Matthew Tkachuk & Johnny Gaudreau Signing Watch Thread

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

No, it is rumoured. But we are all just kind of shooting the #### with this discussion I thought.

All good. Just wondering if I'd missed something

If true I'd expect Gross to come back with $12 million AAV and hopefully they land on $10.5 to 11.0 million AAV in the next few weeks.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

All good. Just wondering if I'd missed something

If true I'd expect Gross to come back with $12 million AAV and hopefully they land on $10.5 to 11.0 million AAV in the next few weeks.

Yeah, it was rumoured as Calgary's "day 1" opening offer. Which if true, is about right and leads me to believe that Gaudreau will be in Calgary, likely in the $10-$11mil AAV range.

If he leaves it will most likely be because he truly decided to go closer to home to be closer his immediate and extended family, not because Calgary wasn't willing to pay what others were.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

All good. Just wondering if I'd missed something

If true I'd expect Gross to come back with $12 million AAV and hopefully they land on $10.5 to 11.0 million AAV in the next few weeks.

I think the Flames just have to be at around $10.3 to beat any realistic amount other teams could offer. Total contract value would be 82.4M which would mean he would have to guess that some other team would give him 7x11.77M to make the same amount of money.

[jayswin]

The idea of places like Dallas luring Johnny in are misplaced, imo. I think he's very loyal to the Flames and wants to be here at this point. If he leaves, it's because somewhere close to home was an option, not because any random team in the league offered $1mil AAV more than Calgary or whatever over 7 years, when we can offer 8.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by jayswin

The idea of places like Dallas luring Johnny in are misplaced, imo. I think he's very loyal to the Flames and wants to be here at this point. If he leaves, it's because somewhere close to home was an option, not because any random team in the league offered $1mil AAV more than Calgary or whatever over 7 years, when we can offer 8.

I don’t even know how Dallas could do it and still sign Robertson and Oettinger. They have $14.6M in space now, a lot of it tied to Seguin and Benn. And they have to get a backup goalie as well. Plus at least one depth D.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I think the Flames just have to be at around $10.3 to beat any realistic amount other teams could offer. Total contract value would be 82.4M which would mean he would have to guess that some other team would give him 7x11.77M to make the same amount of money.

I wonder if their camp places any value on the idea of another decent contract at the end of this 7/8 year deal and factors the possibility of being 36 years old at the end as opposed to 37 being a difference in his retirement contract.

Who knows, he's small and shifty, may not break down as fast as others. Maybe they place some value on the idea of a 3-4 year contract after this one that could be $15-$20mil if he's still producing decently. And being ready for it one year earlier could be the difference between "yeah, let's offer Johnny 4 years/5mil AAV" vs "he's dropped off last season, maybe a year or two at most" from the hockey world.

Probably not, but who knows, athletes tend to believe in themselves and he may not see this as a retirement contract at all. And yes, I understand guaranteed money vs potential contracts, just throwing it out there as possibly part of the thinking.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I don’t even know how Dallas could do it and still sign Robertson and Oettinger. They have $14.6M in space now, a lot of it tied to Seguin and Benn. And they have to get a backup goalie as well. Plus at least one depth D.

Sure, but my point was just that Dallas and other locations around the league have been brought up as threats to Johnny staying here, in this thread. Whether they legitimately could or not, my point is that I see the threat to Calgary not signing Gaudreau as only "team close to Johnny's family back home willing to pay him big money and show signs of being competitive in the near future".

Not "any team in the league willing to pay him huge and be competitive in the near future". If it comes down to that I believe Johnny would sign in Calgary due to liking Calgary and the team and believing that we're as competitive as any team that had the ability to sign him.

[jayswin]

TLDR: I truly believe this is literally down to "Does Johnny choose Calgary or being close to home in very few select cities" at this point, rather than "does he choose Calgary or go anywhere in the league that offers huge money as a UFA".

And in that regard, Calgary will be willing to pay what it takes to keep him here, so if he leaves he left for family, not because Calgary left something on the table.

