Elias Lindholm, Willing To Stay With Flames
According to a Swedish tabloid, the Calgary Flames center, who was said to have requested a transfer earlier this summer, has since changed his mind and said he would stay.
Elias Lindholm has said he may return to the Calgary Flames in the coming contract year.
Conversely, Lindholm remained ambivalent primarily on the state of the negotiations, stressing that free agency remained a possibility if things didn’t proceed “as planned.”
In an interview with Ronnie Rönnkvist of Hockeysvirge in Swedish, Lindholm commented,
“I am willing to stay. (not leaving) Then, (it is obvious) my agent and Calgary took care of most of it. We have to agree on a lot, but I have said that I can imagine staying. After that, the agent and Calgary get to fix the rest (they will). Then we’ll (later) see if it works out or not.”
Some are focusing on the pivot’s statement about being “willing to stay” since the exits of Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk still hurt Flames management and supporters. Given that the Swede reportedly preferred being transferred by Calgary only a few months ago, it is undeniably eye-catching.
“I have one year left, but if it doesn’t go as I have planned, I will become a free agent. Nothing strange about that.” “We will see what happens.”
Elias Lindholm
Thoughts of hope are positive, they run the danger of postponing events
Even though Lindholm’s remarks seem to be a start in the right direction, the ongoing unpredictability puts Craig Conroy, the new general manager of the Calgary Flames, in a challenging situation.
A “maybe” beats a “no” for keeping the former 40-goal scorer if the team feels they can’t survive without him and still be competitive. However, the Flames have the unsettling prospect of a replay of Gaudreau departing for nothing in free agency if Lindholm’s response ultimately turns out to be a definite no.
Calgary could be better off knowing if Lindholm is inclined to go to maximize the potential return from a trade. In a stacked 2024 NHL Free Agency class, Lindholm is projected to be one of the top choices available and might bring in a sizable return on the trade market as his contract’s final year approaches.
Would the Flames genuinely benefit more from a lengthy Lindholm extension?
Another painful issue is whether Lindholm deserves a significant contract extension despite how much the Flames may dread being abandoned once more.
If Lindholm motivates the Flames to make a proactive trade as opposed to letting him walk to free agency, the team may be able to salvage themselves.
Although the two contracts Calgary was unable to finalize give them cause for resentment, there is also cause for concern about adding yet another albatross to the likes of the eight- and seven-year contracts inked by Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri last summer. Lindholm will turn 29 in December, so by the time his next deal begins, he could already be past his peak.
The Flames missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season with all of those players, not to mention Tyler Toffoli having a career year, so there is understandable fear at the prospect of losing Lindholm along with fellow pending free agents Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, and Mikael Backlund, among others.
Like Lindholm, the Flames should consider all their alternatives.
