Rumour corner: Elias Lindholm’s situation in Calgary scares the Flames

The Flames find themselves in a familiar situation.

After seeing Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau leave the organization last summer, Elias Lindholm could do the same.

The player, who finished second in the Selke Trophy voting for the 2021-2022 season, will be free as a bird next summer (2024)… And right now, the Flames have no idea what to do with him.

In fact, the team offered him a huge contract extension, an offer he declined. The Flames didn’t give up and came back to the table with a new offer…

And now there’s a problem. Lindholm never gave the organization an answer, and the matter is starting to drag on a bit:

Calgary can’t afford to let another quality player go.

If Lindholm really wants to leave for the independent market next year, Craig Conroy (GM) will have to make an important decision. It would be better to trade him so as not to lose him for nothing, we agree…

But the problem is that the Flames want to keep their core in order to be competitive next season. Calgary is keen to see if the recent changes in management can help the team get back on track, after missing out on the playoffs last year despite the talent on the roster.

Clearly, the Flames have a hot potato on their hands… Because we must also remember that Noah Hanifin and Michael Backlund could also follow suit by leaving next summer, when they will be eligible for full autonomy.

Kyle Dubas looks for a Plan B

If the Penguins are desperate to get their hands on Erik Karlsson, Kyle Dubas will have to pull a rabbit out of his hat.

It’s simple: Pittsburgh doesn’t have many attractive players to offer the Sharks, and payroll-wise, it’s a tight squeeze. The Penguins are already $1.5 million over the salary cap…

And let’s not forget that Karlsson earns $11.5 million per season. The Sharks will certainly keep part of his salary by trading him, but it seems to be just as complicated.

Dubas, therefore, could turn to another target to suit his needs. The Penguins’ new boss is looking to add an offensive defenseman to his roster for next season…

And that’s where Matt Grzelcyk’s name comes into the discussion. According to several sources in Pittsburgh, the Bruins defenseman could become a back-up for Dubas if he’s unable to pick up EK65 in San Jose, a scenario that particularly appeals to me.

Because, in reality, Matt Grzelcyk is probably one of the NHL’s most underrated defensemen.

Speaking of Karlsson…

It’s not just the Pittsburgh Penguins who are in the running for his services right now.

In fact, the idea of him landing in Carolina seems to be growing in popularity. Don Waddell made it clear at his end-of-season review that he was going to be very active on the trade market this summer…

And even though he was able to bring Michael Bunting and Dmitry Orlov to Carolina, it seems he’s not done shopping yet.

It should also be remembered that Vladimir Tarasenko was expected to sign a contract with the Hurricanes, and the team itself believed the scenario would materialize. Waddell, therefore, wants to make another big splash on the market by adding a star player to his roster…

But, like the Penguins, this could be a bit tricky as they have a current cap space of around $3.3 million.

They’ll have to free up some salary to deal with the Sharks… And, if there is a deal, we could expect Brett Pesce to head for San Jose, according to David Pagnotta.

The Erik Karlsson deal is probably the hottest in the NHL right now. Alex DeBrincat’s could also be included in the discussion.

But hey. We’ll have to wait a little longer to see the outcome in these two cases.

In gusto

– Yes, Dad!

– He didn’t have to wait long to find a job. It makes sense, really.

– Relatively interesting candidates.

– 👌👌👌