Seravalli: Gaudreau has informed the Flames he will not return

[Yoho]

Originally Posted by FlamesFanFromBC

Blessing in disguise... I'm not sure top-loading a team is the right approach if the goal is the Stanley Cup.

No Stanley Cup winning team has ever had a player with an 8 figure contract player on the roster.

I’m sure that record will stand the test of time.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

Maybe we shouldn't be making fun of them.

That's never true. McDavid and Draisaitl should have a cup and Edmonton keeps ####ing it up. They are a laughing stock

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

Why was that even a factor.

If Gaudreau hadn’t signed by the time the Bell Centre was booing Gary, he was never going to re-sign.

That was the deadline.

It’s like thinking you still have a shot with a girl, on her wedding day, because the ceremony hasn’t started yet.

Fire this simp of a GM already.

I enjoy your analogy, it made me laugh (it really did). But I'm failing to see the significance or difference it would have made, giving up on the girl (continuing your analogy) a few days before her wedding day vs. a couple of hours before the ceremony in this case.

Not sure I'm sweating giving up on the return we would have gotten for Johnny's rights from one of the 4 teams that would instantly know they could have him for free (asset wise) in a week. Not sure what difference it made to the Flames in the grand scheme of things.

[Plett Me Tell You]

I think the expectations of the market he arrives in will be huge. Perhaps, for the price, expecting more than a stunning contract year regular season, round one overtime goal and and not having another gear for your rivals - partially contributing to a flaccid second round exit. I don’t think he can push a team over the top but loosing him has this team closer to the bottom. Thanks for the sizzle you little skittle.

[dammage79]

Just don't have faith they wont do the same thing with the Tkachuk file.

[Yoho]

I pray he goes to Philly with Torts.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Wat? The Oilers owners never "let them suck for years" they did everything they could to win they just had terrible management and incredible luck

And still only have a conference finals sweep to brag about when the best player of the generation enters his 8th year in the league

[Bonded]

If the fallout is Tkachuk walking then Treliving should be canned. That's the asset management that would really make me mad. Gaudreau had two middling seasons during covid and the return would have been mediocre

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Yoho

I pray he goes to Philly with Torts.

Johnny will be fine with Torts. Sutter is just as demanding and tough

[Ferarri]

I’ve had some time to process the news and honestly I feel gutted. While I understand the decision for family reasons, it still hurts to have your best player walk away. Perhaps the rumours are right that he was conflicted and didn’t really know till the end, but I think at some point this was the inevitable decision. Wish there would have been some more goodwill towards the organization and that this news could have been conveyed earlier.

I really don’t know how invested I will be next year or beyond. Yes, the rules are the same for all clubs but being a small market Canadian team automatically puts you at a huge disadvantage as witnessed today. It’s hard to invest money and time with the team when you know the reality of the game favours big markets.

I wish Johnny the best but this is just another nail in the coffin of being a flames fan. Hopefully we can pivot to plan B but there is no way you can replace the contributions of a Gaudreau.

Where to go from here…who knows? Lots of question marks and is now the opportunity to blow it up? Not sure I have appetite for more poor flames hockey. Like I said, hard to be optimistic right now and wish there had been some more goodwill towards the organization from a player who was made a superstar here.

Good luck to Johnny and his family (he earned the right to leave) but let’s see if it’s a decision he regrets later down the road.

[Burning Beard]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

Johnny will be fine with Torts. Sutter is just as demanding and tough

They do have a different approach to it though.

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

And still only have a conference finals sweep to brag about when the best player of the generation enters his 8th year in the league

i would love to make the conference finals

[Dion]

Originally Posted by littlereddevil

The difference between us and Edmonton is that they actually have ownership who will do whatever it takes to keep the team competitive (i.e. paying their stars and keeping them happy), and was willing to let the team suck for many years (with multiple high picks squandered) in order to get them there.

We can hate on the Oilers all we want because they're our rivals, but maybe it's time that we learn from them, instead of adopting this superiority complex thinking we've somehow done things better than them (we haven't). Not saying that the Flames have to go through a sucky 10 year rebuild, but that some very important organizational decisions (from both management and ownership) will need to be made in the coming months to determine the direction this team is heading in the next few years. Are we contenders or not? Can we realistically win with this current core, and get over the hump of beating the Oilers (or the Avs or Knights) in the playoffs, or should we rebuild?

IMO what happens in the next few months during this off-season will dictate how this team is run for the next 4 to 5 years. Everything else will then follow, like a new arena deal, finding players who actually want to play here, etc.

The owner and management ran that franchise into the ground. Year after year it was the same old stroy of missing the playoffs and getting all those first overall picks. Picks that resulted in the league bringing in the draft lottery. That's not how you manage a team.

The Oilers are where they are because they were gifted a generational player in McDavid and much the same for Drisitial.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Just don't have faith they wont do the same thing with the Tkachuk file.

Because of Tkachuk's status as RFA, the risk you are worrying about doesn't really exist, at least not in the near term. Regardless of your thoughts on the GM and his performance, the two situations don't really lend themselves to be comparable, at least not when it comes to risk of losing the asset for nothing.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by Bonded

If the fallout is Tkachuk walking then Treliving should be canned. That's the asset management that would really make me mad. Gaudreau had two middling seasons during covid and the return would have been mediocre

Do mean Tkachuk walking like JG did, or just losing Tkachuk?

[Coach]

This is a bad day.

I’ve largely been a Treliving fan. But he should be fired now. I’d be fine with a total top-to-bottom refresh.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

Johnny will be fine with Torts. Sutter is just as demanding and tough

But he won't have the player support/linemates that helped him get the 115 points.

[Yoho]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

Because of Tkachuk's status as RFA, the risk you are worrying about doesn't really exist, at least not in the near term. Regardless of your thoughts on the GM and his performance, the two situations don't really lend themselves to be comparable, at least not when it comes to risk of losing the asset for nothing.

There is very much a risk there.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

Do mean Tkachuk walking like JG did, or just losing Tkachuk?

Him just accepting the QO and then walking. Flames would get something for him but it would probably be spare parts from whatever team he'd sign long term with.

[the-rasta-masta]

Pretty gutted, favorite player. He had a chance to tell the team he wanted to go home and it be a totally reasonable and understandable position for fans. This was the only timeline that tarnished his legacy and I can’t believe it ended up like this. You negotiate to the very end and then finally say you are leaving 4 hours before deadline? Thank you for the memories Johnny, will sincerely look back fondly, but why negotiate with no intention to sign?