[Signing] Gaudreau to Columbus (7 x $9.75 million)

[Vinny01]

This definitely has a similar feel of a breakup with an ex and the various stages of grief and acceptance that it was over.

For 16 years Iginla was our one and only. We loved him and he loved us it was always meant to workout in the end but it didn’t. A breakup was necessary and both sides knew it and we parted ways a amicable as you could. We hoped we would find that love again.

2 years later we were all smitten with a new player. In some ways he was the opposite of Iggy. Instead of being a power forward goal scorer Gaudreau was a small shifty playmaker but we could see he was something special. For 8 years the love for Gaudreau grew as he had a few seasons where he was a top player in the league. Twice the Flames had their best seasons since 89 and twice the team got out of the first round but never got as far as Iggy took the team in 04. While many of us thought that one day soon a breakup could be on the horizon Johnny continued to tell us that he wanted to be here and he loved the city and organization. We hoped to lock it down with him and his next contract would have signed him for 8 more years which would have matched the 16 years Iggy was with us when the contract ended. Johnny had the chance to bring the cup here, break many of Iginla’s records for points and games played.

Our deep down fears were realized on Tuesday when he told the team he wasn’t coming back. He gave us the “it’s not you it’s me” line stating he needs to go home. Many were upset but I think many understood and accepted it as we all felt this was a legit possibility. We wake up Wednesday thinking he is going to home state New Jersey, hometown Philly, or the big apple on Long Island. To our shock as dismay he chose the lowly Blue Jackets of Columbus Ohio. Literally the most mediocre franchise in the league. Never won their division, only once getting past the first round, another market that is used to being dumped by the players they love.

My initial reaction was laughter. “He left us for those losers?” “He must of thought he was going to have teams lined up but had to settle for those clowns” “good we won’t hear about Johnny anymore playing in that irrelevant market” I personally was happy. It was the same as seeing your ex now dating some loser who is short, ugly, and works a low wage job. The emotions change a little as we start to question the decision. Why would he leave Calgary to go play in that dump? It is closer to home but not that close. He left $15M on the table to ditch us for them. We won the division last year, they missed the playoffs by 20pts. He must not care about his legacy, maybe all the stuff he said was BS lip service? The laughter turned to anger and the organization/fans have the right to feel embarrassed. Columbus? Really? Do you hate Calgary? Do you hate Canada? Why leave what you built here to go to that place? We were close to winning now it feels far away. We don’t know whether we should tear it down, trudge along with the current group, or throw money at the next player that gives us some attention (Kadri).

I feel like it will be easier to move on knowing Johnny is in a market that is league wide irrelevant. Time will heal the wounds but I do not blame those who want to boo him when he comes to town next year. We all thought a breakup was possible but I don’t think any of us saw him leaving us for them. Especially for $15M less. It is hard to not take it personally as a Canadian and Calgarian that’s for sure.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald

I think it has become obvious that Gaudreau wanted out of the spotlight that was following him around away from the game. This is the hardest thing for many athletes to handle as the opportunities for privacy are limited. I remember back in the day being at a movie theatre for the first day of a big summer blockbuster and Lanny McDonald was in line with his wife to see the movie as well. This was the summer we lost to Canadiens so the city was still drunk on the trip to the finals. People were non-stop asking for autographs and shaking his hand. Thank god this was before cellphones and selfies. Lanny was gracious and took most of it in stride until the crowd started chanting his name. This went on for about five minutes until he had had enough. He snapped and yelled for everyone to STFU and give him and his wife space, they just wanted to see the movie like regular people. It really let me know how different life is for the people. So I can understand when a shy introverted kid who wants to start a family has a desire to blend in with the wood work away from the game. I will not hold that against him.

What I will hold against him, and the management team of the Flames, is not figuring this out well ahead of the deadline. This isn't rocket science and should have been a well known for years. I get trying to work past this, but if this was something that Gaudreau was always dealing with, the club should have identified this as issue and addressed it accordingly. The appropriate way was to get him some counseling to deal with this anxiety and if they were not making headway then prepare for the probability of not having that player. The stress of the spot light is tough on some people and they deal with it the best ways they can. For some it is running away from it. This appears to be the case here. The team should have been prepared for this outcome. Both parties should have worked together to find a resolution to the problem before it came to a head and both were hurt by the outcome (Flames more than the player).

To the first paragraph, regarding being in the spotlight, yes, that is an issue for some players - some relish it, some don't. And I think it is a HUGE factor for the Canadian teams, as players are highly visible in relatively small cities.

However, your second paragraph goes way too far, as your conclusions usually do. You suggest the Flames should have known and should have dealt with it. They can only 'know', and thus deal with it, if the player relates that it is an issue. But by all accounts, that was not the case. Gaudreau kept the Flames fully on the line right until the end, and left them feeling there was a real chance that he would stay - and who knows, maybe there was, as he seemed genuinely conflicted.

