Sometimes, all that’s needed to mend a relationship is time apart. That has been the case for the Calgary Flames and several of their players entering the final year of their contracts this season. Mikael Backlund was in that same category, but despite sounding like he may want to give somewhere else a try months ago, chose to sign a two-year extension instead.
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Though none of the other Flames players in the final year of their deals have done the same, they may not be very far off. In fact, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli recently said on the Barnburner Podcast that he thinks there is a better than 50 percent chance an Elias Lindholm extension gets completed before opening night of the 2023-24 season. For anyone sitting on the fence, fear not, as this is great news for the Flames.
Lindholm is a High-Calibre Player
Last season wasn’t pretty for Lindholm. He, like many Flames, struggled to put offence on the board, and at times didn’t appear to be all that enthused to be at the rink. That same temperament was on display at season ending interviews, where the Swedish centreman was one of many who sounded as though he wasn’t interested in a future with the Flames.
What happened since then, you ask? Well, to put it quite simply; Darryl Sutter was fired. Aside from the few Flames who have had positive things to say about the 65-year-old, it is quite clear that the vast majority of the locker room grew tired of their often-grumpy bench boss, and their play showed it. With that said, Lindholm’s “down year” still saw him record 22 goals and 64 points. The fact that it can be considered a disappointing season goes to show just how talented the 28-year-old is.
In the season prior to his and teammates’ struggles, Lindholm had a career-high 42 goals and 82 points. Those are very impressive totals in their own right, but are even better given that as good as he was offensively, his defensive play was arguably better. Those voting for the NHL awards were well aware of this, and chose him as the runner-up for the Selke Trophy. This past season, in again what was a “down year”, he finished tenth in Selke voting.
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As far as elite centremen go in the NHL, Lindholm admittedly falls outside of that category. That isn’t a shot at him, of course, as very few players are considered truly elite. That said, he sits in the ‘very good’ category and would be a number-one centreman on many teams in the NHL. Players like that don’t grow on trees, and almost never make it to free agency anymore. If the Flames let him go, they would be spending a lot of time searching for his replacement, and may not be able to find anyone out there that is as good.
Salary Cap is Set to Increase
Now, some are hesitant after hearing reports that a Lindholm extension would likely carry a maximum eight-year term, with the average annual value being roughly $9 million. That does sound like a lot, and admittedly to keep Lindholm around, the Flames will have to be prepared to overpay him a bit. That said, if he doesn’t get it in Calgary, there will be other teams desperate for a number-one centre that would pay him that kind of money.
The other thing to keep in mind is that while a $9 million cap hit sounds like a lot right now, the salary cap is expected to rise significantly over the next few years. Assuming it increases by roughly $4-5 million for next season, that $9 million deal doesn’t seem nearly as tough to work with anymore. In fact, it will only continue looking better as the cap continues to rise.
While it is understandable why some Flames fans are hesitant in regards to re-signing Lindholm, the positives far outweigh the negatives here. This ownership group is clearly not interested in a rebuild, and instead prefers to do everything in their power to contend. For a team not willing to rebuild, trading Lindholm makes little to no sense, while keeping him in an attempt to contend is the logical step. At this point, Craig Conroy needs to do everything he can to ensure Lindholm remains a Flame for many years to come.
