Critical Date for Flames Approaching in Respect to Gaudreau Trade

The Calgary Flames have a critical date coming up as it pertains to the future of Johnny Gaudreau in Calgary. The forward has one year remaining on his current $6.75 million contract, but more than that, by July 28th, the team needs to decide if they want to trade him or not because, afterwards, they might not be able to.

According to Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun, Gaudreau’s five-team trade list clause kicks in later this month. If after that date, he doesn’t want to be moved, the best the Flames can do is ship him off to one of the five teams he selects. That’s a problem for the organization if their intention is to see what he’ll get on the trade market. In other words, the situation is either trade him this summer, or hold onto him. If the Flames don’t make the playoffs and are moving pieces, they can ask him to waive his no-trade at the deadline, but he won’t be required to.

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Gilbertson writes:

Gaudreau’s current deal, with an annual salary cap-hit of $6.75 million US, expires at the end of this coming season. What makes this matter more urgent is his modified no-trade clause kicks in July 28, allowing him to veto a swap to all but five squads of his choosing.

One of the reasons this is so critical is because there is rumored to be a lot of potential change in Calgary. Gaudreau’s name has come up in trade chatter, but so has Sean Monahan’s, Mark Giordano’s and recently, Matthew Tkachuk’s. Of those players, Gaudreau has seen his name in the rumor mill more than most.

He’s still a player that could fetch a strong return, but not if the Flames lose their leverage in any deal. If Gaudreau is calling the shots, the return goes down.

Gaudreau Open to an Extension

What’s also interesting is that Gaudreau has maintained he’s not looking to leave Calgary. He’s said all along that he’s never publicly commented on wanting to leave and Gilberston writes that he reminded reporters of that fact just recently.

The question is, do the Flames want to extend him? That may depend on what he’s asking for in any new deal. If the team was already considering moving on, any new deal that includes a raise is likely out of the question, especially in a flat cap era. Gaudreau has been a regular contributor to the team’s offense, but it seems unlikely the team would offer more than he’s making now if they’re not sure he’s a long-term fit.

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