Seravalli: Gaudreau has informed the Flames he will not return

[devo22]

terrible news to wake up today and I haven't fully digested it yet, even after a few hours. It's a dark day for the franchise for sure. I'm sure most of the things I'm about to write have been written many times in this thread already, but I don't have the time to go through 60 pages.

Johnny obviously has every right to go to free agency, but the way he and his camp have played this doesn't sit right with me. If his agent comes out and says "it's not about money, it's about family", then why string the Flames along until the very end and engage in these negotiations in the first place? If your heart is set on going home, by all means, knock yourself out. But it would have been fair to both the franchise and the fanbase, who have rolled out the carpet for him and his family from the very get go and who have shown them nothing but love over the years, to communicate this early so the Flames can plan ahead. The way his camp has played this, no matter the intentions, is a big F U to the organization and the worst case scenario, no matter how you spin it. Again, he's obviously entitled to do this, but I would have hoped for a different outcome after spending almost a decade in this organization.

as others have noted, the Flames need to learn from this. No more good faith negotiations, but protecting the franchise over everything else. If a star player is one year away from UFA, you offer a contract, set a deadline and trade the player for assets if the player doesn't sign. As a small-market Canadian team, you simply can't afford to be Columbus North and lose those players for nothing. Trading a star player for assets might sting, but it's nothing compared to losing them for nothing.

just a disappointing situation all around. Not sure Treliving could have played this any worse, but Johnny's camp was a willing dance partner in all of this. It is what it is ... I wish Johnny all the best on a personal level, but in terms of hockey, I'm childish enough to hope his new team will never anything. As for the Flames, I'm just really scared of what might happen later today ... there is no doubt in my mind that they will want to stay the course and win now, which probably means a terrible UFA contract or two. The right course of action would be trying to trade Tkachuk and hit the reset button, but I doubt this is the direction they will want to go. Next few years are going to be bleak.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

First jersey I bought my son was Giordano.

Second jersey I bought my son was Gaudreau.

Not sure if it's simply when I buy the jersey the player is gone thereafter, or if that only applies to players whose last names start with "G".

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

If the Flames wanted to bring Johnny back, they should have thrown negotiation out the window IMO.

If you follow the rumor mill, they started at $9.5m AAV and worked their way up from there right to the wire today.

This is a loyal guy IMO, but he's also a Northeastern American guy with a pregnant wife who is also from that area, and both families too. He doesn't like to fly, and out there travel is a lot less cumbersome. He grew up a Flyers fan, the Flames have a ####ty old arena and no new one on the horizon anymore.

I mean, there was a million things pulling this kid back home and the longer this went on the more and more likely it got that he was a goner. It's easy to Monday morning QB but like I said, they should drawn a line in the sand and offered him $88 million a week or so after the season ended and given him a deadline.

"Johnny, this is our best offer. We get that you have time still, but we don't. We have a lot of fish to fry this off season. You are the biggest part of our team right now and we want you here for the rest of your career. We think we can win with you. But we can't wait until July 13th, we need to know right away so we can continue building around you ASAP"

Would i have worked? I don't know, but time was their enemy IMO given all the factors pulling him where he is now going to go.

But, ah well. He's going where his heart is now.

Should have locked him up last summer instead of ####ing around. They lost Gaudreau when the season started with no contract. That’s 100% Treliving’s fault. He gambled and lost despite what his supporters are saying.

[Flames_F.T.W]

Originally Posted by Flamesfan05

Should have locked him up last summer instead of ####ing around. They lost Gaudreau when the season started with no contract. That’s 100% Treliving’s fault. He gambled and lost despite what his supporters are saying.

Rinse and repeat with Tkachuk?

[bubbsy]

Great season, then watching the team losing their complete identity, getting whooped by the oilers in the first boa in decades, then losing the team's best player weeks later.

Sounds about bau for flames fans.

Back to the drawing board, but likely not without some hard pushes by the ownership to be mediocre.

This montage, and music selection, being played on the fan is brutal.

[Zoller]

Originally Posted by devo22

terrible news to wake up today and I haven't fully digested it yet, even after a few hours. It's a dark day for the franchise for sure. I'm sure most of the things I'm about to write have been written many times in this thread already, but I don't have the time to go through 60 pages.

