Report: Backlund told Swedish outlet he turned down extension offer from Flames
The Flames could look very different next season as Mikael Backlund, Tyler Toffoli, Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin could all reportedly be on the way out.
There may be nobody feeling the summer heat more than new Calgary Flames general manager Craig Conroy after a number of reports surfaced last month surrounding the future of several franchise cornerstones as Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli dropped not one, not two, not three but four bombs relating to some of the team's top players.
Is there a mass exodus looming in Calgary?
Backlund reportedly chose not to sign long-term with Flames this summer
About a month after Seravalli reported Mikael Backlund was "leaning toward not re-signing" with the Flames, those hoping to see the crafty centreman stay in Calgary long-term were dealt another blow this week.
Backlund reportedly told a Swedish outlet that although the Flames offered him a contract extension, the 34-year-old chose not to sign it — all but signalling the end for Backlund in Calgary if true.
The path should now clear for Calgary, which obviously needs to deal Backlund — sooner rather than later — or risk losing him for nothing.
The longtime Flames, who has a modified 10-team no-trade clause, has a $5.35 million cap hit for the upcoming season before he will become a UFA next summer.
Backlund is a solid two-way contributor who has received Selke consideration in the past and has led the team in takeaways for eight straight seasons. He had a career-high total in points (56) this past season, recording 19 goals and 37 assists in 82 games.
The 34-year-old has been with Calgary his entire career since being drafted 24th overall in 2007. He’s ranked third on the club’s all-time games played list (908), behind only franchise legend Jarome Iginla (1,219) and longtime captain Mark Giordano (949).
Tyler Toffoli doesn't plan on re-signing with team
After a series of tweets earlier in the day revealing all three of Elias Lindholm, Mikael Backlund and Noah Hanifin don't plan on signing long-term deals to remain in Calgary, Seravalli barged back in like the Kool-Aid Man to deliver one more dagger to Flames fans.
"I'm told Tyler Toffoli also plans on not re-signing in Calgary," Seravalli wrote.
Like those three aforementioned teammates, Toffoli is entering the 2023-24 season on an expiring contract, one that carries a cap hit of $4.25 million. The 31-year-old could fetch a decent return after posting career highs in goals (34), assists (39) and points (73) while playing in all 82 games last season.
Flames make 'big pitch' to re-sign Elias Lindholm
Conroy has some critical offseason decisions to make. One of the most important for the franchise circles around the future of No. 1 center Elias Lindholm, who is entering the final year of a six-year, $29.1-million contract ($4.85M AAV).
According to Seravalli, the Flames made a significant pitch last spring to convince Lindholm to sign a contract extension, but it appears unlikely he will re-sign with the franchise.
#Flames update: CGY recently made a big pitch, rolled out the red carpet ($) to try to re-sign C Elias Lindholm.
CGY is waiting on a response from Lindholm and haven't been given definitive answer yet. But general league speculation is he's leaning toward not re-signing w/ CGY.— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) June 22, 2023
It remains unclear whether the Flames will play out the last year of Lindholm’s contract if he doesn't sign a contract extension this summer or consider trading the 28-year-old forward like they did with former star forward Matthew Tkachuk, who was dealt to the Florida Panthers last offseason in exchange for Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar once he informed the club he did not plan to re-sign.
Lindholm scored a career-high 42 goals and 82 points in 2021-22, but his numbers tailed off a bit in 2022-23 with 22 goals and 42 assists in 80 games.
Appearing on his 32 Thoughts podcast, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said he does not expect the Flames to pressure Lindholm into a decision by next week’s draft.
Noah Hanifin doesn't plan to sign extension with Flames, either
While Conroy is still waiting for an answer from Lindholm’s camp, it appears he has gotten a bit more clarity regarding the future of defenseman Noah Hanifin, as Seravalli reported the blueliner will not re-sign with Calgary.
The belief is #Flames have received a more direct answer from defenseman Noah Hanifin, who has clearly indicated that he does not plan to sign an extension in Calgary.
That doesn't necessarily guarantee a trade, but Calgary has an answer on where he stands.— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) June 22, 2023
Like Lindholm, Hanifin is scheduled to become a UFA after this upcoming season. He has a salary cap hit of $4.95 million for the 2023-24 season. If the Flames do plan to deal Hanifin, he has a modified eight-team no-trade clause, according to CapFriendly.
Hanifin has spent the past five seasons with Calgary, where he developed into a solid two-way defenseman. The 26-year-old scored seven goals and 31 assists in 81 games last season while playing 22 minutes a night and logging time on both the power play and penalty kill.
