Jon Lane of NHL.com: Calgary Flames GM Brad Treliving said they would “move heaven and earth” to get Johnny Gaudreau signed to a contract extension.
Treliving on Hockey Night in Canada After Hours:
“We made a comment at the beginning of the year we weren’t going to talk about his contract publicly. That by no means should be taken as any indication … we want him back here. We’re going to move heaven and earth and do everything we possibly can to get Johnny back here. You’ve seen it throughout the season. He’s a top player, not only what he’s done, productivity with the puck this year, but what he’s done without it.”
TSN: Pierre LeBrun was on That’s Hockey and was asked about where the Calgary Flames are with pending UFA forward Johnny Gaudreau.
**NHLRumors.com transcription
“Well, first of all, my answer to Brad Treliving saying that would be, ‘you better move heaven and earth’ because that is what it’s going to take to re-sign this guy.
You know, sadly for Flames fans, all I can tell you is, there is actually nothing new. I mean the plan all along was for Brad Treliving and Johnny Gaudreau’s agent Louis Gross, to pick this back up after the season and that’s what they are going to do.
And they’ve had a really good dialogue all year long. Open lines of communication. But the reality is, when he didn’t sign last summer before this season, it was always going to be a negotiation that was probably going to get picked up again after the year, and that’s where we’re headed. And there’s still time for the Flames to sign Johnny Gaudreau after the season but obviously, there is also the alternative of Gaudreau potentially to market.
So we’ll see where that goes, but I said that is last week Gino on That’s Hockey, give Brad Treliving and Louis Gross the agent a ton of credit because this has not been a big distraction story like, we’ve had other UFAs in the past certainly be. I mean, if you think to John Tavares’ last year with the Islanders in 2018 and Steven Stamkos’ pending UFA year in Tampa in 2016, both of those were huge, huge stories that were talked about all year long. Tavares leaving of course for Toronto, whereas Stamkos after talking to teams stayed put.
That type of white noise has not been part of the Johnny Gaudreau story in Calgary this year, and I commend the player, the GM, and the agent for really keeping a lid on that.”