Johnny obviously has every right to go to free agency, but the way he and his camp have played this doesn't sit right with me. If his agent comes out and says "it's not about money, it's about family", then why string the Flames along until the very end and engage in these negotiations in the first place? If your heart is set on going home, by all means, knock yourself out. But it would have been fair to both the franchise and the fanbase, who have rolled out the carpet for him and his family from the very get go and who have shown them nothing but love over the years, to communicate this early so the Flames can plan ahead. The way his camp has played this, no matter the intentions, is a big F U to the organization and the worst case scenario, no matter how you spin it. Again, he's obviously entitled to do this, but I would have hoped for a different outcome after spending almost a decade in this organization.

as others have noted, the Flames need to learn from this. No more good faith negotiations, but protecting the franchise over everything else. If a star player is one year away from UFA, you offer a contract, set a deadline and trade the player for assets if the player doesn't sign. As a small-market Canadian team, you simply can't afford to be Columbus North and lose those players for nothing. Trading a star player for assets might sting, but it's nothing compared to losing them for nothing.

just a disappointing situation all around. Not sure Treliving could have played this any worse, but Johnny's camp was a willing dance partner in all of this. It is what it is ... I wish Johnny all the best on a personal level, but in terms of hockey, I'm childish enough to hope his new team will never anything. As for the Flames, I'm just really scared of what might happen later today ... there is no doubt in my mind that they will want to stay the course and win now, which probably means a terrible UFA contract or two. The right course of action would be trying to trade Tkachuk and hit the reset button, but I doubt this is the direction they will want to go. Next few years are going to be bleak.

I think a large part of it was Tre really thought Johnny wanted to stay and could get a deal done.

Johnny also played this really well. Whatever team he goes to didn't have to give up assets to get him because he never gave the Flames a chance to trade him.

Sucks for the Flames but this is best case scenario for Gaudreau.

[Hockey_Ninja]

Originally Posted by Maritime Q-Scout

First jersey I bought my son was Giordano.

Second jersey I bought my son was Gaudreau.

Not sure if it's simply when I buy the jersey the player is gone thereafter, or if that only applies to players whose last names start with "G".

Iggy was my first Flames numbered jersey purchase on the night his number got raised to the rafters. My friends got me a Backlund jersey for my birthday a month later. I bought a white retro Johnny earlier this year

[devo22]

Originally Posted by Zoller

I think a large part of it was Tre really thought Johnny wanted to stay and could get a deal done.

Johnny also played this really well. Whatever team he goes to didn't have to give up assets to get him because he never gave the Flames a chance to trade him.

Sucks for the Flames but this is best case scenario for Gaudreau.

yeah, I get it. And like I said, it's his right to do this. But as a Flames fan, it's hard to not feel extremely bitter about it.

[rhino]

Originally Posted by Flamesfan05

Should have locked him up last summer instead of ####ing around. They lost Gaudreau when the season started with no contract. That’s 100% Treliving’s fault. He gambled and lost despite what his supporters are saying.

How do you know they didn’t try? I don’t see Brad or the owners saying “ well let’s just wait until the last minute and see what happens”

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Barnet Flame

Johnny made what he and his family believe to be the right decision for them. It’s the wrong decision for us, but having personally, made decisions I didn’t want to make because it was for the wider benefit of my family, I can’t hold this against him.

I’m glad I got to see him one last time in the Dome with perfect seats to watch him achieve his 100th point. That was special. I think many people downplay moments like that, focussing on everything being pointless, because in the end, the Cup wasn’t won. But they weren’t pointless moments, times like that, living in the moment were and are special. Only one team can win the Cup and it is often punctuated with luck, a dodgy decision here and there, as well as great moments.

Johnny gave us our fair share of entertainment and jaw dropping plays. I’m so glad I got to see him do that. I’d have loved for him to go on and complete his career wearing our jersey, but wish him and his family, all the best for the future.

Totally agree. The biggest loss for me out of all this is that Gaudreau was the reason to watch the Flames over his tenure in Calgary. The last time the Flames had a special player that was worth the price of entry alone was Fleury. You just don't replace players like that and it's a big loss for the organization. I'm a little bitter about how the negotiations went down to the wire but that doesn't change my view of the player who was a treat to watch for nine years. Hopefully somehow the organization can unearth another great player.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Zoller

I think a large part of it was Tre really thought Johnny wanted to stay and could get a deal done.

Johnny also played this really well. Whatever team he goes to didn't have to give up assets to get him because he never gave the Flames a chance to trade him.

Sucks for the Flames but this is best case scenario for Gaudreau.

What do you mean he never gave the Flames a chance to trade him? Who is the boss here? They could have traded him anytime.

Like they could trade Tkachuk today.

[devo22]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

What do you mean he never gave the Flames a chance to trade him? Who is the boss here? They could have traded him anytime.

Like they could trade Tkachuk today.

he means that the Flames didn't trade him because Johnny gave them the impression that he'd re-sign.

[indes]

Thanks for everything Johnny!

Hopefully living near home is all it's cracked up to be. Guy earned his right to choose where to play, wish him nothing but the best as long as he signs out east haha.

[Hackey]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

Sorry, the argument was top 3 only.

The only way to guarantee yourself a top-3 pick is to finish dead last – and there are always multiple teams competing for that spot. That's why scorched-earth rebuilds seldom pay off, and when they do, it takes 5 to 10 years to happen. You have to be so bad to get those picks that it takes years of climbing just to get back to mediocrity.

If a scorched earth rebuild doesn't work do you think a retool on the fly has a higher probability of working? What is the better alternative?

Is a scorched earth rebuild a guarantee? Far from it. But I'd wager it has the highest probability of success if done correctly. Tell me what has a higher probability?

