[Rumour] Backlund leaning towards not re-signing with Flames

[Spurs]

Originally Posted by Geeoff

poor Connie being thrown right into the fire on his first day on the job

I think this is the best case scenario for him. If Backlund, Lindholm and Hanifin are all clear they don’t want to re-sign that makes the decision for him. He doesn’t have to risk handcuffing himself with bad contacts, doesn’t risk letting a good player go because he de used they weren’t good.

He now gets a clear path to the direction the team should take and, even though he was part of the management team, he can wash his hands of it putting the blame on Tre/Sutter.

It may not have been his first choice but it makes it clear what he should do which wouldn’t be the case of one or more wanted cone back and he had to figure out what way to go and what kind of deals to hand out.

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

The only thing they tied his hands on was the Sutter hire

Well that's a pretty big tie, but we also heard Don Maloney in his first presser after Treliving left say that he presented ownership with two deals for Tkachuk - one to win now and one in another direction.

Who knows which way Treliving leaned on that but ultimately ownership made the call on the direction of the team.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by howard_the_duck

Ironically this takes me back to the OG Darryl Sutter Flames. Out with the Drury's, in with the Warrener's, who I believe wore a cowboy hat in his first interview with Calgary media.

Stock up on players that don't just tolerate wearing the Flaming C, but would jump at it.

That will begin with getting some top-end talent through the draft.

Pretty sure Rhett said when it happened he was in town for Stampede so

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

Well that's a pretty big tie, but we also heard Don Maloney in his first presser after Treliving left say that he presented ownership with two deals for Tkachuk - one to win now and one in another direction.

Who knows which way Treliving leaned on that but ultimately ownership made the call on the direction of the team.

Worse, I think it was Bean who said that.

[GullFoss]

Pretty wild how everyone says it's the coach, then the coach is fired. And then all the players wants out anyways.

The player vs player conflicts must have been significant last year.

[Teroy]

I will miss the effort that Backlund provided. He should have been the captain. That failure is on Sutter. Yes, it's going to force a rebuild of sorts. The problem is the wrong guy (guys) are leaving. This situation is on Treliving. Success with this depends on the hope that Huberdeau, Kadri and Markstrom return to form. Like some, I have my doubts.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

Pretty wild how everyone says it's the coach, then the coach is fired. And then all the players wants out anyways.

The player vs player conflicts must have been significant last year.

Or they just know there's more money elsewhere and they want a head run into UFA.

[GullFoss]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Or they just know there's more money elsewhere and they want a head run into UFA.

Or maybe probably want to win and realize they can't do that given team construction. For a guy like Backlund to uproot his family from Calgary for a couple million dollars doesn't make much sense.

[Teroy]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

Or maybe probably want to win and realize they can't do that given team construction. For a guy like Backlund to uproot his family from Calgary for a couple million dollars doesn't make much sense.

Say what????

[Ashasx]

They can likely get the same money elsewhere for a team that either has a better chance of winning or has better weather. I don't think it's necessarily a sign of further conflict from the dressing room.

[Saqe]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

Pretty wild how everyone says it's the coach, then the coach is fired. And then all the players wants out anyways.

The player vs player conflicts must have been significant last year.

I go back to the money bag handed to Huberdeau without playing a single game for the team. While Treliving hard balled every one of his own guys. Maybe now Conroy isn't willing to give these guys the same kind of money? And credit to him if that's the case. But I can see that causing a rift with the old crew.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Teroy

Say what????

A million more a season is like 5-6 million. And for all I know they wouldn't mind a move to a nice city.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

I'd say, given how Tre quickly found a new job and how well his peers speak of him, that other organization around the league see how ownership tied his hands and forced a direction on him.

He flubbed the original Gaudreau contract, got cute with it and then got burned majorly. If he had re-signed Gaudreau in the summer before UFA then I think Tkachuk stays.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

Well that's a pretty big tie, but we also heard Don Maloney in his first presser after Treliving left say that he presented ownership with two deals for Tkachuk - one to win now and one in another direction.

Who knows which way Treliving leaned on that but ultimately ownership made the call on the direction of the team.

Conroy implied he would have handled the situation differently in his presser. Eaay to say in hindsight but I think Tre wanted to go for it.

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by Bonded

Conroy implied he would have handled the situation differently in his presser. Eaay to say in hindsight but I think Tre wanted to go for it.

Well Conroy said he wouldn't have let the Gaudreau situation count down to the last second like it did - which is a big flub no doubt and cost the team a massive asset - which then likely would have impacted Tkachuk's intentions of staying (or not, who knows).

But in isolation, I don't think Conroy or any other GM could have gotten a better "win now" trade for Tkachuk.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

Well Conroy said he wouldn't have let the Gaudreau situation count down to the last second like it did - which is a big flub no doubt and cost the team a massive asset - which then likely would have impacted Tkachuk's intentions of staying (or not, who knows).

But in isolation, I don't think Conroy or any other GM could have gotten a better "win now" trade for Tkachuk.

Oh I think the trade value was fine. I just don't think you can easily say that Tre wanted to go rebuild and owners said no.

[868904]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Or they just know there's more money elsewhere and they want a head run into UFA.

Where are these players going to get more money? The Flames can offer the highest term and has a history of overpaying for free agents. They won't get a better offer from any other team than Calgary. Lindholm and Hanifin can extend on an 8 year deal on July 1 or wait till next year and only sign a 7 year deal with another team? The extra money they get next year probably just washes out with that extra year they can get with the Flames.

If they don't want to sign an extension here, it is likely because these players don't believe this team can win. They got a look first hand at the guys who are suppose to lead this team and they didn't like what they saw.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

We all realize rebuilds don't happen at one draft. I'm committed to a five year rebuild or whatever it takes.

If you are committed to only five years, then I suspect you will be very disappointed. Most of the recent examples of rebuilds have been 10-year projects.


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[PuckSlap]

I wouldn't say Backlund wanting to be moved is exactly massive clickbait. Maybe for a small percentage of fans. I never thought of him being a staple of the organization.

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[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Teroy

Say what????

He’s gonna make his money regardless, and he’s already got close to $40M in career earnings. An extra couple million doesn’t make a material difference in his life.

It’s about the situation.

No contending team would be worse adding Mikael Backlund, and he knows that.