To Calgary | By Johnny Gaudreau

[TBone290]

Originally Posted by Captain Otto

This.

Put on your big boy pants and suck it up. Life is full of sacrifices and not being around family is a reality for a large portion of the population.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

He has to sacrifice time with his family in order to please a fanbase?
He has the fortuity to choose, and he chose family. What's the big deal?

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Hindsight, yeah a bargain (unless he reverts to 2020-21 stats). At the time, people would have been calling for Treliving's head, saying he caved, cost the team it's future by tying up too much cap, that he was going to lose Tkachuk, should tie himself to a guy who couldn't get it done. Etc.

Tell me who predicted a 110 point fit from Gaudreau before this last season.

Brad routinely goes out on UFA day and overpays for free agents. If he overpaid for a guy who was a a PPG guy the previous three seasons (last summer) or if you want to have a more negative time frame was a 0.88 PPG guy the year before I would have been fine with it.

He gave a 31 year old guy who had averaged 0.64 PPG the previous three years and 0.62 PPG the previous year 5.75 million dollar a year contract over 5 years under a 79.5 million dollar cap (7.23% of the cap)

He gave a a 31 year old forward who had averaged 0.51 PPG over the previous 3 years and 0.52 PPG in his last year a 4 year 4.5 million dollar a year contract under a 73 million dollar cap (6.16% of the cap)

I would have been fine giving a guy who is twice the player that either of those guys were before they joined the Flames 10-11% of the value of the cap on a long term deal last summer (somewhere between 8 and 9 million a year). No questions asked I would have signed a contract in that range. Anything above 11% I would probably have thought about personally.

But his 20/21 stats were a 28 goal, 44 assist 72 point season over 82 games. It was not like he was dog#### the year before last.

[Envitro]

[Hack&Lube]

I know some people are reading this letter with bitterness and skepticism but it seemed heartfelt to me and he was just conflicted and was terribly indecisive like a lot of us in our 20s. Not professional but very human.

I just hope that maybe we could print this letter out and put it in the seats for his first game back so that people could read it and maybe not boo him in his first game back. I really want the dome to show that it's better than this and to show some class and not treat him like Adam Fox because Johnny really had loyalty to this team that took a chance on him.

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Somewhere in an alternate universe Johnny signed last summer 8 x $9 million AAV and the Flames got one hell of a bargain by taking a gamble on the player.

Maybe, and in another alternate universe, he got his money and went to an all Skittles diet and averaged 60 points a year at a fat 160 lbs.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Flamesfan05

Yeah, I had job offers that I couldn’t decide till last minute too. It’s the company that is responsible for setting the deadline, not me.

Did you say "I will work for you at $x" and they offered you $x and you then said no? And did they miss a deadline to mitigate the loss of your services, or were there a bunch of other equal candidates they could just slot in?

[GIODUDE]

Take it for what it is worth but I have a friend who is friends with one of the NHL officials. He heard from him that Johnny really did not like Calgary and wanted to leave before all of this drama. I am taking it with a pinch of salt myself. End of the day was does it matter. this letter means jack to me because whether his mind was made up or not, he still F@#$#% us over big time with his indecision.

[CalgaryFan1988]

I did the same thing as Gaudreau, took a job making less money to be closer to family and friends (after some family health issues). I get it and honestly I think it's a pretty mature decision.

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by Bonded

Yeah, but at the end of the previous season, I don't think Flames fans were too hot to sign him to an 8 year contract.

Speak for yourself, I know I was ready to ink him long term the second he said if Brad and ownership were happy with him then he’d consider re-signing.

His performance with Lindholm and Tkachuk in the final 16 games of the 2021 season gave me more faith in him than I maybe had since 18-19. It was clear as day to me that his new line was going to crush it the very next season.

But whatever it was that caused the deal to not go through last offseason is long gone. We can’t change back time, so at this point, it’s time to move on.

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Hindsight, yeah a bargain (unless he reverts to 2020-21 stats). At the time, people would have been calling for Treliving's head, saying he caved, cost the team it's future by tying up too much cap, that he was going to lose Tkachuk, should tie himself to a guy who couldn't get it done. Etc.

Tell me who predicted a 110 point fit from Gaudreau before this last season.

Not to sound like a huge d*****, but I had Johnny pegged for 100-110, Tkachuk at 90 and Lindholm at 40 goals. I even remember hoping that Lindholm worked on his one timer all off season because he was going to be fed passes in the slot all season long and based on what we saw, he certainly did.

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by CSharp

If you use your accreditations as a profession in your line of work (writing), sure. I don't think Gaudreau did much writing after he graduated. He is very good at playing hockey, which is not at all what his degree is about. Maybe he can use it later in life after retirement to reflect on his career with the Flames and tell us his memoirs of journey to fame.

You'd be surprised how many university graduates I've dealt with that can't write or communicate properly at work. So, take this article for what it's worth.

Most HS can write that letter

[Strange Brew]

I'm still bothered by the fact that the Flames valuation of Gaudreau changed so much from one season to the next. He was here for 8 seasons, through games, practices, meetings.

