Flames so bad this season they've put contract talks "on hold": report
The Calgary Flames have been so bad on the ice this season that it is affecting contract talks off the ice, according to a new report.
This comes after Elliotte Friedman reported that Noah Hanifin’s contract talks have hit a bit of a snag due to the Flames losing. Sportsnet’s Eric Francis is now reporting that the Flames have halted all contract negotiations with their pending unrestricted free agents, including top-line centre Elias Lindholm.
This could be due to Flames management mulling over a potential rebuild. If the team continues to lose, they could become sellers at the trade deadline. Dangling players like Hanifin and Lindholm to contending teams could result in a decent return of young players and draft picks.
Losing Hanifin and Lindholm for nothing is probably not in the team’s interest, especially after Johnny Gaudreau left the organization in free agency in the summer of 2020. If the team wants to get something in return the most likely move, if there are no contract extensions, is a trade or two before the deadline.
It seems like some Flames fans wouldn’t mind adding another high pick to their arsenal. Following Sunday’s Heritage Classic loss to the Edmonton Oilers, fans were getting excited about the potential for the Flames to get the first overall pick at the 2024 NHL draft.
The Flames are now second-last in the NHL with a 2-6-1 record and have lost five straight games. The team is currently 28th in the league in goals scored with just 19 through nine games. They have scored just six goals in their last five games.
Among the most disappointing players on the roster have been top players Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau, who have combined for just seven points so far.
Help is on the way in the form of some new blood. The Flames announced on Tuesday morning that 2020 first-round pick Connor Zary was called up after going on a torrid scoring streak in the AHL with the Calgary Wranglers. He could make his NHL debut as early as this week.
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