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

[SuperMatt18]

I'm still not sure how much he strung them along. I think he thought he was making the decision between Calgary and Philly and now he ended up on neither team.

I honestly think his body language is so off today too because this wasn't where he expected to be today. No excuses because he still had 24 hours to prepare for this but something seemed off with him today.

I would love to know what happened with the Flyers that they didn't even appear to try to make an offer or an attempt to sign him after what felt like them setting up for this moment for years.

Including signing his best friend (who is a worse player) to a long term contract at big money. And buying out a cancer survivor who was a fan favourite in Lindbolm in what looked to be preparation for the signing.

[memphusk]

Thats what I'm getting from it also.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

I stay off social media for this reason and don't want to see things like this but that's horrible to hear.

I didn't respond to them but their posts were pretty tone deaf considering how it all went down

[Yamer]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

I stay off social media for this reason and don't want to see things like this but that's horrible to hear.

There were definitely messages of support and well wishes, but there were just as many calling them snakes, liars, and losers.

[johnnyhockey13]

Originally Posted by PuckDemon

Your story actually makes a lot of sense. Did they comment at all about what went wrong with the negotiations with Calgary? Definitely seems like some bad blood there.

No they were very hesitant on what they shared. All I was told was why Columbus. Nothing about Calgary other then Covid having a impact on him not being able to see the family. I was also told he met his wife in the Jersey coast where he has a vacation home. He met his wife there one summer as her family were renting a house there. It seems both families are really close. I will try to get her a little drunk in the next couple days and get some
More out of her. She even stated that her boys played with Johnny and Matt in minor hockey etc so they seem close.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by AC

I saw that Johnny's contract with CBJ doesn't have any signing bonuses or NTC or NMC included, which is definitely odd for a big name free agent.

Bjorkstrand, Kuraly, Merzlikins, and Jenner all have NTCs.

He has NMC and NTCs. But the lack of signing bonus is weird.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by johnnyhockey13

No they were very hesitant on what they shared. All I was told was why Columbus. Nothing about Calgary other then Covid having a impact on him not being able to see the family. I was also told he met his wife in the Jersey coast where he has a vacation home. He met his wife there one summer as her family were renting a house there. It seems both families are really close. I will try to get her a little drunk in the next couple days and get some
More out of her. She even stated that her boys played with Johnny and Matt in minor hockey etc so they seem close.

This man needs to awarded a CP secret agent title!

[Jason14h]

I just love your plan is to get them drunk ! Cause it’s perfect

[Abstract]

Originally Posted by dino7c

It sure doesn't seem like Philly was all that interested

From what I heard today they 100% were but every other GM knew it so had them over a barrell and set astronomical asking prices to take a contract such as JVR off them.

Terrible management all round tho.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by johnnyhockey13

No they were very hesitant on what they shared. All I was told was why Columbus. Nothing about Calgary other then Covid having a impact on him not being able to see the family. I was also told he met his wife in the Jersey coast where he has a vacation home. He met his wife there one summer as her family were renting a house there. It seems both families are really close. I will try to get her a little drunk in the next couple days and get some
More out of her. She even stated that her boys played with Johnny and Matt in minor hockey etc so they seem close.

Lol! Okay...

Officially I cannot condone this behaviour....but its harmless interrogation.

Like the Seinfeld episode where Jerry kept feeding Elaine Schnapps to extract information.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by dino7c

Guy had no intention in signing here ever, used the Flames to get a big offer elsewhere

This I don't believe at all.

What you are suggesting is that by turning down $84 million, Gaudreau and Gross cunningly drove the market all the way up to… $68 million?

It's not like he was going to sign anywhere for peanuts. There would have been plenty of offers over $9m AAV without ‘using’ the Flames or anybody else.

In fact, by saying that he wanted to be close to home, Gaudreau appears to have actually damaged his earning power. Scuttlebutt is that more than one GM was surprised he signed with Columbus, and would have made a competitive offer if he had only known Gaudreau was willing to talk to teams outside the NY-Philly area.

