Philadelphia Flyers
Johnny Gaudreau Goes to Columbus; Flyers Don’t Make Offer
Johnny Gaudreau isn’t coming home to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Instead, the star left winger stunned the hockey world by signing a seven-year, $68.25 million deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday night. In Columbus, he will be together with forward Eric Robinson. They both played at Gloucester Catholic High.
The deal has an annual cap hit of $9.75 million.
Cap-strapped, the Flyers never bid on Gaudreau, whose father, Guy, told Philly Hockey Now earlier this week that his son wanted to sign with Philly.
But Philadelphia Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher, who during the season said he needed to add more high-skilled players, was unable to make moves to get the Orange and Black out of cap problems.
That’s on him.
@NHLFlyers management despises the fans.
— Bergmeister (@SBerg74) July 14, 2022
Gaudreau, who turns 29 next month, set career bests in goals (40), assists (75), and points (115) last season, when he finished tied for second in the NHL in scoring, behind only Connor McDavid (123).
The South Jersey native stands just 5-foot-9, 165-pounds, but he makes up for his lack of size with his speed, shiftiness and talent. He was a fourth-round steal (104th overall) or Calgary in the 2011 draft. Since then, he has collected 609 points (210 goals, 399 assists) in 602 games, all with Calgary.
On Tuesday night, Gaudreau informed Calgary GM Brad Treliving he was not returning. Treliving said it was an emotional conversation, and that the Flames “did everything possible to keep John here. It’s a disappointing day, to say the very least.”
The GM felt it was a “family decision and I respect that fully. John has every right, and we have nothing but respect for John the player and John the person.”
Gaudreau, who has a home at the Jersey shore, received a huge raise from his $6.75 million contract last season.
Players for the Phantoms. https://t.co/ezM2ioCgpk
— Sam Carchidi (@BroadStBull) July 14, 2022
The only positive is that he’s not in our division, which would add salt to the open wound that has happened with the dealings that Fletcher has done and the eight ball that Hextall put us behind. All of his great draft picks have been more busts than not. They should do what the Blackhawks have done and blow it up, but they won’t. Chicago at least has their cups that they won in the past 12 years. In the meantime, the Flyers are drowning in quicksand.
He is in our division. At least it isn’t the Devils or Islanders.
I have followed the Flyers since their first year. I watched Keith Allen slowly form the cup team with smart draft picks and great trades. Allen and Ed Snider formed the perfect front office.. a shrewd talent evaluator and an owner that got him anyone he wanted.
Boy…. have things changed. Ownership has no clue and the last two G.M.s are clueless also.
I am now 80.. chances of seeing the Flyers win another cup iffy.. at best.
But I did witness how it was supposed to be done and that is priceless
What happened to the “aggressive retool”? There was obviously nothing aggressive about allowing a highly skilled player who somehow wanted to play for the Flyers to slip away. Then admitting that you didn’t go after him because it would have been too hard to move the contracts you needed to highlights the ineptitude of management. You had your fan base hoping, almost expecting it would happen and that there would be cause for optimism, then you pull the rug out from under them. Even if they didn’t sign Gaudreau, we were hoping for a couple of good acquisitions through trades or free agency.
Most hockey observers realize that trades and signings can occur throughout the summer, not just on the first day of free agency, but now I do not have any expectation that Fletcher will do anything significant. At the press conference yesterday, he really looked like a defeated person who knows he failed. I cannot imagine that players like Hayes, Atkinson, and Hart will be coming into camp with any excitement. The main question now is how much longer before Fletcher is replaced.