Matthew Tkachuk & Johnny Gaudreau Signing Watch Thread

[Jay Random]

To put it in perspective: Average attendance at NHL games so far this year has been 15,859. That's the lowest in at least 20 years, excluding the no-fans COVID season. (I don't have numbers handy before that.)

At the tail end of the dead puck era, when games were boring, most small-market teams had no hope, and a third of the teams in the league were reportedly in danger of relocating or folding – with all that, average attendance for the same period in the season bottomed out at 16,122 in 2003-04.

This year is worse, and if you look at the figures so far, there is no sign of a rising trend from game to game:

https://soundofhockey.com/2021/11/16...cross-the-nhl/

I stand by my choice of the word ‘crisis’.

[Soliak]

Originally Posted by aaronkarlpatton

I thought the same thing for the same reasons, but his wife moved here and is pursuing her nursing career in Calgary

Sent from my SM-A526W using Tapatalk

Damn you got a source for this???

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

To put it in perspective: Average attendance at NHL games so far this year has been 15,859. That's the lowest in at least 20 years, excluding the no-fans COVID season. (I don't have numbers handy before that.)

At the tail end of the dead puck era, when games were boring, most small-market teams had no hope, and a third of the teams in the league were reportedly in danger of relocating or folding – with all that, average attendance for the same period in the season bottomed out at 16,122 in 2003-04.

This year is worse, and if you look at the figures so far, there is no sign of a rising trend from game to game:

https://soundofhockey.com/2021/11/16...cross-the-nhl/

I stand by my choice of the word ‘crisis’.

I could be wrong, but I suspect other sports are going to go through similar things.

I think the gate-driven model was precarious even before COVID, but COVID has accelerated what was going to happen eventually. The NHL needs to find ways to make money other ways. Not an easy task of course, but it's not like they will have a choice.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Attendance down 8% in the first 20 games is the farthest thing I can imagine from a crisis. Especially in light of the circumstances.

Makes total sense, and tbh 15,800 average seems very good for coming out of a pandemic.

The climb to normal numbers will require a rebuilding of trust in people and climbing vaccinate rates to be reflected in future waves. There are many that simply aren't normalizaed to being indoors in crowds again and are probably hesitant to make the leap.

If tying the league over till then means more ads on things, including a couple jersey ads, so be it I guess.

[aaronkarlpatton]

Originally Posted by Soliak

Damn you got a source for this???

Wish I did, I only speak it because Derek Wills said it on one of the post game radio interviews from the road recently. I suppose that isn't Iron clad, but enough to mention.

Sent from my SM-A526W using Tapatalk

[Hemi-Cuda]

So what happens if Tkachuk and Gaudreau still aren't signed by the trade deadline and the Flames are still a playoff team? Is Treliving prepared to lose them for nothing for the chance of a playoff run?

EDIT: Forgot that Tkachuk is RFA, but the point still stands for Gaudreau

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

So what happens if Tkachuk and Gaudreau still aren't signed by the trade deadline and the Flames are still a playoff team? Is Treliving prepared to lose them for nothing for the chance of a playoff run?

EDIT: Forgot that Tkachuk is RFA, but the point still stands for Gaudreau

If Gaudreau is not signed and the Flames are still playing great hockey and at or near the top of the standings, I expect Treliving to trade him for a the best return available at the deadline.

Just kidding.

For real though, if they're in that spot there is nothing they can do about it really. Have to keep trying to get a deal done, and hope that familiarity and the fact they are the only team that can offer him an 8 year deal is enough to keep him with the Flames.

[dissentowner]

I am not worried about Gaudreau. Remember, it is BT's job to get the best deal possible for the Flames, I would not be surprised if this dragged out until the season is over. In the end they will sign him though, even if they have to pay more than they want to.

[Vinny01]

I don’t think Johnny is the vindictive type but Treliving really utilized the leverage he had over The Gaudreau camp on the last negotiation which has Johnny sitting the entire training camp. He has now handed over almost all that leverage over to the Gaudreau camp as they are firmly in the drivers seat and can really squeeze the Flames if they want to.

Tkachuk is far more likely to just accept his QO so he too can have all the leverage but I doubt we see a negotiation that drags through the summer there and it could easily be sign the deal and see what’s out there in a year.

