Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving says pending unrestricted free agent forward Johnny Gaudreau and the club are both working toward getting a new contract signed for next season.
"These things take time," Treliving said on Friday at the NHL Draft. "Johnny's a really good player. There's going to be a lot of attention.
"I think it's real genuine on both sides to try and get a deal done."
After a career year that saw him amass 115 points — tied for second-most among anyone in the NHL last season, and his second time nearing or topping the 100-point plateau — Gaudreau’s now mulling a return to Calgary or a turn as an unrestricted free agent come July 13. Either way he figures to get a hefty raise on the $6.75 million he earned in 2021-22.
The Flames have made clear they’re willing to break the bank to bring back their top scorer, with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reporting Sunday that they’re open to signing Gaudreau for eight years at $9.5 million per year, with room to go even higher. Given the winger has said time and time again that he loves the city, given he and his Flames are coming off the best season of his career, and given the type of cheque Calgary’s willing to cut to keep him in town, all signs still seem to point to a return.
With files from Sonny Sachdeva
