Contract talks between Johnny Gaudreau and the Calgary Flames don’t seem to be going well.
In fact, according to Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun, there is a gap of $1.5 million annually between the team and player.
Francis reports Gaudreau’s agent, Lewis Gross, is seeking an annual average value of around $8 million for Gaudreau. In comparison, Sean Monahan signed a seven-year, $44.625-million contract ($6.375 million salary cap) last month and that’s more in the range of what the team is thinking.
Gaudreau, 23, is a restricted free agent coming off his entry-level deal that paid him an average of $925,00 per season.
The two sides began negotiations for what could end up being “the biggest contract in Calgary Flames history” back in February but still nothing is done.
“Honestly, I’m not even involved [in the negotiations],” Gaudreau told Sportsnet’s Luke Fox in July. “I try to stay out of it as much as possible. I don’t like getting different numbers in my head. Hoping for this, hoping for that, how many years—it’s just, I don’t really enjoy that stuff.”
“Whatever my agent thinks is best for me is what I’m going to do. He does a really good job with his players, so I have all the faith in him that he’ll get something done.”
Gaudreau is currently representing Team North America at the World Cup of Hockey and reportedly doesn’t want to negotiate during the tournament, so it could be a few weeks before we see any resolution. The NHL season begins Oct. 12 with the Flames playing the Edmonton Oilers on opening night.
