Really good Gaudreau article

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by Neeper

I really hope Gaudreau is the chosen one! It's about time we get a superstar.

K so, I wasn't gonna tell anybody this but.. during summer camp I managed to stealthily acquire a drop of his blood while he was busy signing autographs. I had the sample sent back to my contact on Coruscant.

The midi-chlorian readings were off the chart.

The prophecies...
They were true!

[getbak]

Originally Posted by McLintock

Sorry for asking, but when is the first possibility to sign him? Do we really have to fear about loosing him to another team like Boston?

Technically, he could choose to leave college at any time and sign a contract with the Flames immediately. It's rare, but it has happened before where a player started a college year, then decided for some reason to leave school mid-season.

That's extremely unlikely in Gaudreau's situation. If he signs a pro contract, he automatically loses his NCAA eligibility, so realistically, the first chance the Flames will have to sign him is after Boston College plays its final game of this coming season.

Their final regular season game is March 1. That is followed by the Conference Championships, which run the next three weekends. Then, if they get invited, the NCAA Championship tournament starts on March 28. The tournament starts with 16 teams (out of 59 Division 1 schools), which includes the 6 Conference Champions plus 10 additional invitees.

Unless they have a completely disastrous season, BC is virtually guaranteed an invite to the tournament. If they win their first game in the tournament, they're in the final 8. If they win the second, they're in the Frozen Four, which is held the weekend of April 10, which is also the final weekend of the NHL regular season.


Realistically, the earliest he's likely to be available is March 30, if BC loses in the first or second round of the NCAA tournament (which they did last year). The Flames are on a road trip in Ontario at that time, so he could potentially play his final game at BC, sign with the Flames, and join them in either Ottawa or Toronto.

On the other hand, if BC goes all the way to the Frozen Four (which they did two years ago), he won't be available until after the end of the Flames' regular season. Also, the Hobey Baker award presentation is on the Friday of the Frozen Four weekend. There's a good chance he'll be a finalist again and will need to be in Philadelphia (basically his home town) that weekend whether BC is playing or not.


There is zero danger of him signing with any NHL team other than the Flames after this coming season. If he wants to turn pro next year, he'll have to do it with the Flames (unless they trade his rights). If he chooses to return to BC for his senior year next year, then it starts to become a concern for 2015. If he remains unsigned until August 15, 2015, he can become a UFA and sign anywhere. It is extremely unlikely that the Flames would ever allow it to come to that. They would at least trade him to the team he wants to sign with and try to get something good in return.


Based on everything he has said in interviews, I believe he's treating this season as his final year in College, and he'll play his first game with the Flames sometime in 2014.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Flames89

Great article, though this has me worried.
"His father says he will play at least his junior season in Chestnut Hill, and perhaps his senior as well."
Sounds like Dad has a lot of sway.

Why is this a concern? Shouldn't we expect this from any good parent? Much more likely, I suspect that these comments should be interpreted in this light: they show a father's (legitimate!) concern for his son, and the pressure he is likely to endure from media, fans, the Flames, etc. while making this decision.

Too many posters worry prematurely about these sorts of things, which are almost certainly complete NON issues.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by EYE_Overstand

...Jokes aside. I have my doubts about him signing with us. But it's still early. Our LW is going to be small w/ him and Sven

What reason do you have to doubt that the Flames will sign Gaudreau?

[Gord Wappel]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

What reason do you have to doubt that the Flames will sign Gaudreau?

Seems like an obvious risk.
What good player wouldn't want to be a free agent earlier than allowed under collective agreement.
If I was a (slimy greedy devious unscrupulous amoral sociopathic) agent.. then I would advise him to only sign with the Flames if he got free agent like treatment.
No other team is going to give equal value either in a trade for a distressed pending free agent situation.
I stand to be corrected: I can't say I checked to see if current agreement finally corrected that rarely used old college loophole to get early free agency compared to almost all other draftees.

[Freeway]

The Flames are certainly behaving like he's going to sign - including drafting larger guys to play around him.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Gord Wappel

Seems like an obvious risk.
What good player wouldn't want to be a free agent earlier than allowed under collective agreement.
If I was a (slimy greedy devious unscrupulous amoral sociopathic) agent.. then I would advise him to only sign with the Flames if he got free agent like treatment.
No other team is going to give equal value either in a trade for a distressed pending free agent situation.
I stand to be corrected: I can't say I checked to see if current agreement finally corrected that rarely used old college loophole to get early free agency compared to almost all other draftees.

He cannot be a free agent earlier than allowed. However he could be a Flame earlier than being a free agent.

