In this Calgary Flames News & Rumors update, Sean Monahan’s name is being discussed as a possible trade option, something that will only be discussed more and more throughout the summer. Andrew Mangiapane, who missed time due to being in quarantine, has finally been able to suit up for Team Canada at the IIHF World Championship and is making a major impact. Meanwhile, Johnny Gaudreau was able to complete his degree at Boston College, and Matthew Tkachuk was recently golfing with Wayne Gretzky as questions regarding a possible contract extension linger.
Looking to Move Monahan
While there are certainly no guarantees surrounding it, everyone knows the Flames are looking to shake things up this season. It seems that if the team does indeed make a big trade, the player who is most likely to be on the move is Monahan. The 25-year-old has struggled the last two seasons, posting a combined 32 goals and 76 points in 120 games.
Despite his recent struggles, Monahan is a proven goal scorer in the NHL, having scored at least 22 goals in each of his first seven seasons in the league, with the 2020-21 campaign being the first time he failed to hit that mark. He has two more seasons remaining at a cap hit of $6.375 million and reportedly has interest from many teams, with the Los Angeles Kings and the Ottawa Senators leading the charge.
Mangiapane Lighting It Up
Just prior to the Flames’ season ending, Mangiapane accepted an invite to play for Team Canada at the World Championship taking place in Latvia. Unfortunately, he was forced to miss the first three games of the tournament due to being in quarantine, and his team struggled mightily without him, losing all three.
Thankfully, he has been able to return since and has made an immediate impact. Not only has Team Canada won in all three games he has played in, bringing their record back to 3-3-0, but he is lighting up the scoresheet with four goals and seven points. His great play has him tied for fourth in tournament scoring, just two shy of the lead. He has picked up right where he left off with the Flames and Team Canada is reaping the benefits.
Gaudreau Gets His Degree
Given what the last year or so has provided, many have had plenty of spare time on their hands given that there is not a lot to do with government restrictions. Living in Calgary, Gaudreau has been in the same boat as many of us and took the time to earn his degree from Boston College, where he spent three seasons playing from 2011-2014.
In earning his degree, Gaudreau kept a promise he made to his mom back in 2014 when he chose to sign his entry-level deal with the Flames. The 27-year-old, who is just six points shy of 500 in his career, majored in communications.
Tkachuk Golfing with Gretzky
Social media had some fun with an image Brady Tkachuk posted to Instagram last week of himself, his brother Matthew, their dad Keith, as well as Wayne Gretzky playing golf together. This image happened to get posted right around the time it was announced that Gretzky was leaving the Edmonton Oilers’ organization, which caused many to joke that he was choosing the Flames instead. However, it has since been confirmed that “The Great One” will be joining Turner Sports as an analyst for the 2021-22 season.
While Tkachuk’s offseason may be quiet for the next month, it will soon get a lot more interesting as he is able to sign an extension with the Flames later this summer. It will be a tricky one for management given that his qualifying offer will be a cap hit of $9 million, which is a lot to pay given the disappointing 2020-21 season he had. While a bounce back is more than likely for the 23-year-old, it will be interesting to see how negotiations go between the two sides.
Former Jr. A player turned writer. Cover both the Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers, and am part of both the Flames Faceoff and Oilers Overtime podcasts.