To Calgary | By Johnny Gaudreau

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

It makes sense if he thought he was leveraging to get more on Wednesday but it never materialized. Overplayed his hand or misread the room.

He only signed for 9.7 in Columbus because it was the highest left.

But if its for leverage you never go to the media like his agent did and say "The Flames did all they could but it came down to a family decision"

That throws any leverage from the Flames offer out the window because you pretty much closed the door to him going back to Calgary.

It actually hurt his leverage because it made it seem like there was a smaller group of teams he'd even be willing to go to (there was a report that another NHL GM thought he wasn't willing to go anywhere outside of Philly / New York / Jersey so he didn't even reach out).

Also based on what Steinberg put out there and Gaudreau's note it does sound like there was at least a discussion of 7 x $10.5M from the Flames on the 13th...in that case he could have went to Columbus and said match Calgary's $10.5M or I don't sign, but doesn't seem like he even did that. Doesn't really seem like he used Calgary's offer for leverage at all.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Except NHL GMs have given ridiculous FA contracts for outlier seasons. Gaudreau probably thought he was getting 11 on the open market.

This, and I also bet he thought Philly would just open up the books and move mountains to acquire him. He states that he thought about coming back to Calgary for the 7 year deal. It sounds like the Calgary owners/management blew up at Gaudreau, which might have made that impossible.

Who knows, maybe this is a situation that could have been avoided if the Flames had given permission for him to speak to Philly. That option likely would have required a lot more communication from Gaudreau's side about his true intentions.

I also don't see Gaudreau as having done anything purposely malicious. He just seems like kind of an Air-head. From his perspective he just didn't think about this too much earlier, and he was just kind of going along with things as they came. He doesn't put too much thought into how this will affect the Flames or the fans. He didn't put much thought into the reality of a team like Philadelphia making room to sign an $10-11 million UFA.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by blankall

This, and I also bet he thought Philly would just open up the books and move mountains to acquire him. He states that he thought about coming back to Calgary for the 7 year deal. It sounds like the Calgary owners/management blew up at Gaudreau, which might have made that impossible.

Who knows, maybe this is a situation that could have been avoided if the Flames had given permission for him to speak to Philly. That option likely would have required a lot more communication from Gaudreau's side about his true intentions.

I also don't see Gaudreau as having done anything purposely malicious. He just seems like kind of an Air-head. From his perspective he just didn't think about this too much earlier, and he was just kind of going along with things as they came. He doesn't put too much thought into how this will affect the Flames or the fans. He didn't put much thought into the reality of a team like Philadelphia making room to sign an $10-11 million UFA.

Agreed.

And as much as Gaudreau is an airhead Tkachuk is not. He's been around the business since birth. Father was a player, went through contract negotiations trades etc. Brady just signed an extension. I expect something totally different.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by blankall

. He didn't put much thought into the reality of a team like Philadelphia making room to sign an $10-11 million UFA.

This is what he underestimated I think.

I think he thought "Philly just isn't going to make the move to clear cap space or take it seriously until I'm actually a UFA"

Which I could see - because why move out the cap only for him to then re-sign for the Flames.

But it's why his indecision hurt him - even it it wasn't malicious and if it was a genuine toss up for him.

If he gives himself (and the Flames) a deadline of July 4th as an example then it opens up his options. If he makes the decision that it's "Philly or bust" at that time then it allows the Flames to explore different avenues (let him talk to teams / trade his rights) and allows the Flyers to prepare for it.

People are looking at the equation about how his indecision hurt the Flames but looks like it hurt him too. Because to me it looks like the Flyers felt like he might have been staying in Calgary and decided to do stuff like sign Deangelo instead of leaving/opening up space for Gaudreau.

And by the time July 13th came along it was too late to open up that space without paying a premium because nobody is looking to bail you out so you can sign the premier UFA.

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Agreed.

