Follow me on Twitter @ToddCordell
On Tuesday
the Calgary Flames locked up their captain Mark Giordano for the foreseeable future by signing him to a six-year contract extension worth more than $40 million ($6.75M per).
I have some thoughts:
-
Over the last couple seasons Giordano has been one of the very best blue liners in hockey.
From 2013-2015 Giordano is 7th among defensemen (minimum 2,000 minutes) in 5 vs 5 points per 60 minutes played with 1.17.
He has been equally effective on the power play as he also ranks 7th among blue liners in 5 vs 4 points per 60 over the last two years. Erik Karlsson, P.K. Subban and Kris Letang are just a few of the many he has out produced in that span.
On top of that he's 1st in Corsi For% relative to his team since 2013.
Giordano is an elite offensive defenseman, an elite defensive defenseman and an elite possession driver. He is undoubtedly a top-5 defenseman but his new contract will give him the 9th highest cap hit at the position. It's hard not to like this deal for the Flames.
- GM Brad Treliving deserves some credit for the job he did in this negotiation.
Giordano's initial ask was reportedly eight-years, $72 million. Giordano signed for six-years, $40.5 million. Obviously you set the bar high and go down from there but Treliving managed to take two years off and over $30 million in the process. That's impressive.
- Giordano is an elite player right now but he won't be for the duration of the contract. In saying that he should be worth as much or more than he's making for the next four or five years (the upcoming year + first three/four of his new deal). Towards the end it probably won't look great but he's a fitness freak and should still be a serviceable player at the end of his contract. It might be a bit of a burden by that point, though, so the Flames need to go for it within the next five years.
- Since 2008, when Giordano first played more than 50 NHL games, Giordano (31) has logged 10,168 minutes. Duncan Keith (32), for example, has logged 13,456 minutes of ice in that span. Ryan Suter (30) has logged 13,763 minutes while Shea Weber (30) has played in that span.
Giordano has had a lot less milage put on him than those three, among 37 other top blue liners, over the last seven seasons and he's a fitness freak so it's entirely possible he ages better than most top guys.
- What Giordano's contract does is set the table for some big contract negotiations Brad Treliving will have to deal with next summer.
Right now Giordano is the best player on the Flames. He is also the captain. He signed long-term for $6.75 million.
Note to Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau: you're not getting more than $6.75 million on your next contracts.
Recent posts
Flames sign Giordano to long-term extension
Flames want Sam Bennett to play center next season
CSEC introduces CalgaryNEXT
ESPN ranks the Flames' prospect system inside top-10
Why Hudler's numbers will come down to earth in 15-16
Will the Flames make the playoffs in 2015-16?
On the Sutter trade and how it impacts the Flames
Calgary Flames Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»