Gaudreau's side led the Flames on. I don't hold animosity towards them for that, as they were within their right to do so, and doing so improves their bargaining position. It is what it is, but suggesting the Flames are at fault for that is an over-reaction.

[Mr.Coffee]

Ohio taxes on $9.75MM = After-tax income is $5.715MM (according to Forbes tax calculator)

Alberta taxes on $10.5MM = After-tax income is $5.491MM (according to turbo tax calculator).

So in essence he is better off $224K per year in CLB which is $1.568MM over 7 years, but he gave up 1 year of $5.491MM so he's worse off by $3.923MM in after tax dollars undiscounted.

So you're trading just under $4MM to live kinda closer to home and be out of the spotlight. To me that's a wildly expensive trade / price but what do I know and to each their own.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Imagine the uproar had Treliving traded him/gave him an ultimatum of draft day, and then it came out later that Gaudreau wanted to negotiate in good faith and would have signed in Calgary but the Flames made one offer and then moved on?

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

I'm gonna go with saw Philly clearing cap, got giddy and told the Flames peace out without considering the possibility that Philly might still not being able to make it happen.

Then was left with a burnt bridge and took the best of the "meh" suitors remaining.

I don't know what Lewis Gross was telling him through this but either Johnny really doesn't take counsel/advice or Gross is an abysmal agent.

What I don't get is why does NHL free agency have to happen on the first day? Is it really a case of musical chairs? If in fact Gaudreau was caught off guard, could he not sit there today and weigh his options, see which teams are really out there? I mean is Columbus really different than say
Detroit? (making this up)

NBA free agency was a week ago, there are still good players out there negotiating.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Ford Prefect

I keep seeing the defense made for Gaudreau that it was his right to decide what he was going to do. That is without question. But there’s a classy way to do things and a classless way to do things. Gaudreau definitely took the low road.

Was it classy of the Lighting to basically force Ryan McDonagh into accepting a trade after helping them win a cup when he wanted to stay in Tampa? Was it classy of the Flyers to scratch Yandle and end his iron man streak? Has Vegas ever done anything classy handling their players? I think fans need to understand that what there's not a lot of class in any of this business as it's all about what have you done lately and what's best for me.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by ah123

Interesting observation, or just anger

https://twitter.com/sid_seixeiro/sta...H4G7Uw5kpMlofQ

He's a Leafs fan so it's not anger. Just an unbiased opinion.

[memphusk]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

Ohio taxes on $9.75MM = After-tax income is $5.715MM (according to Forbes tax calculator)

Alberta taxes on $10.5MM = After-tax income is $5.491MM (according to turbo tax calculator).

So in essence he is better off $224K per year in CLB which is $1.568MM over 7 years, but he gave up 1 year of $5.491MM so he's worse off by $3.923MM in after tax dollars undiscounted.

So you're trading just under $4MM to live kinda closer to home and be out of the spotlight. To me that's a wildly expensive trade / price but what do I know and to each their own.

And he's not in Canada which obviously played a big part.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

It's a fact because he allowed the player to take right up to the last hours to decide.

Perhaps that was his mandate from ownership? Perhaps he was told by Gross they were almost there?

Nobody was stopping him for making a deadline

Again, you nor I nor anyone not in the room know this, which makes it clearly not a "fact".

If you allow someone as long as possible to make a decision don't get mad at them for taking every second of that time to make it.
Johnny didn't handcuff the Flames. Treliving did and maybe owners if they were involved. Fold your cards and play the next hand if the stakes are getting so high that you have more to lose.

Just more of the same.

You clearly won't consider everything involved and the outside influences that were at play to some degree. You want to blame BT alone...fill your boots i guess.

Either way, again, no one involved in this comes out looking good other than a hockey team in Ohio.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Was it classy of the Lighting to trade Ryan McDonagh after helping them win a cup when he wanted to stay in Tampa? Was it classy of the Flyers to scratch Yandle and end his iron man streak? Has Vegas ever done anything classy handling their players? I think fans need to understand that what there's not a lot of class in any of this business as it's all about what have you done lately and what's best for me.

Those examples are widely accepted as “bull#### moves” by pretty much everyone.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

Those examples are widely accepted as “bull#### moves” by pretty much everyone.

Exactly which is my point. Teams always do what's best for them why should it not apply to players?

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

I think it's time to move on from Treliving, but even as someone who wants him out, you have to admit he's now vindicated to a large degree on what happened this past week.

So the whole Flames organization is so toxic that no one wants to play for them?

If it was not Treliving at fault how come Gaudreau wanted out so badly. There obviously was not a solid relationship.

How did the Flames handle turning down the Gaudreau's camp long term extension the summer of 2021?

Gio by all indications should be a Flame to end his career at $750k

It will be telling on how Mangiapane and Tkachuk contracts play out this off season.

[The Fonz]

Moving on...

