Calgary Flames, Johnny Gaudreau begin contract extensions
The Calgary Flames and Johnny Gaudreau have begun contract negotiations, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Friday.
According to Friedman, Gaudreau appears to be in for a raise from the $6.75-million cap hit he has carried for the last five years.
Calgary has begun extension discussion with Johnny Gaudreau. This is purely my guess, but Flames probably have to jump over Matthew Tkachuk’s $7 million per season. He’s at $6.75 million now.
Gaudreau, 27, is entering the final year of his six-year contract he signed coming off his entry-level deal. Drafted in the fourth round of the 2011 draft, Gaudreau has appeared in 520 NHL games scoring 170 goals and 494 points.
This past year, he scored 19 goals and 49 points in 56 games as the Flames failed to make the playoffs.
According to The Athletic’s Hailey Salvian, her understanding is that “there have been no serious negotiations between the Flames and Gaudreau’s camp.”
It’s widely believed that if the Flames feel they cannot come to terms with Gaudreau on a new deal, they should trade him before they are handcuffed to the player’s protection. Of course, the Flames could stick with the status quo and let Gaudreau play out his final year, but then they run the risk of losing him for nothing in free agency in the summer of 2022.
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.