GDT: Free agency madness, brought to you by the letter G

[Hale The Villain]

The fact that he signed for significantly less than what the Flames were offering is pretty telling. If he had no intention on signing an extension with them he really should have informed them earlier.

What makes matters worse is that he actually seriously disrupted the Flames organization by not doing that. The possibility of him leaving pretty clearly increased the chances that the Flames would need to do a full rebuild. It was pretty clear that if he parted ways that it was going to make it extremely unlikely that Matthew Tkachuk would sign a long term extension so they would be forced to move him to acquire assets for a rebuild.

The draft was coming up and the Flames likely had some players in the draft that they would have been interested in targeting as part of a rebuild. They likely would have been in a better position to get a superior return if forced to trade Tkachuk. They could have got some picks for this draft and next draft. They could have even moved other assets that weren't going to be part of a rebuild.

They miss out on making any trades at the draft and are now stuck with more uncertain outcomes for a return. Even now with a team like Ottawa acquiring Debrincat that has potentially eliminated a potential trading partner who could have helped drive up the trade price for Tkachuk.

Considering that the Flames treated him well and were willing to give him a massive payday to try and keep him, it is a pretty shitty move to leave in the way he did.

Well joke ended up being on him with his preferred destinations not being able to clear cap and having to sign in Ohio of all places.

 

[GCK]

Gaudreau pulled a Tavares and strung the Flames along assuredly to improve the offers from teams he actually was considering signing with.
Scumbag move.

 

[SpezDispenser]

If you bridge Sanderson and Pinto, don't acquire a new top 4 defenceman, dump Zaitsev, and Stü, Cat, and Matthew all sign for AAVs between 9-10 it might be able to just barely squeeze in depending on what the cap goes to the next few years. There would be absolutely no wiggle room though.

Getting reeeaal tight.

 

[LevelingSolo]

I would not add Drake in a deal for Matthew TK

But honestly, the team needs to add a defensemen before a forward at this point

 

[Very Stable Genius]

Time to go sleuth on CalgaryPuck...oof.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

 

[GCK]

Gaudreau pulled a Tavares and strung the Flames along assuredly to improve the offers from teams he actually was considering signing with.

Scumbag move.

Sounds like Mark Stone except Dorion dealt him for peanuts rather than watching him walk for nothing.

 

[Micklebot]

Sounds like Mark Stone except Dorion dealt him for peanuts rather than watching him walk for nothing.

Brannstrom hasn't worked out so far but he did have value at the time if the trade. I'm not saying it was a great return, but peanuts is a bit harsh.

 

[GCK]

Brannstrom hasn't worked out so far but he did have value at the time if the trade. I'm not saying it was a great return, but peanuts is a bit harsh.

I’m mostly referring t this boards reaction when the trade went down

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Brannstrom hasn't worked out so far but he did have value at the time if the trade. I'm not saying it was a great return, but peanuts is a bit harsh.

almonds?

 

[IranCondraAffair]

We need to stop evaluating trades based on how the players careers end up.

If we traded Mark Stone for three firsts and none panned out, would that have been a bad trade? If we had traded him for a 2021 7th rounder that turned into a hall-of-famer, would that have been a good trade?

 

[PatrickEaves]

How is it that OTTAWA of all the Canadian teams is the one team that was able to lock up a bunch of American star players to long term contracts.

Doesn't make sense.

 

[saskriders]

We need to stop evaluating trades based on how the players careers end up.

If we traded Mark Stone for three firsts and none panned out, would that have been a bad trade? If we had traded him for a 2021 7th rounder that turned into a hall-of-famer, would that have been a good trade?

I largely agree, but I do think that to some extent GMs are "gambling" and that has to be taken into consideration. Hypothetically if there another team in on Stone that had offered more assets or "safer" assets, but Dorion thought Bränström the highest potential of anything offered and could turn out like Norris? Obviously in this hypothetical it would be a loss, but we don't necessarily know why a GM makes a moves he does.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

We need to stop evaluating trades based on how the players careers end up.

If we traded Mark Stone for three firsts and none panned out, would that have been a bad trade? If we had traded him for a 2021 7th rounder that turned into a hall-of-famer, would that have been a good trade?

Probably more applicable to use hindsight when acquiring players/prospects than picks imo.

 

[2CHAINZ]

How is it that OTTAWA of all the Canadian teams is the one team that was able to lock up a bunch of American star players to long term contracts.

Doesn't make sense.

