As he announced a new contract for Sean Monahan, Flames GM Brad Treliving took some time to discuss negotiations with another one of his restricted free agents. Johnny Gaudreau, the league’s sixth highest scorer last year, has said that he won’t negotiate during the World Cup. The tournament starts on September 4th, but Treliving doesn’t sound worried.
Treliving discussed the “uniqueness” of having two young players up for extensions at the same time. Gaudreau turned 23 last week, and Monahan turns 22 on October 12th, the first day of the NHL season. There have been somewhat similar situations, like Chicago’s Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, then-Philadelphia’s Jeff Carter and Mike Richards, and Anaheim’s Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. There were cap complications involved in all of those deals, and Carter and Richards didn’t end up finishing their contracts in Philadelphia. Still, teams have been able to get it done before. With players of Gaudreau and Monahan’s caliber, teams end up doing what they have to in order to make cap space when needed.
Gaudreau led the Flames in scoring last season with 78 points, and finished second in 2015 with 64. The Boston College alumnus won the 2014 Hobey Baker Award for the top player in U.S. men’s college hockey. Gaudreau will represent Team North America in September’s World Cup of Hockey.