Seravalli: Johnny Gaudreau informed the Flames he will not be returning

[weaponomega]

Gaudreau has shown time and time again that he does not excel when under pressure. I believe this is one reason he doesn't want to play for a Canadian team anymore. He's pretty much the modern day Phil Kessell when he was a leaf. Great player but not a #1 forward on any legit contender. Will find his next level when he's the #3 or #4 best forward on a team playing behind better players.

Except Kessel has always been a big game performer and produces in the playoffs.

 

[Rengorlex]

Flames dodge a bullet here. Gaudreau is the epitome of a regular season warrior. Guy has never been able to piss a drop in the playoffs.

Any team signing him better have their goals in selling hobbit jerseys over winning Stanley Cups.

 

[njdevil26]

I think the Flyers have about 3.5 mil in space with 5 empty roster spots.
What are the rules for summer overages? Can they sign Gaudreau and figure it out later? They have to trade JVR at the very least and maybe more... then sign additional players...

 

[BHD]

... it wasn't about the money.

Haven't the local media been trying to run him out of town for years? Feels like he wanted a fresh start, even though it will include a large amount of money.

 

[Mikeshane]

He's been there a long time and it never worked it's time to bring on the next chapter for him and the Flames.

 

[RRhoads]

I think the Flyers have about 3.5 mil in space with 5 empty roster spots.
What are the rules for summer overages? Can they sign Gaudreau and figure it out later? They have to trade JVR at the very least and maybe more... then sign additional players...

They can go 10% over in the off season.

 

[EpochLink]

Haven't the local media been trying to run him out of town for years? Feels like he wanted a fresh start, even though it will include a large amount of money.

He no showed in playoff years prior to this one, also his last year in Calgary was a contract year. Played well, put up points even won a playoff round...so he's gonna cash in in what maybe his final crack at the big money.

 

[94 Oil Drops]

You can't lose a player like Gaudreau and get no assets in return.

Treliving needs to be fired yesterday.

What was he supposed to do? Offer the guy 13 million x 8 years? He'd be making more than McDavid if that was the case and wouldn't be a smart move at all. Not sure what you were expecting. Johnny Boy just wanted to move out east. Nothing could be done.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Maybe, maybe not. Edmonton has made tanking into an art form and it hasn't really worked out for them.

We have got elite talent from Top 3 picks that was the difference which slapped the Flames in 5 games

 

[CamPopplestone]

It sucks. It really does. But oh well. If he doesn't want yo be here, when the organization has treated him and his family like royalty basically, it is what it is. We're not the first team something like this has happened to, we won't be the last.

But if he doesn't want to be here, I don't really want him here either. Sucks to lose him for nothing, but I'm happy he's gone if this is what his mentality is. I'm glad he didn't just sign here for more money then decide to phone it in once it was guaranteed in the bank at least.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Johnny is just like Jarome Iginla, they just don't have that winners vibe and are not good under pressure.

Sure Calgary won't have great regular seasons anymore but they weren't winning with him anyway

Are you serious? Did you not see a prime raging 03/04 Jarome Iginla put the team on his back and single handedly carrying a mediocre Flames team to the SCF and just about won it in game 7? Iginla in his prime was an unstoppable force when the pressure was on. Gaudreau not so much.

 

[93LEAFS]

Are you serious? Did you not see a prime raging 03/04 Jarome Iginla single handedly carrying a mediocre Flames team to the SCF and just about won it in game 7? Iginla in his prime was an unstoppable force when the pressure was on.

Kipprusoff played out of his mind (.928% sv% in the playoffs). The only players capable of carrying a team that far without significant support are a hot goalie in the playoffs. Iginla was great that playoff run, but you replace Kipprusoff with league-average goaltending you probably go out much earlier regardless of what Iginla does.

