Seravalli: Gaudreau has informed the Flames he will not return

[Badgers Nose]

Whoops missed it

[Derek Sutton]

Johnny should’ve been traded during the last off season for one of two reasons. 1) Unlikely to re sign and 2) his next contract is going to be a terrible investment. The only problem with him signing elsewhere is that he is leaving and getting nothing in return, just like Hamonic, Brodie, Gio.

Disappointed he is leaving, not disappointed that he new contract is going to be someone else’s burden.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

well it's Brad's job to get value for his players, whether in contract or through trade.

It's the GM's job to put the best team he can on the ice. The team was better with Gaudreau than it would have been without him.

Suppose the Flames had traded Gaudreau a year ago for a similar package to what they got for Iginla. That certainly wouldn't have helped them replace Gaudreau in the short run, and if it turned out the same way, it wouldn't help in the long run either.

Sometimes the best use of an asset is to actually use it.

[kipperiggy]

So is Seravelli an insider or are Elliotte and Pierre also saying he won’t return?

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by kipperiggy

So is Seravelli an insider or are Elliotte and Pierre also saying he won’t return?

Treliving said don't anticipate Johnny coming back.

[Icon]

Originally Posted by kipperiggy

So is Seravelli an insider or are Elliotte and Pierre also saying he won’t return?

Brad Treliving said it so doesn't matter

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

When you some people saying one thing and others saying a different thing, that's actually not a narrative at all, it's multiple narratives.

Well, the narrative is that Treliving is an idiot and must be fired. A lot of the people who invest in such narratives don't actually give a damn about contradicting themselves, as long as they reach the conclusion they want.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by kipperiggy

So is Seravelli an insider or are Elliotte and Pierre also saying he won’t return?

You didn't hear Treliving say Gaudreau told him he was going to FA and NOT returning to CGY?

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

well it's Brad's job to get value for his players, whether in contract or through trade.

He's not getting that kind of offer for Tkachuk again.

Would you have taken it with an ambivalent Gaudreau, at the time?

[Blaster86]

Guy will never be a play-off winner, but it still sucks so bad for the Flames to lose a guy who they made into an all-star.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

It's the GM's job to put the best team he can on the ice. The team was better with Gaudreau than it would have been without him.

Suppose the Flames had traded Gaudreau a year ago for a similar package to what they got for Iginla. That certainly wouldn't have helped them replace Gaudreau in the short run, and if it turned out the same way, it wouldn't help in the long run either.

Sometimes the best use of an asset is to actually use it.

Why do people keep using the iginla package as a comparable? Other than they both played for the flames, the two have nothing in common. Nothing. It’s ridiculously stupid.

[kipperiggy]

Thanks all, sorry no I was traveling and missed BT

[81MC]

Ah well, thanks for the fun times Johnny. Good luck wherever you end up, but a fresh flames is okay.

[Bunk]

People talking like “we’re still a good team that can make the playoffs”

Is that all we care about, being a playoff team? Screw that. I want a team with a legitimate shot at the cup over multiple years. We will never be that without a rebuild and franchise players (preferably a centre) to build around. To think otherwise is just fooling yourself.

I can‘t cheer for a team that won’t do what it takes to become that.

[Locke]

John's life is getting flip-turned upside down.

A couple of guys were up to no good and started making trouble in his neighbourhood and he got into one little fight and his mom got scared, so she packed his suitcase and sent him on his way.

[Roof-Daddy]

Whatever we do, let's NOT do this again next year with Tkachuk please.

If he won't sign a long term contract this off season, trade him this off season.

Pretty frustrating getting constantly corn holed by geography.

The ####ty old arena probably doesn't help either.

[UnitedFlames]

I've decided not to be bitter. Instead, I'm going to keep imagining how I'll feel in 2027 when Cale Makar tells Colorado he's not re-signing because he 'wants to be closer to family.'

[Max Cow Disease]

Sad day. Sad to have to say goodbye to one of the most exciting players in franchise history, and the need to find an obvious direction to point the pitchfork is understandable. However, as is so often the case, multiple things can be true at once. It's true that the team could have theoretically done a better job of "protecting" itself from this eventuality, but it's also true that Gaudreau could have done the team a solid and not taken it down to the wire in this way. Sure, it's his right, and sure, many would do the same, but the gulf between what you "can" and maybe "should" do in a scenario like this is usually somewhat wide. I wish he hadn't handled it this way.

For numerous reasons, it sounds like no extension was agreed to last offseason. For other obvious reasons, the team made no attempt to deal its star player this season in the midst of such a successful campaign. This demand, in hindsight, for shrewdness and foresight by Treliving with regards to this player somewhat miss the mark in a lot of respects. Admittedly, I have a bit of a soft spot for Tree. After hearing him speak over the years and learning how he deals with/views people within the organization (his guest appearance on "Sorry I'm Sad" with Kelsie Snow is a shining example), it's clear that he thought he'd get this done, but that he was somewhat ultimately duped.

It could indeed be a weakness of his, but when you factor in the fact that authorization for something like a scorched-earth rebuild would likely need to come from those signing the cheques...I find it hard to put this outcome entirely in the lap of management. Johnny ultimately didn't extend last season, and with the season they were having, there's no way you trade the guy part way through if there's so much as a chance that you can re-sign him in the offseason. Calgary's a small market team, and we're always going to struggle with retaining talent akin to Johnny. Sure, surgical asset management and a bird's eye view of your players' intentions can keep a team like ours above water as they cycle through rosters, but here we are.

In any case, he'll be north of 30 soon and signed to a deal of astronomical value. I love Johnny but the notion of paying the guy eleven bills for the next eight years didn't entirely sit right with me either. Onward.

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

How do you know he wanted to leave the entire time? There wasn’t anything leading up that would’ve indicated he was gone, especially that post season presser where it sounded like he was coming back. Heck, it even changed Eric Francis’ mind and he was adamant Johnny was gone years ago.

Personally, I think Gaudreau wanted to come back. He loves it here. He loves the team and the fans. But he’s married to a Philly girl and she’s pregnant. He’s also very close to his family. He’s probably been chilling at home and all month thinking, why don’t I just stay?

I dont believe he intentionally sewered us with 0 return through a trade. I had strong inclinations he wanted to leave when he wouldn't discuss a contract extension during the season. At that point it was a highly concerning comment, where if I was in Trelivings shoes I would have asked for his no trade list and tried to ship him out. It's easy for me to say this all now but it's how I felt back then.

Treliving and I have different risk tolerances, and his decision just burned him and the team, hard.

[FlamesAreOne]

This sucks man. It truly sets this franchise back and closes any window we had. I'll echo the notion we need to rebuild and do it properly.

We need to start getting assets back for players that are to walk. Unacceptable.