No guarantees where Gaudreau and Tkachuk will end up this summer
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O. EngJune 4, 2022 (10:02)
Recently on NHL Network, hockey insider Elliotte Friedman revealed that he does not believe the Calgary Flames have begun contract negotiations with Johnny Gaudreau or Matthew Tkachuk just yet.
"I think we could see something start pretty soon. I think everybody needed to take a deep breath after the disappointing way the season ended for them."
According to Friedman, the Flames know that they will have to break the bank and are willing to do so. But the decisions eventually lie at the feet of the two American internationals.
As an example, Friedman threw out $20 million as a possible figure the three sides could meet at. $10 million each.
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"Gaudreau, it's tough to tell. He told the Flames at the beginning of the year, no talking during the year and there were no conversations during the year. So we're gonna see how he feels now."
He also took the time at the end of his little segment by noting that he never wants to handicap or give off premature speculations that a deal is done and dusted. Just take the Erik Karlsson situation with San Jose for example.
"I remember everybody saying, there's no way Erik Karlsson's gonna sign in San Jose and he signed in San Jose."
This has led some to believe that Friedman is subliminally prepping Flames fans for the possibility that either Johnny Gaudreau or Matthew Tkachuk will not be back next year. We have to remember, the cap is expected to go up in the coming years but not until the money owed to the owners by the players is paid off.
Splurging $20 million on two guys on your first line seems like a carbon copy of what the Leafs tried and failed miserably at doing. After the season they had and the record that the team achieved, it still was not enough to get past McDavid.
Spending your money one one of the guys and building around them may be what the Flames end up doing.
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