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

[memphusk]

Maybe he doesn't need to be a legend? Maybe that doesn't matter to him. Not everyone wants or needs the spotlight.

[Dx54]

Originally Posted by memphusk

Maybe he doesn't need to be a legend? Maybe that doesn't matter to him. Not everyone wants or needs the spotlight.

Or wants to win a Stanley Cup. His ambition level has to be in the negatives

[djsFlames]

Columbus is a "winning" death sentence. Unless you actually believe they can suddenly break through their pattern of mediocrity that has existed since basically their inception.

But I mean, they don't even have a 1C right now..

7 years there.... at least take your time to think on that commitment.

[midniteowl]

Originally Posted by Dx54

Or wants to win a Stanley Cup. His ambition level has to be in the negatives

May be he doesn't want to be the go to guy, he doesn't want to be one leading the team. He doesn't want the attention. All he wants is to play hockey. TBH, getting paid $9.75M to play a kid's game is pretty awesome. If they don't make the playoff, oh well, he'll have a longer off season and go back to his off season house with his young family and enjoy life.

[calgarygringo]

Funny.....I am working on the road right now and spend lots of time listening to podcasts from hockey guys all over the east coast and the majority figure outside of getting nothing for him he us probably not going to pan out to be a 10 mil player anyways. Most figure it was a 1 if year and if course good line mates. He never attained that level before and probably never will. Several also indicated thats why there was not a lot of fighting or action to get him either. Just a few offers that neber even got persued until the end. Especially the last 5 years or so when his production dies he will be an expensive signing. I just wish we got something for him not so much he is gone.

[Stampede2TheCup]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

This reads like those situations in movies where some guy falls in love with an escort, thinking they were in a relationship when, at the end of the day, it was always business.

Johnny was “ours” as long as we paid him to be ours. That’s it. His job was to compete, entertain, and participate in the community. That was his job, and while he might have wanted to do it too, he was still paid to do it first and foremost.

He fulfilled every single obligation he had to the Flames and the city. Every one. He came here after college, as promised. He never asked for a trade. He took no shortcuts getting to UFA. All the while, he made the team better. When every obligation he had to Calgary was fulfilled, he moved on to what worked better for him.

Business is business. Fans treat others players like it’s just business all the time, but when a star player treats us that way? Oh, suddenly it was love. Come on now.

Nonsense. It’s very common for there to personal elements in business dealings. I’d go so far as to say it’s common when it comes to the relationship between a sports star and his longtime team and city. Yes, players often get the raw end of the business side of hockey. But to say nobody cares until it’s our team got the raw end of things is far from true. Just go look at the McDonagh thread for a recent example.

Everyone here knows it’s a business, but just like other walks of life everyone here also knows there are certain expectations for personal dealings beyond the black and white rules that are laid out.

[midniteowl]

Originally Posted by calgarygringo

Funny.....I am working on the road right now and spend lots of time listening to podcasts from hockey guys all over the east coast and the majority figure outside of getting nothing for him he us probably not going to pan out to be a 10 mil player anyways. Most figure it was a 1 if year and if course good line mates. He never attained that level before and probably never will. Several also indicated thats why there was not a lot of fighting or action to get him either. Just a few offers that neber even got persued until the end. Especially the last 5 years or so when his production dies he will be an expensive signing. I just wish we got something for him not so much he is gone.

Absolutely this.

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

My own fault. I'm waiting on some other news and have too much time to kill.

Jay, I regret to inform you that you've tested positive for gonorrhea. There's the news.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

Jay, I regret to inform you that you've tested positive for gonorrhea. There's the news.

Came in to find out who has gonorrhea. Leaving informed.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

Jay, I regret to inform you that you've tested positive for gonorrhea. There's the news.

Wrong person, wrong disease, but nice guess.

[Mathgod]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

IIRC Steinberg reported that on the fan960 Thursday morning.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/960/flames-...ikita-zadorov/

About 2:30 in... apparently higher AAV than even 10.5x7

[timbit]

Originally Posted by midniteowl

May be he doesn't want to be the go to guy, he doesn't want to be one leading the team. He doesn't want the attention. All he wants is to play hockey. TBH, getting paid $9.75M to play a kid's game is pretty awesome. If they don't make the playoff, oh well, he'll have a longer off season and go back to his off season house with his young family and enjoy life.

So, to quote Dx54....

“His ambition level has to be in the negatives”.

Agreed!

That most certainly cannot be expected of highly paid stars or ANY player.

