The future of Godro’s flames remains uncertain as free agents approach

Article content

It’s a waiting game.

Article content

We know that Calgary Flames has a favorable long-term contract with Johnny Godrow. Undoubtedly, it is the largest contract offer in franchise history and is estimated to be worth $ 9 to $ 10 million per winter for up to eight years. The consensus among ace insiders is that the left wing of the superstar is still pondering it. He is eligible to become an unlimited free agent at 10am MT on July 13th.

Article content

As Pierre LeBlanc summarized in a recent edition of TSN Insider Trading: “There is no news that the news is not good news if you are Calgary, if you follow … I am this day, The offer from Calgary Flames, called Johnny Gordrow, remains undecided. His camp hasn’t contacted the flames in any way where it’s heading at this point. “

Article content

No one is knocking on Godrow.

Ace playmakers have acquired the right to take the time to make this large decision.

And if a 28-year-old chooses to test the market, he also has that right. If he goes that route, he will be the largest name available. Blood Treliving in Calgary is not the only general manager who is willing to empty the Brinks truck to ensure the service of Pack Withwingers. (Notable is the only executive who can offer an eight-year term only if the contract is signed before the free agent period begins.)

Godrow scored 115 points in this season’s NHL scoring race and finished second, including the league’s leading 90 points. He was fourth in the Hart Memorial Trophy vote.

Article content

Flames wants the first liner and fan favorites to stay around the saddle dome for a long time. Everyone knows it. Now that the calendar has flipped in July, the problem they are facing is to plan future games (either immediate or long-term) without knowing if there are sudden vacant seats at the top of the forward depth. It’s very difficult. chart.

Treliving boarded a plane to Montreal on Sunday for the 2022 NHL draft. Lead selection doesn’t start until Thursday night, but most shot callers from around the league arrive at the beginning of the week. There’s a lot of trade chatter, certainly some circles and deals, and I like Treliving to always be part of it.

But especially Matthew Kachuck, Andrew Mannjapan and Oliver Killington all have a fair payday as restricted free agents, so does he have any cash to spend? Should he try to cancel his contract to create a wiggle room in the salary cap?

Article content

Maybe it depends on whether he can re-sign number 13.

“It’s a bit of a matrix,” Treliving said in an interview with Postmedia. “There are a lot of players who need a contract. You have to decide what each one will be and how to combine them all. Indeed, at the top of the food chain in terms of what their salaries will be. There are people who have. You have to set yourself up so that you can accept it in the situation of your cap and accept what it does in other situations.

“But it’s very fluid. You need to stay flexible. Obviously everyone knows Johnny is up. We want him to sign. We are really working hard to do that. You have other players we want to keep here. The salary cap system has only an X amount, so trying to balance everything To do.”

Article content

It makes sense.

But if you spend only $ 100 on groceries and are crazy about eating beef tenderloin for dinner, it’s wise to start at the meat department.

The flame did just that. In short, they delivered a big offer to Godrow’s representative, Lewis Gross, shortly after losing in the second round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

As Treliving told Sportsnet’s Ryan Leslie before a long weekend, “We’ve been actively working to make sure he knows exactly how he feels about him. “

Article content

Always known, Elliott Friedman repeated it with the latest version of his 32 ideas.

“The flames haven’t been fooled by Godrow,” Friedman wrote on the sportsnet on Sunday. “Their offer is in the range of US $ 9.5 million in AAV over eight years and is considered room for movement. What someone else has offered (on a seven-year contract) to defeat it. Think about what you have to do. In the perfect world, they’re looking for an answer next week. I don’t know what the Winger’s timeline is. He feels loyal to Calgary, This is a family decision as much as a hockey decision. Where does he want to spend the next stage of his life? How long does it take to truly recognize the rest of the market? Who’s in? Who is out and what kind of contracts exist? “

What’s heartbreaking for Flames fans is that Friedman said, “If this doesn’t work, the organization is determined not to panic.” And maybe more. Will he rather wait to hear from them on July 13th?

Marlboro, Midnapore, Mount Pleasant, and even Montreal also have a lot of nail stabs between Treliving and the rest of the management staff attending 2022 while Johnny is erupting about Calgary in the end-of-season presser NHL Draft — Free As the agent’s enthusiasm approaches.

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff may best show that in the Canada Day column. I’m not there yet. “

The flame certainly wants it not to reach that point.

wgilbertson@postmedia.com

twitter: @WesGilbertson