With Elias Lindholm's seeming reluctance to extend his contract with Calgary, the NHL rumor mill is firing at full tilt as to what will happen with the Flames' center.
With the San Jose Sharks trading Erik Karlsson to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames center Elias Lindholm becomes the biggest name in this summer's NHL rumor mill.
Lindholm, 28, has been a frequent subject of trade speculation amid reports of his seeming reluctance to sign a contract extension. Nevertheless, Flames general manager Craig Conroy reportedly hasn't given up hope of extending the two-way center.
Appearing on the NHL Network last week, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said things were quiet regarding the Flames' efforts to get Lindholm under contract. He believes they want to sign him to a long-term extension worth an average annual value between $8 million and $9 million.
Meanwhile, The Athletic's Julian McKenzie and Shayna Goldman looked at possible trade destinations for Lindholm if he and the Flames fail to reach an agreement on a new contract.
McKenzie and Goldman noted the recent speculation linking Lindholm to the Boston Bruins. However, they doubted the Bruins have sufficient assets to pry him away from the Flames.
Their colleague Fluto Shinzawa shared that opinion, pointing to the Bruins' limited salary-cap space, lack of a 2024 first-round pick and their overall shallow prospect pool. Nevertheless, he believes Lindholm could be high on their list if he ends up becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer.
McKenzie and Goldman also included the Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Minnesota Wild, Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks on their list.
The Leafs and Canucks are already using long-term injury reserve to exceed the $83.5 million salary cap while the Wild and Hurricanes each have less than $2 million in cap room. While the Jackets have enough space to absorb Lindholm's $4.85-million AAV, they could prefer a dollar-in, dollar-out deal.