Matthew Tkachuk & Johnny Gaudreau Signing Watch Thread

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by MegaErtz

No, but allowing your best player to enter the final year of his contract when he can walk for nothing is not something winning franchises tend to do. We should have asked him where he wanted to go last summer and made a trade that got us something in return.

You assume (a) that he had already made up his mind, and (b) that he would have told the truth. Also (c) that there was a deal to be made.

The team was going nowhere this year and barely made it out of the first round against a terrible Dallas team.

The team was 2nd in the league in goal differential, 1st in its division, and a favourite to make the conference finals. They lost to the Oilers, who also barely made it out of the first round against an equally bad L.A. team; and they lost because the players let the officials get in their heads and completely forgot how to check.

If you claim that you knew in advance exactly how this season would play out, you are the biggest liar I've ever met, politicians included.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Then he needed to decide earlier.
Let's not forget he didn't just eff his former team, he kinda effed his former team-mates.
He held all the cards and used them

This is twice that our best player has left in a manner that made it quite clear it was really all about them.

I agree with your first paragraph. If he really couldn’t decide until the very last second, well that’s not great either. Needed to put his big boy pants on sooner and make a decision.

But maybe it’s about the money and Flames wouldn’t meet his number?

If your second paragraph is about Iginla, I’d say that’s a little harsh but I get your point.

[AT77]

Originally Posted by theJuice

Sickening. Let the best, most dynamic and exciting player we had in the past 10 years since Jarome iginla leave for free.

What? Tyler Toffoli is still here!

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by MegaErtz

Any 13 year old who plays franchise mode in EA Sports knows that you don't let your best player walk out the door with no return. So to answer your question, someone who has played NHL 22.

Yeah, because GMing a real team is exactly like playing NHL 22? That is the dumbest thing I've heard in this whole thread, and that's saying something.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by AT77

What? Tyler Toffoli is still here!

Did Tyler Toffoli kill your dog, piss in your Wheaties, AND screw your mom? Nobody gives a flying #### about your personal vendetta. Kindly cork it.

[MegaErtz]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

You assume (a) that he had already made up his mind, and (b) that he would have told the truth. Also (c) that there was a deal to be made.



The team was 2nd in the league in goal differential, 1st in its division, and a favourite to make the conference finals. They lost to the Oilers, who also barely made it out of the first round against an equally bad L.A. team; and they lost because the players let the officials get in their heads and completely forgot how to check.

If you claim that you knew in advance exactly how this season would play out, you are the biggest liar I've ever met, politicians included.

Nobody knows how a season is going to play out before it starts. However, do you really think the Flames will be a contender next season, even if we sign Malkin? It is doubtful. As for being second in the league in goal differential....who cares? I also don't care that Gaudreau is a great even strength hockey player in the regular season. What I do know is that my team has had one good playoff run in the last thirty-three years. Not good enough. The eternal optimism of fans like you is what is stopping us from achieving greater success. We should demand results from our team, not keep buying tickets, watching on tv, and spending money. We're an eternally losing franchise and it shows. Nobody wants to play for us, and all our best players leave for US markets as soon as they realize we're a losing franchise.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

He had months to make the decision. I have a hard time believing he didn't make his mind up some time ago and his agent was using the Flames contract as leverage for negotiations with other teams.

But the Flames' offer, whatever it was, is not leverage for anything. It's off the table, and he goes right back to square 1 with whatever teams he is willing to sign with.

[Flamesfan05]

Johnny played Treliving like a fool

[Burning Beard]

Real nice of Johnny to royally screw the team on his way out for leverage. What a class act...

[Bongsong]

Originally Posted by MegaErtz

Nobody knows how a season is going to play out before it starts. However, do you really think the Flames will be a contender next season, even if we sign Malkin? It is doubtful. As for being second in the league in goal differential....who cares? I also don't care that Gaudreau is a great even strength hockey player in the regular season. What I do know is that my team has had one good playoff run in the last thirty-three years. Not good enough. The eternal optimism of fans like you is what is stopping us from achieving greater success. We should demand results from our team, not keep buying tickets, watching on tv, and spending money. We're an eternally losing franchise and it shows. Nobody wants to play for us, and all our best players leave for US markets as soon as they realize we're a losing franchise.