And as much as Gaudreau is an airhead Tkachuk is not. He's been around the business since birth. Father was a player, went through contract negotiations trades etc. Brady just signed an extension. I expect something totally different.

Yeah...if Rutherford is saying that Tkachuk is a Blue by the 23-24 season...then it's because he's already stated his intent to leave. IIRC Rutherford is close to the family and I don't think he's putting out rumors that aren't confirmed.

[curves2000]

That piece I think could have been written by Johnny or any other pro athlete or person and be 100% accurate in a lot of ways. We are all human and I truly believe him on a whole host of levels with regards to his passion for his family, his job and his distance to his family. I get it, I really do.

I really do think that in some ways, we had an entire organization waiting around and catering to Johnny's wishes when a single question could very well have put the issue to bed. Do you want to play in Canada or in the USA?? Simple question in a lot of ways but the answer depends on the type of conversations that he needed to have with his family and his wife.

Think of this almost like a long distance relationship with someone. Certain questions need to be asked of each other and people need to be honest. I don't know his wife's situation but did she work as a nurse in Calgary? If not, was there a discussion if she would after the baby was born or in the near future? People who do those type of rewarding and challenging jobs don't just give it up. If she had no plans to work in Canada than a family decision has almost been made, Johnny needs to compromise his work to help accommodate hers.

I do believe this was a hard decision but it's a decision that needs to be made like it is for a lot of other people. In some ways, I do think that Johnny let time and other people make that decision potentially for him.

I don't blame him for wanting to be closer to home or even in the US vs Canada, that's natural. I do find it odd that with a few extra days earlier he didn't really have a clue as to which country he wanted to live in. The fact that no other Canadian teams looked at him as a serious UFA option tells me that it was known league wide he wanted to be in the US.

Best of luck but I think Johnny and the Flames could have handled this parting of ways in a better fashion for all involved.

[pylon]

There's more than meets the eye on the salary as well.....

https://thewincolumn.ca/2022/07/16/a...-for-gaudreau/

Ohio is way more tax friendly than Alberta, as much as we like to boast about Alberta being great for lower taxes.... we suck compared to most US States.

In reality, the annual difference in only about $25,000 less per year to play in Columbus after tax.... yes the extra year isn't there, but take home.... Johnny walked away from about $5.5 million in his jeans on the whole contract, not the reported 18-20.

Add to that the whole family issues, extra costs associated with living in Canada 6 months of the year etc.... I can't say I blame him. He's an American, and as much as we like to think we are the worlds most awesomest place, he's patriotic to his home Country.

[Electricprez]

It's a nice piece of damage control that articulates what I think are some honest points better than he could in an interview.

I completely understand wanting to be near family, especially when raising a kid or when there are health issues. That's completely legitimate.

I also think his unscripted, not-ghostwritten communications have said a lot more than this did; I don't think he actually wanted to be in Columbus.

[Mathgod]

These "explanations" don't really provide any answers that we didn't have before, but I don't really care at this point. He's no longer a Flame and is now just another opposition NHL player.

$10.5M per year over 8 years saved, instead of spending it on a guy who felt sooooo strongly about being closer to family that he was willing to take a huge haircut to leave the team that gave him a shot and the city that adored him for many years... yet wants us to believe that he needed to wait until the final few hours to reach that decision.

To me, this seems like a bullet dodged. The Flames will be better off in the long run.

[Moneyhands23]

650 am just ripping this letter apart. They definitely think is a b.s letter written by his agent.

[Classic_Sniper]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

It makes sense if he thought he was leveraging to get more on Wednesday but it never materialized. Overplayed his hand or misread the room.

He only signed for 9.7 in Columbus because it was the highest left.

No, if this was about money and about leverage, he would’ve had Columbus, NJD, NYI and the Flames go at it toe to toe to the bitter end. That’s how you maximum your dollar figure and his professional, experienced agent would know this.

