NO CONTRACT, NO CAMP
Gaudreau stalemate hangs heavy
First sight on opening day of the Calgary Flames’ main camp — Brad Treliving bearing news. Heaps of it:
About Mikael Backlund’s concussion at the World Cup. How, fortuitously, Flames medical staff happens to be on site in Toronto.
“His symptom scores were low.”
About Sean Monahan’s back strain. How they hope the kid is available for the last three or four of the team’s seven friendlies.
“We just want to be cautious with him.”
About Ladislav Smid’s future. How the gritty defender, with chronic neck issues, is done for the season.
“Right now, physically, he’s not able to go.”
About the clutch of NHL-experienced skaters — Chris Higgins, Nicklas Grossmann, Lauri Korpikoski — auditioning at the Saddledome. How there is roster room up front.
Then — six minutes into Thursday morning’s briefing at Win-Sport — one topic is broached by a reporter. Johnny Gaudreau. And his contract status. The query elicits a smirk.
“I can’t believe it took you that long to ask.”
Treliving is well aware that Gaudreau’s status, above all else, is the pulsing storyline right now.
Last season, negotiations with the young star had been a curiosity.
Now, summer spent and the Flames’ season-opener less than three weeks away, the stalemate is creating city-wide hair loss and leaguewide headlines. Understandably.
In a way, both Treliving and Lewis Gross, agent of Gaudreau, are doing their jobs too well — trying to minimize and maximize, respectively, the financial thump of a meaty contract.
Part of their skill set, hidden so far, is the ability to compromise. That needs to change. If not? Calgary doesn’t get Johnny, and Johnny doesn’t get paid.
Pressed about recent bargaining sessions, the Flames boss remains characteristically tightlipped.
“Nothing. No update,” Treliving says. “I’m not necessarily going to get into the conversations. We’re hopeful and optimistic it’s going to get done — and, hopefully, done soon.
“Time will tell. So we’ll keep banging away.”
Banging away — that’s one way to describe the haggling process. Dragging on is another. One thing, however, is certain — Gaudreau, an unsigned restricted free agent, will not report to camp until he commits. As Treliving says: “He’d need a contract.”
Of course, because of his deployment at the World Cup, the wee winger — inked or otherwise, eliminated or otherwise — wouldn’t be here right now, anyway. For all of the Flames’ tourney contestants, respites had been built into Glen Gulutzan’s lesson plans.
“Depending on how much guys played, depending on when they came back, the first three or four days — especially those first couple of pre-season games — let’s count them out (in terms of participation),” says Treliving.
“So there are contingencies in place. The coaches are focused on the guys that are here, getting them better and getting them prepared.
“And, in Johnny’s case, he’ll be here as soon as we get something done and he’ll get up to speed as fast as he can.”
What the Flames do not need — with a brand-new staff trying to settle in, with last fall’s dreary opening weeks still lingering — is any early-day disruption.
That three-headed goalie stunt had been distracting enough.
But to start without the services of No. 13, their top producer, their dazzling presence? The littlest guy leaves the biggest hole, no matter how you look at it.
His absence, offensively, would be conspicuous.
His presence, reportedly, would be costly.
Which leaves everyone, including teammates, waiting and wishing.
“If he’s not here when all the World Cup stuff is done, maybe it’ll feel a little strange,” says Matt Stajan. “Chances are, that can get taken care of and he will be here. We’ll see what happens. As players we don’t control that stuff. We’ll keep it light and get ourselves ready.”
Adds Mark Giordano: “All he can do is work with his agent, work with the team, and get that done. On the other side of it, the players who are in camp, we have to prepare for the season. We’re all hoping — everyone is hoping — it gets done sooner rather than later.”
More than happy to leave behind the subject of Gaudreau’s stalled negotiations, Treliving goes on to provide more updates — the plans for netminding rookies (ECHL isn’t a bad place to start); the health of Czech winger Daniel Pribyl (steady progress from off-season knee surgery); the significantly loud introduction to draft pick Matthew Tkachuk (a battering ram at last week’s rookie tourney in Penticton).
Jeepers, including new coaches, new goalies, new veterans, new outlook, there’s enough happening to occupy the minds of Calgary’s hockey-mad citizens. Nearly. “We know how important Johnny is to us,” says Treliving.
“This is not the first guy that’s gone through a contract situation — and he won’t be the last.
“That’s just part of the business.
“So you isolate that, you take care of business, you work away at it.
“The other pieces, life goes on.”