Treliving has done his best work when he has leverage but the contracts he has handed out that are head scratchers usually occur in a competitive marketplace and he is opening the door to have to work both these extensions in that fashion

[djsFlames]

If Johnny's wife is enjoying her nursing education here and making friends that bodes well.

[heep223]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

I am not worried about Gaudreau. Remember, it is BT's job to get the best deal possible for the Flames, I would not be surprised if this dragged out until the season is over. In the end they will sign him though, even if they have to pay more than they want to.

How could you not be worried? The reasons for him to go UFA far outweigh the reasons for him to stay IMO

[sa226]

I think I randomly predicted awhile ago that if the Flames were good, Gaudreau would sign by March.

I don't think that is going to be the case.

With the year and success he's having, I think any agent worth his weight would advise him to go right to the week before free agency when teams can start talking to players. regardless of Gaudreau's intentions.

Unless Johnny intervenes and tells him to get a deal done, I want to stay. What better leverage would Johnny have if he truly wants to stay, then to take legitimate big dollar offers from around the league and present them to the Flames.

He is going right to wire this summer and we're all going to be ####ting our pants until something is announced.


Tkachuk to me is a nothingburger because he's a FRA, he'll either be signed or traded.

[djsFlames]

If he waits till seconds to midnight it is going to be a stressful spring. Hopefully a long playoff run cuts down that time of sitting and waiting nervously.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I could be wrong, but I suspect other sports are going to go through similar things.

I think the gate-driven model was precarious even before COVID, but COVID has accelerated what was going to happen eventually. The NHL needs to find ways to make money other ways. Not an easy task of course, but it's not like they will have a choice.

They have to invest in better on ice camera technology. If they want to compete they need to be able to produce a television product in line with the NFL. We shouldn't get a blurry obscure angle of a puck crossing a line. We should be able to see the puck in HD and from multiple angles.

The NHL also needs to work on their personalities and storylines. The same old tired...here's a visit to some small town interlude doesn't bring anyone in.

[Beatle17]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

To put it in perspective: Average attendance at NHL games so far this year has been 15,859. That's the lowest in at least 20 years, excluding the no-fans COVID season. (I don't have numbers handy before that.)

At the tail end of the dead puck era, when games were boring, most small-market teams had no hope, and a third of the teams in the league were reportedly in danger of relocating or folding – with all that, average attendance for the same period in the season bottomed out at 16,122 in 2003-04.

This year is worse, and if you look at the figures so far, there is no sign of a rising trend from game to game:

https://soundofhockey.com/2021/11/16...cross-the-nhl/

I stand by my choice of the word ‘crisis’.

And what has changed since 2003-2004? League revenue from sources outside of attendance has tripled, in arena prices have skyrocketed, players only get 50% of the money not 78%. Attendance isn't as big of an issue now as it was then.

[SuperMatt18]

I've long wondered if something around Barzal and Tkachuk could be on the cards.

Islanders are struggling this year, Barzal off to a poor start, and has similar RFA expiry to Tkachuk.

Tkachuk seems like a guy Lou would love to have too.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

I've long wondered if something around Barzal and Tkachuk could be on the cards.

Islanders are struggling this year, Barzal off to a poor start, and has similar RFA expiry to Tkachuk.

Tkachuk seems like a guy Lou would love to have too.

Seems like a dream trade for the Flames.

Weren’t the Islanders rumored to be close to signing Tkachuk to an offer sheet in the summer of 2019? Pretty sure I have heard Pinder say that more than once on the FAN

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by heep223

How could you not be worried? The reasons for him to go UFA far outweigh the reasons for him to stay IMO

Really? How?

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Beatle17

And what has changed since 2003-2004? League revenue from sources outside of attendance has tripled, in arena prices have skyrocketed, players only get 50% of the money not 78%. Attendance isn't as big of an issue now as it was then.

Before COVID hit, three teams – Toronto, Montreal, and the Rangers – were earning 50 percent of the league's profits. About a third of the teams were losing money. Take away those three markets, and you were not looking at a healthy financial picture. It's gotten substantially worse.

[heep223]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Really? How?

The usual. Family is out east, wife is from out east, played college out east, he spends off-season and has property out east, but most importantly why wouldn’t he test the market? He might get some obscene offer. The reasons for staying are the extra year if he re-signs, and that the team appears to be a contender (big one that has only emerged recently).

I’m not saying he’s going to walk, I’m just saying there’s plenty of reasons to be worried and on balance I personally think there’s more reasons to leave than stay.