If this was all a master plan to get more money on the open market, it was a plan cooked up by a dimwit and executed by a bonehead. I'm not believing that.

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by Abstract

From what I heard today they 100% were but every other GM knew it so had them over a barrell and set astronomical asking prices to take a contract such as JVR off them.

Terrible management all round tho.

It just doesn’t make a lot of sense cause they don’t have to dump JVR . They could trade quality for picks and them sign him

They could have moved someone to Calgary easily

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

Its not so much what we could do with Johnny but we had the chance to unload Tkachuk and do a mini rebuild at the draft but we could not due to Johnny. There were also some other signings we could have planned for earlier had we known.

Or if Johnny had been clear with Philly, we could have worked with them to make space and get assets back.

I can dig it.

2022 wasn't the draft to do a rebuild. I doubt very much the Flames scouted the top guys very hard at all not having a pick.

Tkachuk likely would have returned a similar package to DeBrincat IMO. I really struggled with NJD giving up #2, but maybe if they knew that Johnny was out of the question.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Abstract

From what I heard today they 100% were but every other GM knew it so had them over a barrell and set astronomical asking prices to take a contract such as JVR off them.

Terrible management all round tho.

LOL Fletcher should have called his dad's old team - I'm sure Tre would have accommodated something, better than nothing!

[Mr.Coffee]

Originally Posted by dino7c

I didn't respond to them but their posts were pretty tone deaf considering how it all went down

I think the reality is that you don’t get to be a sports hero and community icon without a certain level of unspoken responsibility that comes along with it. Like, you know, being respectful and fair to the team and community that made you a multi millionaire bought all those jerseys with your name on it, offered you a jersey retirement, local celebrity with an intense fan following, bought hundreds of thousands of tickets and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to watch and follow you around, etc etc etc etc.

You don’t get to be the hero and then just do whatever the #### you want and screw people over, or if you do you should 100% expect a reply.

I’m also extremely surprised that people don’t understand this very basic and straightforward implied social contract. That’s why people like Johnny have PR training so things don’t blow up like this.

[UnitedFlames]

https://twitter.com/saracivian/statu...gNKKCtqu8YgTig

This is another way to leave a city: Vincent Trocheck making a large donation to UNC Children's hospital on way out of Raleigh.

[Yamer]

Another interesting scenario that I believe Logan Gordon brought up on the Fan this afternoon was Gaudreau's reluctance to have the difficult conversation with Treliving where he informed them he didn't want to return.

Not verbatim, but Gordon speculated on how Gaudreau may have been more torn on having to have that conversation than he was about leaving, and may have put it off until he absolutely had to tell him. Would make sense of the nonsense 11th hour decision that many suspect was made potentially days or weeks ago.

It's really just another thing to consider that has some logic behind it. Of course it would also make Gaudreau look pretty cowardly and selfish.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Yamer

Another interesting scenario that I believe Logan Gordon brought up on the Fan this afternoon was Gaudreau's reluctance to have the difficult conversation with Treliving where he informed them he didn't want to return.

Having difficult conversations with your employer is what you have an agent for. I'm sure Lewis Gross would have had no reluctance at all to tell Treliving anything.

Not saying it wasn't a factor, but if so, it was another very poor decision.

[Barnet Flame]

I’m watching his press conference now. I live in the UK now and I’m fairly convinced I know more about the Blue Jackets than Gaudreau.

He has nothing substantive or convincing to say.

[Yamer]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

Having difficult conversations with your employer is what you have an agent for. I'm sure Lewis Gross would have had no reluctance at all to tell Treliving anything.

Not saying it wasn't a factor, but if so, it was another very poor decision.

Absolutely, but as a professional with an ongoing relationship with your employer you should tell them personally you're leaving.

Nothing about this whole situation speaks well of Gaudreau's ability to handle it properly.