I believe those types are rightly called LOSERS, whether they become rich or not.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

Columbus is a "winning" death sentence. Unless you actually believe they can suddenly break through their pattern of mediocrity that has existed since basically their inception.

But I mean, they don't even have a 1C right now..

7 years there.... at least take your time to think on that commitment.

And that is different from Calgary how? We don't even have a 1D right now...

CBJ at least has 2 really promising bullets in the chamber (Sillinger/Johnson).

Tough division, but I think they've actually got the right pieces to build a sustainable contender...probably not a champion, but I don't think they're any further away than CGY

[tvp2003]

Just to confirm — has there been any verified source corroborating the whole “ultimatum was given to the Flames, met by the Flames, and then Johnny/Gross reneged)? Because some posters are talking about it like it’s fact.

As for Johnny’s interview, I think people are hearing what they want to hear (like a lot of things in life). If it makes you sleep better at night thinking Johnny’s a weasel, jerk, liar etc so be it. Sports fandom is a weird thing at the best of times.

[blender]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

Just to confirm — has there been any verified source corroborating the whole “ultimatum was given to the Flames, met by the Flames, and then Johnny/Gross reneged)? Because some posters are talking about it like it’s fact.

As for Johnny’s interview, I think people are hearing what they want to hear (like a lot of things in life). If it makes you sleep better at night thinking Johnny’s a weasel, jerk, liar etc so be it. Sports fandom is a weird thing at the best of times.

Classic CP.

Good post, tvp.

[Mathgod]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

Just to confirm — has there been any verified source corroborating the whole “ultimatum was given to the Flames, met by the Flames, and then Johnny/Gross reneged)? Because some posters are talking about it like it’s fact.

As for Johnny’s interview, I think people are hearing what they want to hear (like a lot of things in life). If it makes you sleep better at night thinking Johnny’s a weasel, jerk, liar etc so be it. Sports fandom is a weird thing at the best of times.

Not a verified source, but someone apparently got this story from someone close to the organization:

https://forum.calgarypuck.com/showth...88#post8368688

[RoadGame]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

It just blows me away how little he and his wife cared about his legacy here, and the decade he'd spent building something here, and his team mates here.

Unbelievably disappointing.

I agree with you completely. Do we know if the team had someone like Lanny or Jarome maybe talk to him about the potential to become a real franchise legend and what that is like when you're post-hockey? He was on track to that had he re-signed, I think. Surely the alumni association could play a role, even if a narrow one, with mentoring.

[Flames_Gimp]

what a little prick! Make an ultimatum, they accept the terms and he goes back on his word and walks anyways.
I'm not a fan of that at all, that's how he shows his appreciation for the Flames org.

Originally Posted by iggyntangs

Take this for what it's worth, but here's what I heard from a source (close to the Flames organization, I'm sure biased).

But earlier Tuesday, Gross came up with an ultimatum offer that said the Flames had to match, take it or leave it otherwise Gaudreau would test free agency.

The Flames by mid-day, met the offer to a tee and Gross and Gaudreau went radio silent for the rest of the day.

Came back hours before the FA deadline and were informed Gaudreau was testing FA (because of his family, wife specifically) to move out East.

Edwards was part of either that or one of these final calls (believe Treliving had a separate private call with Johnny directly after as well). But I'm the Edwards call, he flipped out and called out Johnny for playing games, wasting their time and handcuffing them, in a really unprofessional manner to do this after they met their exact ask.

The part I'm personally speculating about now is this is probably why Johnny hasn't really addressed The Flames, fans and etc. directly yet, likely very stung by the whole ordeal but I also think he knows he really botched this.

Last piece I'm personally speculating about is that I do not think Columbus was very high on his list but his wife was very open to it, especially after everything else fell thru on their top destination(s).

Take the above for what you will.

[midniteowl]

Originally Posted by RoadGame

I agree with you completely. Do we know if the team had someone like Lanny or Jarome maybe talk to him about the potential to become a real franchise legend and what that is like when you're post-hockey? He was on track to that had he re-signed, I think. Surely the alumni association could play a role, even if a narrow one, with mentoring.

I don't think it would've make any difference. I read some where that Coleman talked to him about having a legacy if he sign with the Flames. May be he doesn't care about that?

[Flames_Gimp]

Originally Posted by midniteowl

I don't think it would've make any difference. I read some where that Coleman talked to him about having a legacy if he sign with the Flames. May be he doesn't care about that?

johnny doesn't want to win, there's a reason why coleman outplayed him in the playoffs. Coleman is a winner johnny doesn't have what it takes to elevate his game when everything is on the line. imo.