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Calgary Flames: On Gaudreau's Contract Status & Bollig's Future |
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Follow me on Twitter @ToddCordell
1) A lot has been made of Bob McKenzie's report that the Calgary Flames and Johnny Gaudreau haven't held any contract discussions of late.
While that is certainly not ideal - Gaudreau being signed and in camp would be best for all parties - I don't think this is as big of a deal as some would think. At least not yet.
The Flames open their season October 12th against Vancouver. We're still in September so there is ample time to get a deal done. Waiting till the last minute lends itself to compromise as the Flames don't want to play without Gaudreau and, though Gaudreau would like to make as much as possible, I'm sure he doesn't want to miss games, let his teammates down and increase the likelihood of missing the playoffs, either.
Gaudreau missing some of camp isn't a big deal, either. He was playing meaningful hockey in the World Cup but a week ago, and looked excellent, so getting in some preseason reps definitely isn't as important to him as it is most other players.
I think both sides are playing hardball and waiting for the other to blink. In saying that I expect a deal will be reached in due time and would be shocked if Gaudreau isn't in the lineup on opening night.
2) Heading into camp Brandon Bollig seemed like a pretty good bet to be on the Flames' opening night roster (management actually talked about potentially getting him more minutes during an off-season Q&A session) but that may not be the case.
Bollig, who has three goals and nine points in 96 games as a Flame, has been getting limited reps in practice and today skated on the 4th line despite the absence of many regulars.
Luke Adam is in camp on a professional tryout while Austin Carroll is a former 7th round pick who plays a depth role in the AHL. Neither of those guys will come close to making the team so Bollig playing on a line with them probably isn't a good sign for him. His days as a Flame may very well be numbered.
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