[talladega.25]

Honest question.. do the amenities of an employer have any appeal? Like the building and office set-up. Perks like an employees sky lounge (those of us working downtown calgary), gym, etc. I think we all want to work for viable/industry leading company and if we take pay and reputation out of the equation, we all would prefer working for a company with a nice building and workplace perks.

Same can be said about NHLers. Would you rather play in the Dome with a junior A tier dressing room, cramped facilities compared to a team that has state of the art facilities?

Then factor in the cost of living.. taxes and now inflation in Canada.

That being said, weighing the pros and cons of this simple argument, Calgary doesn't compete with the majority of the NHL.

If I am 13 or 19, I am stoked to see what other teams have to offer. Lets all be honest, there is no such thing as professional loyalty. We all look out for our families or ourselves.

I loved last season and had high hopes for the playoffs. Do we want to pay regular season Johnny 10-12M per season? I didn't mind him round 1 but he definitely was old Johnny in round 2. Matthew.. same thing can be said. I don't have an opinion either way but sometimes change is good.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by jayswin

TLDR: I truly believe this is literally down to "Does Johnny choose Calgary or being close to home in very few select cities" at this point, rather than "does he choose Calgary or go anywhere in the league that offers huge money as a UFA".

And in that regard, Calgary will be willing to pay what it takes to keep him here, so if he leaves he left for family, not because Calgary left something on the table.

I agree with this 1000%. Calgary will not lose him over money.

If he leaves, it will be over him wanting to be closer to where he was raised. And I worry about that, because we have zero control over it. I always worry about stuff I don't control.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by jayswin

TLDR: I truly believe this is literally down to "Does Johnny choose Calgary or being close to home in very few select cities" at this point, rather than "does he choose Calgary or go anywhere in the league that offers huge money as a UFA".

And in that regard, Calgary will be willing to pay what it takes to keep him here, so if he leaves he left for family, not because Calgary left something on the table.

I think you’re right on the money. I think the teams are down to Calgary, New Jersey, Philadelphia, the Islanders, or the Rangers.

The Devils are the only ones who could do it without making a big salary trade, but I’m sure any one of the others would at least explore how to make it work, but it would require a small retool and moving out a player of value. The only benefit to that for the Flames is there is a potential partner there where you might be able to fill a different need based on who they’re trying to offload.

I think ultimately JG sticks around, but if he doesn’t, there’s no way in my opinion he’s leaving to go to some sunbelt team.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

I always worry about stuff I don't control.

That's rough.

Those are the last things you should worry about.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by talladega.25

Honest question.. do the amenities of an employer have any appeal? Like the building and office set-up. Perks like an employees sky lounge (those of us working downtown calgary), gym, etc. I think we all want to work for viable/industry leading company and if we take pay and reputation out of the equation, we all would prefer working for a company with a nice building and workplace perks.

Same can be said about NHLers. Would you rather play in the Dome with a junior A tier dressing room, cramped facilities compared to a team that has state of the art facilities?

Then factor in the cost of living.. taxes and now inflation in Canada.

That being said, weighing the pros and cons of this simple argument, Calgary doesn't compete with the majority of the NHL.

If I am 13 or 19, I am stoked to see what other teams have to offer. Lets all be honest, there is no such thing as professional loyalty. We all look out for our families or ourselves.

I loved last season and had high hopes for the playoffs. Do we want to pay regular season Johnny 10-12M per season? I didn't mind him round 1 but he definitely was old Johnny in round 2. Matthew.. same thing can be said. I don't have an opinion either way but sometimes change is good.

Cost of living for NHL players isn't going to be a driving factor for guys making 10 million dollars but they are making USD and that gives them a 20% break already.

The arena stuff I could see being a bigger factor

[GGG]

Originally Posted by talladega.25

Honest question.. do the amenities of an employer have any appeal? Like the building and office set-up. Perks like an employees sky lounge (those of us working downtown calgary), gym, etc. I think we all want to work for viable/industry leading company and if we take pay and reputation out of the equation, we all would prefer working for a company with a nice building and workplace perks.

