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"They're trying to hammer this out": Lindholm interested in extension with Flames: report

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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Aug 9 2023, 3:16 pm
"They're trying to hammer this out": Lindholm interested in extension with Flames: report
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Maybe everyone doesn’t want to leave the Calgary Flames after all.

The Flames and Elias Lindholm are working hard to get a lengthy extension done, per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. According to Pagnotta, while several Flames have expressed hesitancy to signing long-term, Lindholm is more than happy to do so, assuming he and the organization can work something out.

“They’re trying to hammer this out, going back and forth to try and make an extension happen,” Pagnotta said. “He’s got one year left on his deal, so this is the final year of his current contract. He’s under five million this year, which is tremendous.

“Now, with all the players in Calgary that have said they’re not willing to sign an extension right now, Elias Lindholm is. He’s looking at an eight-year extension. The two sides continue to try and work at that. If the Calgary Flames want to make this work, they’re going to have to get in and around, or just over, $9 million per year on an AAV. From my understanding, the latest extensions, from Calgary’s side anyway, have hovered around $8.2 to $8.3 million per season, somewhere in that neighbourhood.”

This is good news for the Flames, as it is quite clear that ownership won’t allow a rebuild to happen, even if Lindholm were to refuse to re-sign. Keeping arguably their best 200-foot player on the roster for the long-term future would go a long way in helping keep them competitive.

Like many on the Flames, the 2022-23 season was a bit of a down year for Lindholm. That said, his 64 points were second on the team, while his 22 goals were third. With a new voice behind the bench for this upcoming season, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the 28-year-old have a much improved 2023-24 campaign.

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