Earlier this week, Flames assistant GM Craig Conroy expressed confidence that the team would be able to re-sign pending UFA winger Johnny Gaudreau in an interview on Sportsnet 960 (audio link), going as far as saying “Oh, that’s a done deal. We’re going to get that done”. However, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli notes that there haven’t been any substantive conversations of late between the two sides, suggesting a new contract isn’t as close as Conroy’s comments might infer. Gaudreau is on pace for a career year offensively with 20 goals and 44 assists in 50 games which has him well-positioned to land a sizable raise on his current $6.75MM AAV as he will be one of the top players to hit the UFA market if he remains unsigned into mid-July.
More from the Pacific Division:
- Oilers winger Josh Archibald has been given a clean bill of health from doctors after his bout with myocarditis, reports Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal. However, it’s still believed that his COVID vaccination status would limit his usefulness to Edmonton as he’d basically be restricted to Canadian-based games only. Accordingly, the pending UFA – who carries a $1.5MM cap hit – may be more useful on a team based out of the United States although his trade value would certainly be limited. Archibald is currently quarantining and will need some time to get into playing condition so he can remain on LTIR for the time being.
- The Golden Knights have activated defenseman Zach Whitecloud from injured reserve, notes Ben Gotz of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The 25-year-old had missed the last six games due to a broken foot and has become an important part of their back end, logging more than 19 minutes a game. While Whitecloud returns, Vegas has also transferred goaltender Robin Lehner and forward Nolan Patrick to injured reserve.