As first reported by Pierre Lebrun of TSN, the Calgary Flames are not expected to reach an agreement with top free agent Johnny Gaudreau before the market opens tomorrow at noon ET. He will test free agency and hit the open market as a result.
Gaudreau and Calgary have not reached an agreement despite ever-increasing offers from general manager Brad Treliving to make him stay. It was reported earlier today that Calgary offered Gaudreau an eight-year contract worth more than $10 million per season. Gaudreau either believes he can get more on the open market tomorrow, or he just wants a change of scenery outside of Alberta.
After his electric 115-point season, he will have several teams willing to pay eight-figure sums to acquire his services. Although the Philadelphia Flyers have been consistently linked to him for years, they haven’t been able to clear enough cap space to make signing him a realistic possibility. One team with cap space that makes sense is the New Jersey Devils, who could enter playoff contention with a connection between Gaudreau and Jack Hughes up front.
Regardless, Gaudreau is slated to join the $10MM-plus hit club tomorrow. He would be the 15th player in the league currently on an eight-figure deal and the only left wing other than the Rangers’ Artemi Panarin.
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