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With Mikael Backlund signed to a two-year contract extension, Jay Feaster has turned his attention to T.J. Brodie.

Brodie, 23, was arguably the best defenseman on the Calgary Flames last season and looks like he could be a top pairing defenseman down the road.

Feaster isn't going to bank on that, though.

According to reports, Feaster has offered Brodie both a one and two-year contract extension, but nothing more than that.

Signing Brodie to a long-term contract similar to the one Roman Josi signed in Nashville isn't something Feaster is interested in, apparently.

You know the term "It's better to be safe than sorry"? Well, Feaster might soon be sorry by playing it safe.

By signing Brodie to a one or two-year contract worth $2-2.5 million, Feaster leaves the possibility of paying Brodie big money down the road wide open.

Let's say Brodie is signed to a contract close to what I just mentioned and he plays great hockey over the next 1-2 years. He'd undoubtedly be looking for a big pay day on his next contract. Then Feaster will be forced to pay more than necessary.

If he's confident Brodie will be a solid top-4 defenseman and feels it's even a possibility he develops into a top pairing guy, he should get Brodie locked up to a longer term contract right now.

It might cost a little more money than a 'prove it' contract that Brodie will likely end up signing, but it could pay off in the long run.

I think the Flames would be best to put a little risk on the contract and bank on Brodie's continued development, making him a steal a few years into a long-term extension.

I expect an extension between Brodie and the Flames will be reached in short order so it'll be interesting to see what the terms are.

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Notes on Backlund's extension, Mark Jankowski and more.

I examine how Jay Feaster and the Flames fared in this year's draft.

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