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

[VilleN]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

Exhibit A on why playing in Canada can lose its appeal pretty fast.

I just disagree with this line of thinking. Yes, there are negatives to playing for a market where fans are obsessed with hockey... but the upside is, you're playing in a market where fans are obsessed with hockey. I am sure some players would prefer to play in Canada because it is the Mecca of hockey. There are very few American markets (if any) that can compare to Canadian markets in terms of hockey fandom. Winning the cup in front of thousands of rabid, die-hard hockey fans counts for something, for some players... Or, at least you'd think it should.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by bax

Gaudreau has won championships and every level he’s played at before the NHL. He overcame the odds and worked until he was one of the very best players in the world. To say he doesn’t care about winning is just silly. Especially based off of a quote from a laid back spittin chiclets interview.

I think Johnny cares about winning and he drives himself to be better every year but I still think he lacks maturity. It is evident in how he handled his exit from the flames and how he conducted himself in interviews in the days after. Remember this is a player who was scratched for getting wasted for the Super Bowl and showing up late to work. This team was called out for individual goals and not team goals by veterans and coaches. This is a player who was criticized for not eating well or taking the best care of his body

End of the day he is one of the most talented players in league and the team was willing to give him $84M to continue his career here. He seems like a very likable person but I do believe he has/had some maturity issues that helped contribute to the sour taste in the mouths of Flames fans who worshiped him as a player.

If he truly cared about winning first and foremost would he choose a franchise that has missed the playoff in 15 of the 21 years in the league? It has been reported Johnny hates to lose but what makes this move so confusing is he didn’t leave Calgary to end up with the Devils who have a bunch of top 5 picks ready to breakout or the Islanders a team that has played deep in the 2 previous seasons before this. He chose the most mediocre franchise in the league and left $15M on the table to do so while the team he left has won the pacific in 2 of the last 3 seasons and has all the pieces to compete right now. Leaving a legacy of being the best to wear the jersey.

It was within his rights to do what he did but even to this day it makes little to no sense.

[Vinny01]

https://flamesnation.ca/2022/08/16/t...reau-timeline/


Pat breaks down the Johnny signing.

Basically thought it was done at 10.5x8
Flames tabled an 11x7 offer the day of free agency

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by VilleN

I just disagree with this line of thinking. Yes, there are negatives to playing for a market where fans are obsessed with hockey... but the upside is, you're playing in a market where fans are obsessed with hockey. I am sure some players would prefer to play in Canada because it is the Mecca of hockey. There are very few American markets (if any) that can compare to Canadian markets in terms of hockey fandom. Winning the cup in front of thousands of rabid, die-hard hockey fans counts for something, for some players... Or, at least you'd think it should.

Every Stanley Cup Final is played in front of rabid hockey fans (excluding COVID year of course).

We can argue correlation vs. causation, but at this point any player who really wants a cup seems to have better odds playing anywhere in the US. 14 US franchises have won the last 28 cups.

Of course it would be amazing to be a part of the next Canadian franchise to win the cup, but I don't really see any additional value to that - or general 'legacy' for that matter - in a city where a guy doesn't want to live long-term.

CGY/NYI have slightly higher - but still very low - odds of winning in the next few years. CBJ/NJD might be better a few years from now. NJD hasn't done anything yet to prove they aren't going to be perpetually stuck in 1st gear like BUF. I just don't see a lot of daylight between these teams and IMO its a silly reason to castigate a player.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by bax

Gaudreau has won championships and every level he’s played at before the NHL. He overcame the odds and worked until he was one of the very best players in the world. To say he doesn’t care about winning is just silly. Especially based off of a quote from a laid back spittin chiclets interview.

It's obviously not very high on his list...he signed with one of the worst teams in the league for his entire prime years. And for less money.

He was chillin' Vs. the Oilers

I took the loss harder than he did

Some guys like to win, others HATE to lose. Seems Gaudreau would rather get to the beach house early, he certainly doesn't want to be in the playoffs.

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by dino7c

It's obviously not very high on his list...he signed with one of the worst teams in the league for his entire prime years. And for less money.

He was chillin' Vs. the Oilers

I took the loss harder than he did

Some guys like to win, others HATE to lose. Seems Gaudreau would rather get to the beach house early, he certainly doesn't want to be in the playoffs.

He wasn't chilling against the Oilers. and if he didn't want to be in the playoffs why would he score that goal in OT against the Stars.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

https://flamesnation.ca/2022/08/16/t...reau-timeline/


Pat breaks down the Johnny signing.

Basically thought it was done at 10.5x8
Flames tabled an 11x7 offer the day of free agency

That's weird, I've been told many times that Johnny gave an ultimatum, it was accepted to a T, and then he renegged, and the Flames were so upset about it that they would have no further dealings with him.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

That's weird, I've been told many times that Johnny gave an ultimatum, it was accepted to a T, and then he renegged, and the Flames were so upset about it that they would have no further dealings with him.