Were they that shocked by his performance last season that they suddenly thought he was worth so much more?
If they were that shocked, what convinced them this was the new Gaudreau who would give them 8 more seasons like that.

If Gaudreau was willing to sign last off season, that was the time to decide what to do with him, full stop.

But of course, there is no real reason to believe Gaudreau about that based on what happened with the negotiations this time around.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

Brad routinely goes out on UFA day and overpays for free agents. If he overpaid for a guy who was a a PPG guy the previous three seasons (last summer) or if you want to have a more negative time frame was a 0.88 PPG guy the year before I would have been fine with it.

He gave a 31 year old guy who had averaged 0.64 PPG the previous three years and 0.62 PPG the previous year 5.75 million dollar a year contract over 5 years under a 79.5 million dollar cap (7.23% of the cap)

He gave a a 31 year old forward who had averaged 0.51 PPG over the previous 3 years and 0.52 PPG in his last year a 4 year 4.5 million dollar a year contract under a 73 million dollar cap (6.16% of the cap)

I would have been fine giving a guy who is twice the player that either of those guys were before they joined the Flames 10-11% of the value of the cap on a long term deal last summer (somewhere between 8 and 9 million a year). No questions asked I would have signed a contract in that range. Anything above 11% I would probably have thought about personally.

But his 20/21 stats were a 28 goal, 44 assist 72 point season over 82 games. It was not like he was dog#### the year before last.

Yes, he was around .85 PPG over the two previous seasons. Not terrible. Not 115 points good. Not 10.5 good. Which I'd lay even money on he will never approach again. Even other teams in a bidding war didn't give him 10.5.

Your example is flawed of course, since you are talking about a two-way player. Which Gaudreau was not accused of being in July 2021 (which he also turned around).

Your problem is you have magic GM thinking. Like Lou L would have seen the future and given Johnny Gaudreau $11M.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Somewhere in an alternate universe Johnny signed last summer 8 x $9 million AAV and the Flames got one hell of a bargain by taking a gamble on the player.

Maybe.

Or maybe without the motivation of playing for his contract he has another 75 point season which was closer to his pace in 19-20 and 20-21 and people think it was an overpayment.

Could really go either way and as great as a year as the top line had...they were very very lucky in terms of on ice shooting percentage.

A 13.2% on ice shooting percentage at 5v5 as much higher than his previous career high in 14/15 (10.6%) and 18/19 (10.6%) and was 2nd in the NHL.

If that was even at his previous career high that means his GF with him on the ice drops from 96 to 77...which would translate to about 15 fewer points for Gaudreau.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

Not to sound like a huge d*****, but I had Johnny pegged for 100-110, Tkachuk at 90 and Lindholm at 40 goals. I even remember hoping that Lindholm worked on his one timer all off season because he was going to be fed passes in the slot all season long and based on what we saw, he certainly did.

I believe you at your word. I sure didn't see anyone making that bold prediction. And every contract prediction I can recall at the time actually started with a 7.

[AFireInside]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

I know some people are reading this letter with bitterness and skepticism but it seemed heartfelt to me and he was just conflicted and was terribly indecisive like a lot of us in our 20s. Not professional but very human.

I just hope that maybe we could print this letter out and put it in the seats for his first game back so that people could read it and maybe not boo him in his first game back. I really want the dome to show that it's better than this and to show some class and not treat him like Adam Fox because Johnny really had loyalty to this team that took a chance on him.

If he doesn't owe the fans anything as I've seen people say numerous times, why do the fans owe him anything? I don't fault him for leaving, I fault him for how this was handled, and I give some of that blame to the organization as well.

There's nothing classless about booing a player. God forbid the fans in Calgary show some emotion over their team. The dome is quiet enough most of the time, whether they cheer loudly or boo him out of the building, there's nothing wrong with either. I'd boo him if I was in the crowd, but that's just me. This isn't Iginla we're talking about, it's a guy who at the end of his career probably won't even be thought of as a Calgary Flame.

[SportsJunky]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Somewhere in an alternate universe Johnny signed last summer 8 x $9 million AAV and the Flames got one hell of a bargain by taking a gamble on the player.

Yup. Somewhere, the Flames have won the cup every single year since they moved to town.
Everything Everywhere All at Once

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Did you say "I will work for you at $x" and they offered you $x and you then said no? And did they miss a deadline to mitigate the loss of your services, or were there a bunch of other equal candidates they could just slot in?

I didn’t accept the offer and didn’t show up

But yeah I told them my salary requirement and still rejected their offers. That’s normal man

[The Yen Man]

Originally Posted by Captain Otto

This.

Put on your big boy pants and suck it up. Life is full of sacrifices and not being around family is a reality for a large portion of the population.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

People make it sound like he had an obligation to sign with the Flames, or that he was still under contract and reneged and demanded a trade. He left as a UFA, it's his right to choose where he wanted to play. If he wanted to take less money to be in his own country and closer to home, it's well within his rights to do so.

[Makarov]

Originally Posted by Flamesfan05

Most HS can write that letter

Definitely not.

Based on my experience, a significant proportion of senior staff (most with MBAs or MPAs) would struggle to write a letter that consistent and coherent.