[Signing] Flames sign Gaudreau and Arnold. Will be available for Sunday's game against Canucks

[red sky]

Don't. Feed. The. Trolls.

Simple as that. Overall, a great day today. Looking forward to Sunday and then Calgary winning the draft lottery. Exciting times ahead.

[CalgaryFan1988]

Sure, he might not pan out. Isn't that what a prospect is? Bottom line is that he has a lot of potential and now he's Flames property.

Sure beats the alternative. A great day and not one single reason to complain, as a flames fan.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by bluloc

Wow so much excitment for a player who's probably not going to pan out. I hope im wrong but seen this same old song and dance before.

The kid just scored the most points in NCAA in 20 years as a 20 year old. He is an exciting player to watch and he is the ultimate underdog that has used doubts because of his size fuel his motivation. He has dominated the USHl as a 17 year old, won the NCAA top rookie and tournament MVP as a 18 year old, lead the World Juniors in goals as a 19 year old and won the Hobey Baker as a 20 year old. Of all the little guys that pan out in the NHL he seems to have all the tools, skills, smarts to be one of the better ones

[sun]

Just add bluloc and socalflamesfan to the Official CP Debbie Downer Club:

[N-E-B]

Originally Posted by bluloc

Wow so much excitment for a player who's probably not going to pan out. I hope im wrong but seen this same old song and dance before.

Come on man, he's the most skilled prospect we've had in ages and you're getting mad at everyone for being excited? If you don't care, don't bother reading about him. You don't need to put everyone else down because you feel differently.

[nixon45]

Flight is officially across the border!

[dino7c]

the same people saying not to be excited would be cursing the Flames if they didn't get a deal done and saying "welp, I guess he is going to sign in Boston on Philly next year and we will get nothing"

[IliketoPuck]

Originally Posted by krynski

Speak for yourself. He doesn't seem excited to me.

Man.

Take a break.

Angst over JG not signing. JG Signs. Angst over him not being excited enough. Yikes.

[Atodaso]

Originally Posted by dino7c

the same people saying not to be excited would be cursing the Flames if they didn't get a deal done and saying "welp, I guess he is going to sign in Boston on Philly next year and we will get nothing"

Lol. It's funny because it's true.

Claiming he won't pan out or reach his ceiling is easy. I am much happier that he signed over the alternative.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by SoCalFlamesFan

Is this how far we've fallen as the Flames? That we're celebrating the signing of a 5'7", 160lb 4th round draft pick like the second coming?

Originally Posted by bluloc

Wow so much excitment for a player who's probably not going to pan out. I hope im wrong but seen this same old song and dance before.

Now what do these things remind me of? Oh, yes:

Originally Posted by G. K. Chesterton

I venture to say that what is bad in the candid friend is simply that he is not candid. He is keeping something back—his own gloomy pleasure in saying unpleasant things.... He is the uncandid candid friend; the man who says, ‘I am sorry to say we are ruined,’ and is not sorry at all.

[minnow]

Hope. He brings hope. I wish him all the best. Let's see if he succeeds. Good luck Johnny Boy!

[Gaskal]

Originally Posted by minnow

Hope. He brings hope. I wish him all the best. Let's see if he succeeds. Good luck Johnny Boy!

[PeteMoss]

Fun Fact: Gaudreau played with Zemgus Girgensons (Buffalo 1st round pick) in the USHL.

Outscored him by 23 points. (he was a year older however)

Edit: actually only 4 months older given their birthdates.

[IliketoPuck]

Originally Posted by bluloc

Wow so much excitment for a player who's probably not going to pan out. I hope im wrong but seen this same old song and dance before.

Go home Moon, you're drunk.

[tvp2003]

Johnny Hockey and Bill Arnold have landed!

I can see their jet on the tarmac!

(Just kidding -- I just clicked here: http://flightaware.com/live/flight/CNK821/history/20140412/0100Z/KPHL/CYYC)

[Bezer]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

Johnny Hockey and Bill Arnold have landed!

I can see their jet on the tarmac!

(Just kidding -- I just clicked here: http://flightaware.com/live/flight/CNK821/history/20140412/0100Z/KPHL/CYYC)

The Eagles have landed? NM too easy :P

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by bluloc

Wow so much excitment for a player who's probably not going to pan out. I hope im wrong but seen this same old song and dance before.

You're like one of those guys that tells everyone that musically Rick Astley was way more talented then Led Zepplin

[t0rrent98]

If they both get a chance to play who sits?

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by TheKing

As I said before, mr NEGATIVE.

Gaudreau’s current NHLE sits in a comparable class with Patrick Kane, Brett Hull, Eric Lindros, Theo Fleury, Joe Sakic, Ray Whitney, Sidney Crosby and many other notable players from the last 30 years.

Obviously it’s a different game from when most of those players reached the 60+ NHLE.

In fact, there’s only been four players to reach the mark in the past 15 years, which likely means the lower leagues likely had different translation factors back in the day. Therefore, hitting the 60+ NHLE mark in today’s modern era is all that more impressive.

Those 4 are P. Kane 62 - Crosby 67 - Malkin 69 - Kovalchuk 77 // Gaudreau 68

ALSO of the 25+ people that have recorded 60+ NHLE All but ONE have gone to be SUPERSTARS.

Originally Posted by terminator

Temper yourself he's also older then them at the time

Yeah, I've been thinking about this for a couple of days now, and I believe that NHLE actually accounts for the age discrepancy. It is a measure of the average output of first-year players in the NHL at the point of their transition. Gaudreau will actually be one of the younger players coming out of the NCAA to make his NHL debut, since most college players finish out their senior year before moving on, and NHLE automatically accounts for that.

I agree that it is foolish to raise expectations for Gaudreau to be the next Sidney Crosby, but by the same token, it is foolish to also dismiss what he has actually accomplished. He could possibly be the best NCAA player of all time. What is NHLE tells us is that he is in a very special and exclusive class of players that includes Crosby, Malkin, Kane, and Kovalchuk. Will be as good as even one of them? Who knows? But we have every prerogative to recognise his potential, and to be extremely excited about it.

[Vulcan]

That the NHLE of the NCAA is only .03 below the AHL makes me doubt that the stats can be taken at face value.