Same can be said about NHLers. Would you rather play in the Dome with a junior A tier dressing room, cramped facilities compared to a team that has state of the art facilities?

Then factor in the cost of living.. taxes and now inflation in Canada.

That being said, weighing the pros and cons of this simple argument, Calgary doesn't compete with the majority of the NHL.

If I am 13 or 19, I am stoked to see what other teams have to offer. Lets all be honest, there is no such thing as professional loyalty. We all look out for our families or ourselves.

I loved last season and had high hopes for the playoffs. Do we want to pay regular season Johnny 10-12M per season? I didn't mind him round 1 but he definitely was old Johnny in round 2. Matthew.. same thing can be said. I don't have an opinion either way but sometimes change is good.

The thing about change is that you aren’t replacing him internally so you need to spending his UFA money on replacing him with UFAs. So to be the options are sign Johnny and Matthew or rebuild. My preference is see what you can do with those two for the next four years then rebuild.

Are our chances good that it works? Probably not but I will take the next few years similar to this past one.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

That's rough.

Those are the last things you should worry about.

I hear you. But I am in a profession where we like to be in control. We don't like leaving things to chance.

Calgary has complete control over how much money they will pay Johnny. But they have zero control if Johnny decides/has decided to head back home.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by GGG

The thing about change is that you aren’t replacing him internally so you need to spending his UFA money on replacing him with UFAs. So to be the options are sign Johnny and Matthew or rebuild. My preference is see what you can do with those two for the next four years then rebuild.

Are our chances good that it works? Probably not but I will take the next few years similar to this past one.

As I've said before, odds are always long that a particular team will win the Cup.

But Calgary had a team that could have won the Cup this year. It didn't work out, but the team was potentially good enough.

Runniung in the next year(s) with a similar chance team is worth it IMO.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Bonded

Cost of living for NHL players isn't going to be a driving factor for guys making 10 million dollars but they are making USD and that gives them a 20% break already.

The arena stuff I could see being a bigger factor

It seems silly when all the other stuff is listed but I bet facilities are a big deal. It’s where you work most days, and when we show recruits our offices, stuff like the employee lounges, gyms, etc seem to be factors.

In contrast I don’t think house prices etc are any concern. If houses are expensive when a player moves in, they also sell for a lot when they move out.

The stuff that concerns me are things like travel differences between Calgary and the NE teams. That’s gotta be attractive.

[mdubz]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

It seems silly when all the other stuff is listed but I bet facilities are a big deal. It’s where you work most days, and when we show recruits our offices, stuff like the employee lounges, gyms, etc seem to be factors.

In contrast I don’t think house prices etc are any concern. If houses are expensive when a player moves in, they also sell for a lot when they move out.

The stuff that concerns me are things like travel differences between Calgary and the NE teams. That’s gotta be attractive.

Wasn't it reported that Johnny is afraid of flying as well?

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by mdubz

Wasn't it reported that Johnny is afraid of flying as well?

Time to just move Mama and Papa Gaudreau to Calgary then!

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by mdubz

Wasn't it reported that Johnny is afraid of flying as well?

“I hate flying. I’m scared. Me and Monny (Sean Monahan) are awful with it, every takeoff.

"We are on the card table, me and Monny, and we have to stop playing cards for a little bit the first two minutes of the flight, put our heads down and take a few deep breaths. Flying out of Calgary it’s always bumpy, windy and snowy and clouds everywhere, It’s an awful place to fly in and out of in the first place. Every flight has turbulence. Me and Monahan are talking about buying an RV and travelling.”

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article...m-fear-flying/

I don’t know how big a deal this is. I don’t even know how many fewer flights a NJ Devil takes. All the NY away games I suppose, but then you’ve replaced sitting in a plane for a couple hours to sitting on a bus in traffic.