Lindholm open to re-signing with Flames as contract year looms
Published
Calgary Flames forward Elias Lindholm says he's open to staying with the team as he enters the final year of his contract.
Speculation has surrounded Lindholm and other key members of the Flames entering contract years, including Noah Hanifin and Mikael Backlund, but Calgary has only made on trade this off-season – sending Tyler Toffoli to the New Jersey Devils.
"I am willing to stay," Lindholm told Sweden's Hockeysverige, per a translation. "My agent and Calgary will handle most of it. There's a lot we have to agree on, but l've said that I can consider staying. After that, it's up to the agent and Calgary to sort out the rest. Then we'll see whether it works out or not.
"I have one year left, but if things don't go as l've planned, then I'Il become a free agent. Nothing strange about that. We'll see what happens."
Lindholm scored 22 goals and 42 assists over 80 games with the Flames last season, his fifth campaign with the club. The native of Sweden was coming off a career year in 2021-22, netting 42 goals and 40 assists over 80 games.
The 28-year-old centre will carry a cap hit of $4.85 million as he plays out the last of a six-year, $29.1 million contract he signed ahead of the 2018-19 campaign.
The Flames focused the majority of their changes off the ice this summer, having mutually parted ways with general manager Brad Treliving and firing head coach Darryl Sutter and replacing them with in-house candidates in general manager Craig Conroy and head coach Ryan Huska.
Defenceman MacKenzie Weegar said last month he believes the Flames will have a more positive culture as a result of the changes.
"I don't really know how it's going to be," Weegar told NHL.com. "I know [Conroy and Huska] personally and they're great guys. We all know Darryl and Husk, they're both different guys and different personalities. I think just the focus point might be this year where it's a little more fun coming to the rink and I think that's going to be big for a lot of guys. You just want to come in and enjoy it.
"We're going to have our ups and downs … but just have fun with the guys. I think if we have fun, we'll be winning more."
The Flames, who missed the playoffs last season, have failed to advance past the second round since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2004.