Also, he can only get a max ELC, no more. So waiting to become a free agent only affects location, not money.

Would you wait a year just for that (when he team that drafted you has been great to you and offers you tremendous opportunity)?

edit: I now see what you meant by earlier free agent, but again, it doesn't get him any more money

[stemit14]

In pretty sure gaudreau would become a free agent in August 2014 if he doesn't sign with the flAmes. Isn't this his last year of college? I could be wrong though.

[Enoch Root]

no - 2015 he is only starting his 3rd year

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by Gord Wappel

If I was a (slimy greedy devious unscrupulous amoral sociopathic) agent.. then I would advise him to only sign with the Flames if he got free agent like treatment.

Entry level contract limits apply regardless of where signs. The only thing Gaudreau could address by holding out would be where he plays as far as location goes. If he's looking for immediate ice time is there a better location for a guy to play than on a rebuilding team? Boston is not going to give him top six playing time if he can crack their roster at all. Calgary will do easily be able to do that. Unless he has a boner to play in New Jersey to be close to home, the Flames are the best place for him.

Gaudreau has also done nothing to indicate he is going to hold out or not sign with Calgary. In fact, his language is such that I believe he'll be a Calgary Flame some time in March of 2014.

[Enoch Root]

Also, if the Heat (or Flames) make the playoffs, he can sign this year and join the team. If he can get 10 games in, he would eat a year of his contract. That would mean that he could get to his 2nd contract 2 years before he would if he waited to be a UFA.

No chance he waits under that scenario.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by Gord Wappel

I can't say I checked to see if current agreement finally corrected that rarely used old college loophole to get early free agency compared to almost all other draftees.

There is no (and has never been) any "old college loophole" that allowed someone to get early free agency. If your referring to the Wheeler/Schultz situation that didn't get them free agency earlier it simply moved their exclusive negotiating rights from graduation (typically 4 years) to 4 years post draft (because they lost a school year to an additional year of junior hockey). That's not free agency... they still have to abide by league mandated entry level deals.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Also, if the Heat (or Flames) make the playoffs, he can sign this year and join the team. If he can get 10 games in, he would eat a year of his contract. That would mean that he could get to his 2nd contract 2 years before he would if he waited to be a UFA.

No chance he waits under that scenario.

Doubtful he gets to game 10. Flames won't burn a year of that entry level contract for any player that late in the season. I doubt any team would unless they believed he was the piece that would put them over the top.

[Ashasx]

I thought AHL games slide the 1st year of the contract, so he could play as many games with the Heat as he wanted?

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by stemit14

In pretty sure gaudreau would become a free agent in August 2014 if he doesn't sign with the flAmes. Isn't this his last year of college? I could be wrong though.

You're wrong. Gaudreau is a junior for the 2013-14 season. His senior season is 2014-15. He would not become a free agent until August 15th, 2015.

[Fire]

Originally Posted by New Era

Doubtful he gets to game 10. Flames won't burn a year of that entry level contract for any player that late in the season. I doubt any team would unless they believed he was the piece that would put them over the top.

They would burn a year in order to get Gaudreau signed. No doubt about it.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Fire

They would burn a year in order to get Gaudreau signed. No doubt about it.

Yup, for two reasons...

As an additional enticement

And if the Heat were making a playoff run, they would want to get him in on it to feel like part of the group

That would be a dream scenario for the Flames

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

I thought AHL games slide the 1st year of the contract, so he could play as many games with the Heat as he wanted?

I don't believe his would be a sliding ELC

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Gord Wappel

...I stand to be corrected: I can't say I checked to see if current agreement finally corrected that rarely used old college loophole to get early free agency compared to almost all other draftees.

I would say that you have been corrected often and thoroughly in the course of the past few posts.

The point here is twofold:

First, the sorts of occurrences to which you allude in which college players have become UFAs are EXTREMELY rare. The circumstances behind what happened with Wheeler and Schultz were considerably different, since they only played three years of college before the signing deadline approached. Not so with Gaudreau, who went straight to BC after the draft. On the contrary, the exceeding majority of highly drafted or highly regarded college players are signed by the teams that drafted them.

Second, Gaudreau has given NO INDICATION that he has any reservations about playing in Calgary, or about signing with the Flames. The Flames have given NO INDICATIONS to suggest that he is a flight risk. There is NO EVIDENCE—not even a shred of the circumstantial variety—to support the notion that Gaudreau may opt for free agency and sign with another team. NONE.

[Freeway]

Slide rule only applies to: 18 or 19 year olds who sign. Gaudreau's 20.