 

[Bounces R Way]

We have got elite talent from Top 3 picks that was the difference which slapped the Flames in 5 games

Then what happened

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Then what happened

We played in the Western Conference finals

 

[EichHart]

The #2 pt producer is going to FA in his prime, he should be offered 10+ easily. Has this ever happened before? Has to be EXTREMELY rare.

• Connor McDavid 123
• Jonathan Huberdeau 115
• Johnny Gaudreau 115
• Leon Draisaitl 110
• Kirill Kaprizov 108
• Auston Matthews 106
• Steven Stamkos 106
• Matthew Tkachuk 104
• J.T. Miller 99
• Mitchell Marner 97

 

[Jayblob716]

He wants to go somewhere and win, not keep carrying a pretender team through his prime years with zero results.

*Signs with the Flyers*

 

[Ignite111]

He was gonna walk no matter how much money and term the Flames GM threw at him. If it wasn't for Gaudreau the Flames would be doormats and he knows it.

He wants to go somewhere and win, not keep carrying a pretender team through his prime years with zero results.

I mean he’s gonna go to the devils and Philly. He’s not winning any time soon.

 

[Bounces R Way]

We played in the Western Conference finals

Got swept by a properly built hockey team*

 

[5 14 6 1]

I think the Flyers have about 3.5 mil in space with 5 empty roster spots.
What are the rules for summer overages? Can they sign Gaudreau and figure it out later? They have to trade JVR at the very least and maybe more... then sign additional players...

10% overage is allowed

Got swept by a properly built hockey team*

Lol that team lost 4 games the entire post season. They were unbelievable have the best D man in the league and had a superstar making 6M dollars

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

The #2 pt producer is going to FA in his prime, he should be offered 10+ easily. Has this ever happened before? Has to be EXTREMELY rare.

• Connor McDavid 123
• Jonathan Huberdeau 115
• Johnny Gaudreau 115
• Leon Draisaitl 110
• Kirill Kaprizov 108
• Auston Matthews 106
• Steven Stamkos 106
• Matthew Tkachuk 104
• J.T. Miller 99
• Mitchell Marner 97

Contract year. I would be shocked if Gaudreau put up 115 pts again next year playing in NJ or Philly. I don't even think he hits 100pts.

 

[Divine]

Got swept by a properly built hockey team*

Yeah, I mean one guy was arguing we got to see our team play in June.

Yeah, you saw your team lose every single game in June. Exciting.

 

[ElysiumAB]

It seems strange for him to leave before he's even seen the other blue line.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Kipprusoff played out of his mind (.928% sv% in the playoffs). The only players capable of carrying a team that far without significant support are a hot goalie in the playoffs. Iginla was great that playoff run, but you replace Kipprusoff with league-average goaltending you probably go out much earlier regardless of what Iginla does.

True, Kipprusoff caught fire once he got traded from SJ but I bet 99% of hockey fans would take a prime Iginla in big games over a prime Gaudreau.

 

[93LEAFS]

I think it's Philly if they can make the cap work. Either Jvr/Provorov on the way out. I believe his wife is also from the Philly area.

 

[Pantokrator]

Damn. There goes the Flames' advantage. No 8th year for Gaudreau.

Are the Flyers the frontrunners or the Devils? It looks like Gaudreau wants to go to Philly, but they have no cap space. Whereas New Jersey does (even after re-signing Bratt).

You act as if having no cap space is difficult for Chuck Fletcher to overcome! Ha! Never underestimate the power of Chuck Fletcher to undermine the present by giving away the future.

He can always create cap space by trading away all of his draft picks to teams like Arizona to take away contracts he wants to eliminate. Who needs draft picks when you have a team full of bloated contracts for aging veterans who will lead the team to 20th place in each of the next 6th years? I mean, isn't this the goal of hockey? To overpay mediocre players to not make the playoffs? As a Flyer fan, this is what we are good at, and it appears to be what the team aims for, so I figure it must be the goal of the sport.

Looking forward to Gaudreau getting his 65 points per season at 10.5 million! It's gonna be awesome!