21/22 Gaudreau was worth $10M, but he wasn't worth close to that the couple years prior and I'd bet he only plays up to this contract value in 1 or 2 years of his new 7yr deal and you can't contend in this league unless players outperform their contracts. I've been down on Gaudreau for a few seasons now, and I'll admit I was completely wrong about how he'd perform in 21/22 - he was incredible - but at the end of the day I'm glad the Flames aren't on the hook for 8yrs @ $10M with JG going forward. That contract would have been as much of a problem for the Flames as Marner's has been for the Leafs.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

Ohio taxes on $9.75MM = After-tax income is $5.715MM (according to Forbes tax calculator)

Alberta taxes on $10.5MM = After-tax income is $5.491MM (according to turbo tax calculator).

So in essence he is better off $224K per year in CLB which is $1.568MM over 7 years, but he gave up 1 year of $5.491MM so he's worse off by $3.923MM in after tax dollars undiscounted.

So you're trading just under $4MM to live kinda closer to home and be out of the spotlight. To me that's a wildly expensive trade / price but what do I know and to each their own.

Depending on structure it could be more or less. Taxes are paid where you play as I understand it. The bonus part is therefore huge - it’s taxed where he is when he gets it. If he got fancy tax planning in Canada it could be a lot different.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

I'm gonna go with saw Philly clearing cap, got giddy and told the Flames peace out without considering the possibility that Philly might still not being able to make it happen.

Then was left with a burnt bridge and took the best of the "meh" suitors remaining.

I don't know what Lewis Gross was telling him through this but either Johnny really doesn't take counsel/advice or Gross is an abysmal agent.

I think a large part of the problem here is Lewis Gross. He knows only one kind of negotiation tactic, and that is put the screws to the team until the very last second.

Treliving tried to get this done last year, and almost did, but the Gaudreau camp pulled the plug at the last minute. At that point, it was 100% certain that we were going to the 11th hour Tuesday night on this. Either that, or Treliving trades him. But there is no way he was trading his star player while the team was having the season they were having last year.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by transplant99

It's a fact is it?

How do you know that?

Is it not entirely possible that ownership insisted that BT try and re-sign him when BT wanted to possibly trade him?

Is it not possible that JG assured his teammates and/or management he wanted to return but did not really have that inclination?

I mean this thing should have been dealt with last summer IMO and if he wasnt signing...then see ya.

Something prevented/handcuffed them from accomplishing that. I'm going to assume it wasn't management doing it to themselves, so it was another force at play. I think that is a reasonable/logical position...no?

Either way, yes its a bad look...for every single entity involved other than the Blue Jackets. They are the only winners in all of this.

Im not defending BT as a GM here as I think its time for a change and a fresh approach among the braintrust, but in this particular case I cant lay the blame at his feet when the player was literally negotiating to the last day and then turns around and leaves for 15 million dollars less.

You’re saying that Tre not trading him last year was because of handcuffs…therefore he is not to blame, because obviously he is such a good GM that he would have traded him. That’s a very circular argument. I can just as easily say he’s a poor GM because he decided not to trade him. There’s no proof either way. Can we agree that ‘the Flames’ could have handled this better with more forethought, even if the short term blame seems to fall mostly on the player?

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by transplant99

You clearly won't consider everything involved and the outside influences that were at play to some degree. You want to blame BT alone...fill your boots i guess.

Okay if you want me to consider outside influences and everything involved with the Flames then should you not do the same when accusing Gaudreau for stringing the Flames along? Can't have your cake and eat it too.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

Ohio taxes on $9.75MM = After-tax income is $5.715MM (according to Forbes tax calculator)

Alberta taxes on $10.5MM = After-tax income is $5.491MM (according to turbo tax calculator).

So in essence he is better off $224K per year in CLB which is $1.568MM over 7 years, but he gave up 1 year of $5.491MM so he's worse off by $3.923MM in after tax dollars undiscounted.

So you're trading just under $4MM to live kinda closer to home and be out of the spotlight. To me that's a wildly expensive trade / price but what do I know and to each their own.

https://twitter.com/ryannpike/status...I90kYvwoXPeGWg

Pike put the taxes in this tweet. He walked away from $7.3 in take home money obviously the Flames contract being a year longer

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

Moving on...

21/22 Gaudreau was worth $10M, but he wasn't worth close to that the couple years prior and I'd bet he only plays up to this contract value in 1 or 2 years of his new 7yr deal and you can't contend in this league unless players outperform their contracts. I've been down on Gaudreau for a few seasons now, and I'll admit I was completely wrong about how he'd perform in 21/22 - he was incredible - but at the end of the day I'm glad the Flames aren't on the hook for 8yrs @ $10M with JG going forward. That contract would have been as much of a problem for the Flames as Marner's has been for the Leafs.

Objectively, he has had a couple of '$10M seasons' and a couple '$7M seasons' over the last 4 years. I am a huge fan because he is an incredible entertaining player, and seems like a good kid. But looking at an 8 X $10.5M contract rationally, in daylight, I think we are maybe better off.

[BigRed]

So bizarre. Based on absolutely nothing, I’m going with an unvaxxed mother in law


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