iginla. Johnny leaving probably hurts more than anyone else since he is leaving while the team is good an he is still in his prime.

[StoneCole]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

What really stings is that in an instant we went from a team with all the pieces to compete for a Cup over the next few years including a world class coach, to serious consideration of a full rebuild.

That does not seem to happen to other teams who lose major UFA's does it? Maybe a set-back resulting in a re-tool but not a total tear-down?

Yesterday has to be among the top 5 worst days in the history of the franchise.

the whole City just feels like we got dumped by our girlfriend

[Sec214]

Originally Posted by Flamesfan05

Would be funny if he ends up in Seattle

Yeah I don't think he would want to do that, We are pretty tame but I tell you - We can get hostile quickly.

[chedder]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

What really stings is that in an instant we went from a team with all the pieces to compete for a Cup over the next few years including a world class coach, to serious consideration of a full rebuild.



That does not seem to happen to other teams who lose major UFA's does it? Maybe a set-back resulting in a re-tool but not a total tear-down?



Yesterday has to be among the top 5 worst days in the history of the franchise.

But did we really have all the pieces? We had a goalie that has an allergy to the Oilers, our biggest stars were good but nowhere near great. We had very little secondary scoring. We had a good regular season run but the playoffs showed, again, that we are far from a contender even with Johnny.

Don't get me wrong, losing Gaudreau and likely Tkachuk is a huge step backwards but I don't think we were cup bound even with them.

[2macinnis2]

Originally Posted by The Yen Man

To be honest, the Devils probably have a better chance to become the next Florida (long rebuild that's finally bearing some fruit) vs. either Calgary, Flyers, or Isles. So if we take the emotion out of it, Johnny's best chance at a championship even vs. the Flames is potentially with NJ.

Are they though? My brother is a Sabres fan and watches a lot of Eastern conference. He told me last night he thinks the Devils stink. Small and easy to push around. Maybe Hughes will be good I suppose?

[djsFlames]

Its honestly nutty to me that someone who loves the game would pass up 8-10 extra million and a competitive team to please his wife when he will be retired before 40 and be able to do anything at that point anyways.

I don't think he put himself first with this decision, when it was his to make. Call it considerate or whatever, but people and women respect men more when they stand their ground in respect to their career and passion.

Just my slant with what limited knowledge we have.