They enjoyed the Freedom Convoy

 

[IranCondraAffair]

I largely agree, but I do think that to some extent GMs are "gambling" and that has to be taken into consideration. Hypothetically if there another team in on Stone that had offered more assets or "safer" assets, but Dorion thought Bränström the highest potential of anything offered and could turn out like Norris? Obviously in this hypothetical it would be a loss, but we don't necessarily know why a GM makes a moves he does.

Probably more applicable to use hindsight when acquiring players/prospects than picks imo.

I think I agree with both of these. If you're going to go for a specific player or prospect rather than picks, or you're going to go for one specific player or prospect over multiple smaller pieces, you should be more vulnerable to criticism if the trade doesn't work out.

Sort of like when a team selects a prospect much higher than projected, if they don't work out and the player they ignroed turns out well, they deserve the full brunt of criticism.

I just don't see a lot of point in overly criticizing the Duchene and Stone trades based on how they turned out versus the Karlsson trade being some genius move because almost all the pieces ended up being productive.

None of the trade were necessarily bad when they were made based on the value of the assets involved and the state of the team and players.

They enjoyed the Freedom Convoy

I know I enjoyed the overtime.

The flight was a bit of a pain in the ass.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

Johnny Gaudreau not only screwed over the Flames but most likely eliminated the chance of the Sens trading for Matthew Tkachuk. If Gaudreau would have informed the Flames his decision to leave before the draft, the Flames would have likely moved Tkachuk at the draft. The Sens would have very likely used the assets they used to acquire DeBrincat in a trade for Matthew Tkachuk.

Now it seems really unlikely that the Sens go that route. If he only signs a one year deal then they might consider trading for him at the trade deadline or giving consideration to him as a UFA. But if a team like St Louis acquires him then he likely gets locked up long term.

This is Brady's team. We were never going to get Matthew.

 

[Masked]

How is it that OTTAWA of all the Canadian teams is the one team that was able to lock up a bunch of American star players to long term contracts.

Doesn't make sense.

It's just Alberta that the Americans run from. Based upon the fans on here, I suspect that's where the blame lies.

Assen na yo!

 

[Gil Gunderson]

How is it that OTTAWA of all the Canadian teams is the one team that was able to lock up a bunch of American star players to long term contracts.

Doesn't make sense.

By getting the American’s best American friend on the team.

Ottawa also isn’t too far away from major population areas in the States.

 

[Ice-Tray]

Sounds like Mark Stone except Dorion dealt him for peanuts rather than watching him walk for nothing.

More like EK and we traded him at the right time, Stone wasn’t the same caliber of player as JG.

 

[DueDiligence]

Gaudreau pulled a Tavares and strung the Flames along assuredly to improve the offers from teams he actually was considering signing with.

Scumbag move.

I think not signing a deal with a year to go was a pretty good indication he might not sign long term. Not scumbag at all, It's just business. Not different than the Sens getting rid of Colin White.

 

[DueDiligence]

Johnny Gaudreau not only screwed over the Flames but most likely eliminated the chance of the Sens trading for Matthew Tkachuk. If Gaudreau would have informed the Flames his decision to leave before the draft, the Flames would have likely moved Tkachuk at the draft. The Sens would have very likely used the assets they used to acquire DeBrincat in a trade for Matthew Tkachuk.

Now it seems really unlikely that the Sens go that route. If he only signs a one year deal then they might consider trading for him at the trade deadline or giving consideration to him as a UFA. But if a team like St Louis acquires him then he likely gets locked up long term.

Debrincat is a better fit ( chemistry wise) on the Sens than Matthew T. I bet Debrincat signs long term here.

 

[GCK]

More like EK and we traded him at the right time, Stone wasn’t the same caliber of player as JG.

Stone strung the org along until the last minute. EK made it clear a full calendar year before UFA he was done here.

 

[BankStreetParade]

Debrincat is a better fit ( chemistry wise) on the Sens than Matthew T. I bet Debrincat signs long term here.

I must be in a small minority who basically want nothing to do with Matthew for at least the next few years. Brothers will always say the "right" thing when a microphone is shoved in their face but I don't believe for a second that these guys are gonna play nice with each other when they're on the same team.

 

[Bevans]

I must be in a small minority who basically want nothing to do with Matthew for at least the next few years. Brothers will always say the "right" thing when a microphone is shoved in their face but I don't believe for a second that these guys are gonna play nice with each other when they're on the same team.

Weird take. Guessing you don't get along with your brother?