Flames Set to Massively Overpay Key Center

It's no secret that the Calgary Flames will need to to overpay to keep Elias Lindholm on the roster. The contract expected, however, is truly atrocious.

Per insider Elliotte Friedman, the cost for the Flames to extend center Elias Lindholm will be in the range of $9-Million.

Lindholm is a fantastic player, but he's not an elite first-line center. He put up 64 points last season, and despite his high-end two way game, he fits more the mould of a fringe Ryan O'Reilly than a - say - Aleksandar Barkov.

To pay him $9M would lock the Flames in to an aging core even further - and one of the most expensive ones in the league.

Ultimately, Calgary is a tough sell as a market - their crumbling arena (that will be replaced, but only in a few years), and their brutal winters aren't ideal. They don't have the culture appeal of Toronto or Montreal, and they don't have Connor McDavid to sweeten the deal. A middling western Canadian team is at the bottom of the list for most free agents.

While it would be a disgusting overpay, the Flames may have to make this deal. They can only hope that it ages exceptionally well.

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