I hope you leave for a US market

[CroCop]

Smell ya later Johnny! Can’t wait to see how the softest player in the league fairs with Torts and a fan base that loves tough hockey.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by MegaErtz

Nobody knows how a season is going to play out before it starts. However, do you really think the Flames will be a contender next season, even if we sign Malkin? It is doubtful.

Nobody asked you about this coming season. I asked you about last season.

As for being second in the league in goal differential....who cares?

It's usually an indication of a pretty damn good team.

I also don't care that Gaudreau is a great even strength hockey player in the regular season.

OK, let's improve the team by making sure that it has nothing but players who suck in the regular season. I'm sure there's a trophy for that!

What I do know is that my team has had one good playoff run in the last thirty-three years. Not good enough.

Then go find another team.

The eternal optimism of fans like you is what is stopping us from achieving greater success.

Absolute BS. I don't even spend money on the team. Nothing I say or do has the slightest effect on the outcome of hockey games or the plans of team management. Nothing you say or do has an effect either, so get over yourself and cut out the magical thinking.

We should demand results from our team, not keep buying tickets, watching on tv, and spending money.

Then they will go broke and the franchise will be sold to a different city. I guess that would solve your problem nicely.

We're an eternally losing franchise and it shows. Nobody wants to play for us, and all our best players leave for US markets as soon as they realize we're a losing franchise.

Boo hoo, kid. Boo hoo. Your sense of entitlement moves me not in the slightest. Go cry to somebody who cares.

By the way, who the hell is this ‘we’ you keep talking about? The Calgary Flames are a business; the specific business they are in is called show business. They're not here to win, they're here to entertain people and make money by doing so. And you are not in that business with them.

The real question is whether you want a local NHL team or not. Apparently you only want one if you are guaranteed a winner; in which case, reality should take away your lollipop and spank you with it.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Then he needed to decide earlier.
Let's not forget he didn't just eff his former team, he kinda effed his former team-mates.
He held all the cards and used them

This is twice that our best player has left in a manner that made it quite clear it was really all about them.

The Flames braintrust needs to recognize that professional sports is a cruel business and we’re a small market franchise. We can’t tie our fortunes to the hope that superstars will treat us well out of some sappy sense of loyalty.

Time to become absolutely ruthless about asset management. And that starts with Tkachuk.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Flamesfan05

Johnny played Treliving like a fool

Nah, Treliving was playing solitaire on that one.

These "Gaudreau screwed the Flames!" "Waited until the last minute!" comments are just bizarre man. This has been a topic of discussion by all of us out of the loop posters as a distinct possiblity for years. Once that final contract year was started it was heading here. This isn't on Gaudreau at all, it's on blindness by management.

[Flamesfan05]

I wanted Johnny back because we got nothing if he left

But really, you got to be a fool to think we can win a cup with him to be the primary piece

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by The Boy Wonder

Flames are the blue jackets. The quicker we all adjust to that mindset the better off we’ll be

To be honest, that’s pretty close to the truth. We shouldn’t be under any delusions about where our franchise sits in the NHL pecking order in the eyes of players, their agents, and families.

[Icon]

Originally Posted by Flamesfan05

I wanted Johnny back because we got nothing if he left

But really, you got to be a fool to think we can win a cup with him to be the primary piece

Primary piece maybe not but we're a lot further away without him than we were with him. No UFA signing tomorrow changes that

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by Icon

Primary piece maybe not but we're a lot further away without him than we were with him. No UFA signing tomorrow changes that

Closer but still not close.

[Infinit47]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

He had months to make the decision. I have a hard time believing he didn't make his mind up some time ago and his agent was using the Flames contract as leverage for negotiations with other teams.

This is most likely what happened. Depressing way for this to end.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by nik-

This isn't on Gaudreau at all, it's on blindness by management.

Management decided that the last year of Gaudreau on the ice was worth more than whatever they could have traded him for last summer. This is not blindness.

If the Flames were blind to keep Gaudreau for one last season, knowing he would leave, then any other team would have been even more blind to trade good assets to acquire him. At least the Flames can say they got eight seasons of one of the most entertaining players in the league, at no other cost than a 4th-round pick plus salary. Whoever traded for him would have given up more to get less.