from Eric Duhatschek of The Athletic,
The Calgary Flames' attempt to sign pending unrestricted free agent Johnny Gaudreau to an eight-year contract extension evaporated Tuesday, when the two sides couldn’t agree on terms and Gaudreau elected to test the open market, sources have confirmed to The Athletic.
It doesn’t mean the Flames can’t bid for his services when the 2022 unrestricted free agency season opens Wednesday at 12 p.m. (ET). It just means any negotiating advantage they might have had by being able to offer an eighth year of term no longer applies.
Unless the Flames trade away his rights before the witching hour, the maximum term that any team can offer now is seven years.
The expectation is that Gaudreau will now sign with a team closer to his family’s home in south New Jersey, near Philadelphia. The primary suitors are thought to be the New York Islanders, the New Jersey Devils and the Philadelphia Flyers.
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