What’s next for the Flames with Johnny Gaudreau leaving Calgary?

With Johnny “Hockey” Gaudreau deciding to leave the Calgary Flames and sign a $68-million deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets what’s next for the flaming C?

Will Nault, host of the Big Show on Sportsnet 960 The Fan, says Gaudreau told the Flames late Tuesday that he’d be playing elsewhere next season.

“The Flames did everything they could. At the end of the day, it was not a money decision for Johnny Gaudreau. He was not going to get any more money than he would have gotten here, it’s a family decision,” Nault said.

Gaudreau’s wife is pregnant and all of their relatives live in the northeastern United States.

“It’s maybe a little bit harder for some fans to take the news that he is leaving because I do think the genuine love was there from him for the city, for the organization,” Nault added.

“(Gaudreau) played in every game for eight seasons in Calgary,” Nault said. “I think that was also a part of the tough decision — ‘Do I continue to build my legacy in Calgary and have my number up next to Jarome Iginla’s? Or do I go elsewhere and play closer to home?’ I think that was a really tough part for him.”

Nault says Gaudreau’s departure leaves the Flames at a crossroads, and the team will need to decide how to move forward without the beloved superstar.

“I think the organization is in a really hard spot, because they’ve invested so much resources and assets into the Gaudreau era to try and win.”

With Gaudreau gone, several eyes will be on forward Matthew Tkachuk. If Tkachuk decides to leave the team in 12 months when his contract expires, the organization will likely enter a new era of Calgary Flames hockey.

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“You got to ask him (Matthew Tkachuk) if he wants to be here long-term. If he does, then you kind of pivot and invest more resources into him as the sole focus,” Nault said. “If he decides that he doesn’t want to be here, Calgary has to be faced with the fact that they can’t allow a star player to walk in back-to-back seasons.”

Nault adds the prospect of rebuilding the Flames is a tough pill to swallow, because if the Flames decide to go that route, they’ll be doing so without any high draft picks. He adds the Flames would do well to keep Tkachuk.

“Tkachuk’s coming off of a 100-point season — a career year — still young,” Nault said.

“If they can sign him to a longer-term deal, you’re looking at a fairly large return for Calgary. I think that would be a great spot to restart, or pivot, or whatever term you want to use — but I think that it has to be priority one. The next couple of weeks will be very interesting because once you find out that answer, you probably have a pretty good idea of what direction they’re going to go.”