Heck, Lewis Gross had William Nylander hold out for months to get his money. He almost had Johnny do the same thing back in 2016, but hockey has ways been more important to Johnny and he said he wasn’t missing any games over any money. That’s the type of person Johnny is, family and hockey are #1 to him, money has always been secondary.

[Captain Otto]

Originally Posted by TBone290

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?

Sacrifice? Gimme a break. These guys don't know the meaning of sacrifice.

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by Moneyhands23

650 am just ripping this letter apart. They definitely think is a b.s letter written by his agent.

Well, it’s like writing a letter explaining after you broke up with your girlfriend by text

Good luck

[Atodaso]

I'm of the belief it was never really a 50/50 shot of him staying or going. When his side offered the terms to stay, it's reasonable to think it was worded in a way that didn't confirm anything.

"If I'm to stay in Calgary, I would need..."

Then Calgary agreed and the ultimate decision was to still leave. That's it. Of course Treliving would be upset he didn't get his guy. Of course it was a frustrating process that in hindsight felt like a waste of time. But clearly Johnny needed every second to make that decision. It sucks more that Calgary gave him all that courtesy seemingly without preparing for that outcome.

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper

No, if this was about money and about leverage, he would’ve had Columbus, NJD, NYI and the Flames go at it toe to toe to the bitter end. That’s how you maximum your dollar figure and his professional, experienced agent would know this.

Heck, Lewis Gross had William Nylander hold out for months to get his money. He almost had Johnny do the same thing back in 2016, but hockey has ways been more important to Johnny and he said he wasn’t missing any games over any money. That’s the type of person Johnny is, family and hockey are #1 to him, money has always been secondary.

Flames were out. They said as much. NYI bowed out pretty early as well. I think Gross was up for a bidding war based on his past, but it sounds like JG didn't have the stomach for it when push came to shove.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Atodaso

I'm of the belief it was never really a 50/50 shot of him staying or going. When his side offered the terms to stay, it's reasonable to think it was worded in a way that didn't confirm anything.

"If I'm to stay in Calgary, I would need..."

Then Calgary agreed and the ultimate decision was to still leave. That's it. Of course Treliving would be upset he didn't get his guy. Of course it was a frustrating process that in hindsight felt like a waste of time. But clearly Johnny needed every second to make that decision. It sucks more that Calgary gave him all that courtesy seemingly without preparing for that outcome.

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

Except that doesn't jive with multiple stories of the Flames thinking they ahd a deal or the insider story here.

[Mathgod]

Originally Posted by pylon

There's more than meets the eye on the salary as well.....

https://thewincolumn.ca/2022/07/16/a...-for-gaudreau/

Ohio is way more tax friendly than Alberta, as much as we like to boast about Alberta being great for lower taxes.... we suck compared to most US States.

In reality, the annual difference in only about $25,000 less per year to play in Columbus after tax.... yes the extra year isn't there, but take home.... Johnny walked away from about $5.5 million in his jeans on the whole contract, not the reported 18-20.

Add to that the whole family issues, extra costs associated with living in Canada 6 months of the year etc.... I can't say I blame him. He's an American, and as much as we like to think we are the worlds most awesomest place, he's patriotic to his home Country.

Living in a jurisdiction that has lower taxes may seem great when you're making millions each year... but it's not like there aren't any downsides. Less government revenue necessarily means less government services. Columbus may not be as great a city as he claims it to be. I have a feeling that Johnny may learn the hard way why so many players wanted out of Columbus in recent years...

[nfotiu]

Being a Washington Nationals and Calgary Flames fan really sucks right now.

[Moneyhands23]

Originally Posted by nfotiu

Being a Washington Nationals and Calgary Flames fan really sucks right now.

Ha! I'm a cowboys fan...lol my teams have been killing me for 25 years

[Johnny Makarov]

1 week too late with this letter. Still we as Flames fans should not throw jerseys onto the ice. We need to throw lit flaming jerseys onto the ice.

[jlh2640]

Meh. Lip service. Doesn’t change my opinion on him now. Or Brad Treliving.