That was not what was said/implied

What came out was that things got hot after he allegedly reneged, and Treliving suggested that any chance of a 7 year deal, post Tuesday, was very unlikely. But that does not suggest the Flames wouldn't try (or that the Flames were the ones unlikely to want to continue talks)

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

That was not what was said/implied

What came out was that things got hot after he allegedly reneged, and Treliving suggested that any chance of a 7 year deal, post Tuesday, was very unlikely. But that does not suggest the Flames wouldn't try (or that the Flames were the ones unlikely to want to continue talks)

Yeah the UFA offer seemed unlikely to me after what was said and implied. But it sounds like the Flames decided to make one more effort. The usual Treliving “leaving no stone unturned” approach.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by Johnny Makarov

He wasn't chilling against the Oilers. and if he didn't want to be in the playoffs why would he score that goal in OT against the Stars.

What was he doing agsinst the Oilers exactly.

I hardly noticed him. I think only on PPs.

[JackIsBack]

He did it to satisfy his wife - that's really the end of the story.


It wasn't a good move for several reasons - one being the money left on the table, the other being the poorly structured contract, just compare MT to his (buyout proof).... But Johnny went to Columbus via Gudbranson and he never shopped around and never ever gave them a reason to up their offer - it fell in Columbus's lap and was done before it even got to double digits or even a counter-offer made.



His wife wanted out of Calgary... (and I dare say wanted to go to Columbus for their good hospital) and that was the end of that.

[PeteMoss]

I'm over it, but giving up $11 million dollars is likely a decision you regret approximately 10 minutes after you make it.

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

What was he doing agsinst the Oilers exactly.

I hardly noticed him. I think only on PPs.

He got 6 points and 27 shots in 5 games that series. Doesn't seem like a guy who wasn't trying. He had a lot of good shots that got stopped in that series

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

I'm over it, but giving up $11 million dollars is likely a decision you regret approximately 10 minutes after you make it.

Agreed. Especially for a guy whose main drive is not winning a cup.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by JackIsBack

His wife wanted out of Calgary... (and I dare say wanted to go to Columbus for their good hospital)

I still don't believe the hospital was any part of it. Nobody is giving her a job at that particular hospital just because her husband is a hockey player. If she really wanted to open up her career options, as I mentioned before, I count 27 children's hospitals in the metro New York area, some of them world-famous, and many of them within easy commuting distance of northern New Jersey. This is still relevant even if she's not planning to continue working in the field, and just wanted good medical care for her forthcoming kid(s).

I suspect the Devils are still mystified by how all this went down.

[lazypucker]

The real comparison will be how "useful" Gaudreau vs Huberdeau in 4 to 5 years. Who will regress more? Which team got better bang for the buck?

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by dino7c

It's obviously not very high on his list...he signed with one of the worst teams in the league for his entire prime years. And for less money.



He was chillin' Vs. the Oilers



I took the loss harder than he did



Some guys like to win, others HATE to lose. Seems Gaudreau would rather get to the beach house early, he certainly doesn't want to be in the playoffs.

I think more than anything this just goes to show how little many players understand the business side of the game. Gaudreau is really no different from most players—all of whom sincerely believe that their team is ready to compete for and can win a Stanley Cup. Even despite the fact he signed on to play for the middling Blue Jackets, I have no doubt that Gaudreau thinks it is a team that can win. Because all players think this.

Sent from my SM-G986W using Tapatalk

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

I still don't believe the hospital was any part of it. Nobody is giving her a job at that particular hospital just because her husband is a hockey player. If she really wanted to open up her career options, as I mentioned before, I count 27 children's hospitals in the metro New York area, some of them world-famous, and many of them within easy commuting distance of northern New Jersey. This is still relevant even if she's not planning to continue working in the field, and just wanted good medical care for her forthcoming kid(s).

I suspect the Devils are still mystified by how all this went down.

The more I think about it since it all went down the more I genuinely believe that it had absolutely nothing to do with his wife.

It just doesnt make much sense.

You know what other major North American cities have Children's Hospitals? All of them.

Besides, she's starting a young family right away, she probably wont even be going to work for a substantial period of time, I sincerely doubt any of this has anything to do with his wife.

The New Jersey Devils, much like the rest of us, are genuinely flummoxed about how this all went down.

I know there is passionate defence of Gaudreau just doing what he was entitled to do, but the entire sequence of events is just so bizarre its not going away.

From dragging it to the wire, to losing out on $15M to play for a bad team in the middle of nowhere that came in with a late offer out of left field.

The Devils? WTF happened there?

[roberts10]

Originally Posted by Locke

The more I think about it since it all went down the more I genuinely believe that it had absolutely nothing to do with his wife.

It just doesnt make much sense.

You know what other major North American cities have Children's Hospitals? All of them.

Besides, she's starting a young family right away, she probably wont even be going to work for a substantial period of time, I sincerely doubt any of this has anything to do with his wife.

The New Jersey Devils, much like the rest of us, are genuinely flummoxed about how this all went down.

I know there is passionate defence of Gaudreau just doing what he was entitled to do, but the entire sequence of events is just so bizarre its not going away.

From dragging it to the wire, to losing out on $15M to play for a bad team in the middle of nowhere that came in with a late offer out of left field.

The Devils? WTF happened there?

He mentioned why it wasn’t the Devils in the Spittin Chiclets podcast. He has an open door policy at his house for all his friends/family. He said by being that close to everyone he thought it would be too much to deal with throughout an entire season especially with a baby on the way.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by lazypucker

The real comparison will be how "useful" Gaudreau vs Huberdeau in 4 to 5 years. Who will regress more? Which team got better bang for the buck?

It's not really relevant because it's not like Calgary chose Huberdeau over Gaudreau