If hypothetically the Flames cashed in on Tkachuk, Lindholm, Mangiapane, Hanifin, Markstrom, etc. They would have an abundance of picks, prospects, players, all entering the league at a similar time. Add on top of that your own picks. That's also an abundance of currency to make trades. Make smart moves like taking on bad contracts for more currency. You give yourself a much better chance than waiting to bottom out and basically relying on nothing but your own picks. In that scenario you draft a few good players but have nothing to surround them with.

Or you try to build as you go, never getting a high draft pick, always being pressed against the cap, any players that do surprise or break out eat more cap which eats into your roster. Players leave. It's a constant uphill battle where the odds are terrible. You're the Wild, Nashville....Calgary.

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by Flames_F.T.W

Rinse and repeat with Tkachuk?

With Tkachuk, it’s even worse. Everyone knows Treliving ####ed up with the last contract. Only choice now is sign him long term or trade him for lower returns if he doesn’t sign now. If that doesn’t work, we’ll see the same movie next July 1st

[Scroopy Noopers]

If it was a family decision then the details were known long ago. This could have been said anytime from when the flames first tabled their offer at the end of their season, to draft day. Garbage.

Yeah yeah you want to talk about how it’s the right decision for Johnny. But I don’t care. I don’t even #### employers like this and I make peanuts. I also moved across the country for my wife’s work, and don’t live near my family. Like thousands of other non-millionaires who can’t afford to live where they want for a 4 month offseason. Pathetic.

[bluejays]

Let’s face it. Johnny screwed over the Flames. Again I rip Brad any chance, but ownership put the best offer out there, and he balked last minute because he “wanted to go home”. You’re telling me he didn’t know that possibility for awhile? If it was so dear to him it wouldn’t be a last minute decision to leave. So either the agent played the team or somewhere along the line they lost respect for the organization or management. Either way, the Flames did everything reasonable and he walked. They can’t let the same happen to Tkachuk and all I care about is they maximize the return for him in the next three months. The guy isn’t going to put up great numbers without Gaudreau, but will command a big salary when the time comes. F that. Get out now.

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by rhino

How do you know they didn’t try? I don’t see Brad or the owners saying “ well let’s just wait until the last minute and see what happens”

They tried and failed but at least there was an opportunity then. There was none after he had a great season. I don’t give credit for failure.

[keenan87]

Originally Posted by Flamesfan05

With Tkachuk, it’s even worse. Everyone knows Treliving ####ed up with the last contract. Only choice now is sign him long term or trade him for lower returns if he doesn’t sign now. If that doesn’t work, we’ll see the same movie next July 1st

And once he leaves.. people on here will continue to say it's not Brad's fault. He did everything he could... while the guy continues to lose top assets for nothing.

[BigJim]

Originally Posted by devo22

terrible news to wake up today and I haven't fully digested it yet, even after a few hours. It's a dark day for the franchise for sure. I'm sure most of the things I'm about to write have been written many times in this thread already, but I don't have the time to go through 60 pages.

Johnny obviously has every right to go to free agency, but the way he and his camp have played this doesn't sit right with me. If his agent comes out and says "it's not about money, it's about family", then why string the Flames along until the very end and engage in these negotiations in the first place? If your heart is set on going home, by all means, knock yourself out. But it would have been fair to both the franchise and the fanbase, who have rolled out the carpet for him and his family from the very get go and who have shown them nothing but love over the years, to communicate this early so the Flames can plan ahead. The way his camp has played this, no matter the intentions, is a big F U to the organization and the worst case scenario, no matter how you spin it. Again, he's obviously entitled to do this, but I would have hoped for a different outcome after spending almost a decade in this organization.

as others have noted, the Flames need to learn from this. No more good faith negotiations, but protecting the franchise over everything else. If a star player is one year away from UFA, you offer a contract, set a deadline and trade the player for assets if the player doesn't sign. As a small-market Canadian team, you simply can't afford to be Columbus North and lose those players for nothing. Trading a star player for assets might sting, but it's nothing compared to losing them for nothing.

just a disappointing situation all around. Not sure Treliving could have played this any worse, but Johnny's camp was a willing dance partner in all of this. It is what it is ... I wish Johnny all the best on a personal level, but in terms of hockey, I'm childish enough to hope his new team will never anything. As for the Flames, I'm just really scared of what might happen later today ... there is no doubt in my mind that they will want to stay the course and win now, which probably means a terrible UFA contract or two. The right course of action would be trying to trade Tkachuk and hit the reset button, but I doubt this is the direction they will want to go. Next few years are going to be bleak.

Good post, and after a night to think about it, I think that behind closed doors the Flames are furious with Gaudreau and his agent. Right now, they're saying all the right things publicly but likely feel that this was not a good faith negotiation. Gaudreau seemed to give every indication to both the public and the team that he wanted to be in Calgary. His interviews were effusive about it. I have more respect now for PLD for giving the Jets 2 years to trade him and recover some assets.