This topic is a mess and should be trashed. For starters, the super sketchy unfounded rumour was Anderson, one of the goalies, and something else for Monahan. Gaudreau was never part of this. Think the logic from the Flames was they could ice a Gaudreau-Lindholm-Anderson top line without much of a step back from losing Monahan. But obviously this is now dead and buried given the Flames signed Markstrom longterm. But thinking that sorry package would get two first liners is hilarious. Dream big.
Secondly, Gaudreau continues to be horrifically underrated but that's nothing new. The offers here are embarrassing even for HF. A wildly overrated roster player, a backup goalie and a pick is the kind of price you at the deadline for a Gaudreau who absolutely refuses to re-sign in Calgary; not a Gaudreau that still has two years left on his contract and just stated how much he loves being in Calgary (yeah, yeah typical player non-answer blah blah blah -- but it's worth just as much as the so called rumors of him wanting out).
Columbus doesn't have the parts to get Gaudreau at this point, aside from their untouchables, which obviously they're not moving at this point.