Johnny Gaudreau is probably regretting his decision to leave the Flames

If given the option, you can’t help but wonder if Johnny Gaudreau would like a do-over on his decision to leave the Calgary Flames.

The 29-year-old shocked the hockey world last summer when he chose to leave the Flames and instead signed a seven-year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

While the move did allow him to move closer to friends and family, Gaudreau also stated at the time of his signing that he joined the Blue Jackets to win hockey games. They didn’t do much of that in his first season, as they put together a 25-48-9 record, second worst in the league to only the Anaheim Ducks.

The poor 2022-23 season resulted in head coach Brad Larsen being fired. While it hasn’t been confirmed yet by the Blue Jackets, all signs point to Larsen’s replacement being a controversial figure in Mike Babcock.

Though Babcock has gotten results from his teams throughout his lengthy career as a head coach in the NHL, he has also drawn plenty of criticism from several former players as to the methods he uses to get that success.

Described by some as a bully, Babcock received plenty of flack after his firing by the Toronto Maple Leafs due to an incident involving Mitch Marner. Marner himself has confirmed reports that early in his career, Babcock forced him to rank his teammates from hardest working to least hardest working. He shared that list with the entire team, letting them know it was Marner who put it together.

Stories like this show why many former Babcock players don’t have the kindest things to say about him, which could have many current Blue Jackets, including Gaudreau, on edge. At 60 years old, it doesn’t seem likely that he will change the way he approaches things.

Meanwhile, in Calgary, the Flames recently fired a controversial head coach of their own in Darryl Sutter. Like Babcock, Sutter’s coaching methods have rubbed many former players the wrong way, which played a major role in his most recent firing. Based on the list of candidates they are looking at as a replacement suggests they will be looking to bring in more of a players coach.

Coaching aside, things aren’t likely to turn around for the Blue Jackets anytime soon. Despite boasting an impressive prospect pipeline, the organization has holes down the middle, on the blue line and in the crease. The lack of talent down the middle played a large part in Gaudreau’s 41-point regression this season.

As for the Flames, while they struggled this season, there is optimism they can be a top team in the Pacific Division in 2023-24. They have plenty of talent both up front as well as on the back end, and a bounce back from the usually consistent Jacob Markstrom feels likely. All of this factored in with Babcock’s expected hiring has to make one question whether Gaudreau may be wishing he had stayed put in Calgary.

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