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

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Well the reports did say his decision wasn't about money... lol

If his decision wasn't about money, then it certainly wasn't about the money he got on his last contract.

It feels like he's been taking business advice from Wile E. Coyote.

Step 1: Blow yourself up with dynamite. (Walking out on Calgary negotiations)
Step 2: Fall off a cliff. (Bungling the attempt to sign with a team near home)
Step 3: Wait for a boulder to fall on your head. (Signing in Columbus for $15 million less than he could have got initially)
Step 4: Uh… profit? No, scratch step 4.

I don't know what the market price of roadrunners is, but I bet you can buy a lot of them for 15 mil.

[Inferno]

Hopefully it's 7 years of Johnny No Playoffs.

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by Flamesfan05

Two possibilities

1) Johnny hated Calgary
2) Treliving nickel and dime him. Never offered anything close to reported

Lol

Yes definitely

[Reggie Dunlop]

I always figured Boston as a dark horse suitor... if they had been able to make the money work, as Gaudreau spent his college years there.

[dammage79]

Let's not forget how roasted Ryan Leslie got when he said Johnny was leaving years ago as well. I just want to point that out.

You wanna know why I trust Leslie's opinion over random posters on a fan forum? Because he hangs with those ppl. Doesn't just randomly spout off stuff for clicks. He said Gaudreau was gone and he was right because he knew, he had the info.

[devo22]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1547368742006493185


lol

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by WCW Nitro

People are really underestimating Columbus, they have two very good young C's in Johnson and Sillinger.

Now they just need a 2nd, 3rd and 4th line, defence and a goaltender.

[Ashasx]

I just can't get over choosing Columbus over sealing your legacy in Calgary.

I guess that's not worth much to him.

[Moneyhands23]

This was a player that didn't like the management or had a serious problem with parts of the team.

The culture has been brought up by more than one player. I really wonder how johnny feels about MT and or the management.

[neo45]

Johnny screwing this up this badly actually might help with Tkachuk


There’s zero chance Johnny wanted to be a Blue Jacket with his once in a career crack at UFA. He messed up royally here

[Macindoc]

Maybe he desires a quieter life in the USA with less expectations from coaches and fans. Maybe he wanted to be sure he would not be separated from his family due to border restrictions. He probably expected a better offer from NJ than he got. Maybe his last minute announcement of his decision to go to FA burned his bridges in Calgary.

I wish him good health and a happy family but abject failure on the ice.

[tony-soprano]

Originally Posted by CF84

Maybe his or his wife's family didn't like all uncertainties during Covid and wanted them on "the right side of the border" in case something like similar happenes again? Or maybe Johnny just doesn't like Canada? There are so many possibilities, but being right next to family doesn't seem like it was the issue.

With the way machine algo's work nowadays, wouldn't surprise me one bit if they ended up going down the wrong rabbit hole and being bombarded with the same types of ads/new stories etc.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by Flamesfan05

Yeah, it was definitely a big #### you to Treliving at the end

Not sure I believe this.

Its Treliving's job to negotiate the best deal to run his team. Wasn't personal, just business. From a personal standpoint he was treated extraordinarily well, so was his family.

Accepting the Flames offer 6 years later would've also been the wisest business decision for Gaudreau and his agent.

I'd be amazed if he was that petty to hold on to that over that length of time.

Some kinda "show you", if so.

[ricardodw]

Maybe he figures that if the best he could do in 8 years in Calgary is to win 2 playoff series and he had so much respect for the city and the fans he took less money to get out of town and give Calgary a better chance at success over the next 8 years.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by WCW Nitro

People are really underestimating Columbus, they have two very good young C's in Johnson and Sillinger.

They also seem like guys who'll take a few years to fully develop. Gaudreau wants to be part of the Columbus rebuild?

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by NOISIA

I have a source, apparently Johnnys says he hasn’t been treated right for two years and there may have been issues with some of the players. Who knows though.

I would not be surprised if him and Tkachuk didn't like each other. I've never had the impression that they got along well. The Flames were obviously willing for Johnny to be the main guy though.

[RedHawk12]

I've said it in another thread, but I think it just came down to Johnny overplaying his hand by going to free agency, after burning bridges with Calgary by telling them he's not coming back.

Columbus was probably not Johnny's preferred destination and he just took the best offer available after NJ, Philly and NYI likely weren't able to make it work.

More I look at this, Johnny and his agent screwed this up more than the Flames screwed this up.

[atb]

Originally Posted by AC

So to recap: He's not close to his family, didn't sign for the most money, and didn't pick a winning team or one with a particularly bright future...

Sage to say he just wanted out I guess, but it's shocking that he wound up in Columbus over NJ or NYI.

Or he just wants anonymity, less scrutiny and less pressure. Seems like he might want to quietly earn his pay cheque away from the spotlight while being somewhat closer to home. If that's his thinking, probably a good thing he didn't take the Flames offer, who knows how the later half of that contract would have looked like.

[Hack&Lube]

If its any consolation, Columbus is our brother in the sense that it's a place that always loses it's free agents as well and always gets the shaft like we have in attracting talent. Now it's landed the prom queen who ran out of suitors and took the consolation prize dork home.

[mile]

If this was about revenge or dissatisfaction over the way he was treated, a guy like Ryan Leslie wouldn't be stunned. He would've known.