In this edition of Calgary Flames News & Rumors, Mark Giordano was congratulated by his former teammates after suiting up for his 1000th career game this past week. In other news, Elliotte Friedman is reporting that extension talks between the Flames and Johnny Gaudreau are quieter compared to negotiations involving other pending unrestricted free agents around the league. Meanwhile, general manager Brad Treliving was able to pull off a minor trade this past week, acquiring Michael McNiven from the Montreal Canadiens. Last but not least, prospect Rory Kerins was signed to an entry-level contract last Tuesday.
Giordano Plays Game 1000
Giordano, who for a long time was the captain of the Flames, was able to play in his 1000th career game on Saturday. The 38-year-old had spent his entire career in Calgary until being selected by the Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft this past summer. With the big accomplishment, several of his former teammates including Jarome Iginla, Milan Lucic, Johnny Gaudreau, Rasmus Andersson, Mikael Backlund, Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev reached out to congratulate him.
Of his 1000 career games, 949 of them came in a Flames sweater. There are still rumors floating around that he could be dealt back to the Flames ahead of the trade deadline, though it would be quite difficult to pull off for Treliving, given his team’s lack of cap space. In 51 games with the Kraken this season, he has six goals and 23 points.
Extension Talks Quiet Between Gaudreau & Flames
Recently, Flames assistant general manager Craig Conroy said that an extension with Gaudreau was something the team was going to get done. While that could still very well be the case, it doesn’t seem imminent, as Elliotte Friedman said on Hockey Night in Canada this past Saturday that talks have been quiet between the two sides.
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“Who’s going to be available and who isn’t? Basically, what we’re seeing now is some teams are really trying to see if they can get some things done with their respective UFAs to be,” Friedman said. “First of all, San Jose. They’re making a real run at Tomas Hertl. I don’t want to handicap it yes or no, but they are certainly trying. Anaheim with Hampus Lindholm. The word on the Ducks is they have been very wary of term. Lindholm is a top defenceman, you see what defenceman have been getting, a lot of term. The Ducks have been careful with it, and we’ll see where it goes.
“Quieter around the likes of Filip Forsberg and Johnny Gaudreau. But Jeff, the name that’s probably getting the most traction is Claude Giroux.”
With the success the Flames are having right now, it is possible the two parties are just not wanting to create a distraction at this time and will pick up dialogue more once the season comes to an end. It is hard to imagine Gaudreau walks this summer, but affording him won’t be easy as he is having with 22 goals and 71 points through 54 games.
McNiven Acquired by Flames
Last Tuesday, the Flames announced that they acquired McNiven from the Canadiens for future considerations. It is the second trade the two teams have made with one another this season, as Tyler Toffoli was moved to Calgary in mid-February.
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McNiven, 24, was frustrated with his role in the Habs organization, which likely led to this deal. In 11 games this season in the American Hockey League with Laval Rocket, he recorded a 4.04 goals against average along with a .869 save percentage. He has yet to play a game with the Stockton Heat.
Flames Sign Kerins
On Tuesday, it was reported by Darren Dreger of TSN that the Flames signed Kerins to a three-year entry-level deal. The 19-year-old centerman was taken in the sixth-round (174th overall) of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, and appears early on to have been a fantastic selection.
In 52 games this season with the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League, Kerins 33 goals are fourth in the league, while his 88 points are second. What makes this breakout campaign all the more impressive was that he was unable to play in 2020-21 due to the OHL cancelling their season.
Up Next for the Flames
After Saturday’s big win over the Colorado Avalanche, the Flames will gear up for another big game on Monday night against their provincial rival in the Edmonton Oilers. The two have met twice this season with the Oilers picking up both wins. After the Oilers, they will face off against the Washington Capitals Tuesday and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. They will then have just one night off before another back-to-back set on Saturday and Sunday versus the Detroit Red Wings and the Avalanche once again.
