The Calgary Flames have been a frequent topic around the league recently as a few key players are sidelined due to injuries, players are still finding their way into in-line combinations and several members have yet to sign a contract. new deals with contract expirations on the horizon.
The Flames recently requested a timeout on all contract negotiations. Yet as the club falls to a 2-6-1 record, their approach may not seem the most successful.
Sports networksEliotte Friedman’s recent article in 32 Thoughts looked at some key players in the organization who are hesitant about future extension negotiations.
“They were already far from an extension with Noah Hanifin, probably above Devon Toews’ number ($50.75 million) in Colorado, when things came to a halt. This was Hanifin’s decision, as I’m not sure he would want to commit if the Flames went in a radical new direction.
Flamesnation looked at the estimated market value of the defenseman, who currently has four points in 10 games with the Flames, with his contract set to expire next August. The total would come to around $7 million per season if he signed a long-term contract. Hanifin has played 369 games and scored 31 goals and 160 points in Calgary since being traded in 2018.
Hanifin isn’t the only one involved in the contract rumors, as Chris Tanev also has rumors floating around, but there is some hesitation in signing long-term players after their 30th birthday. The defenseman has been with the Flames for four years, scoring nine goals and 54 points in 213 games.
Elias Lindholm is also one of the subjects of contract negotiations after Friedman said he was asking for more than the Flames were willing to accept. The ballpark figure, as mentioned by FlamesNations Ryan Pike, is around an eight-year deal with an AAV of around $8.5 million per season.
Despite the contract discussions, there are many other issues currently circulating within the Flames organization.
San Jose Sharks on track to become worst team of 2023-24
The 2023-24 season has been bright, shiny and new for many teams, and the San Jose Sharks aren’t one of them after underperforming expectations left the market wondering if the club could be one of the worst teams of 2023-24.
Last season, the Sharks were one of four teams to finish the year with a points percentage of .366 or less along with fellow Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets and Anaheim Ducks. Each team was expected to improve through off-season acquisitions or the re-addition of key players who were of course sidelined by injury, with the exception of the Sharks.
The only player who could have made a difference would have been Erik Karlsson, who the club traded in a three-way deal to the Montreal Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins without any real return in value.
The team is now nine games into the campaign and has yet to find the back of the net enough times to secure a victory. Their current record is just two games away from tying the NHL record for most consecutive losses to start a season at 11.
After nine games, the Sharks currently have a .056 points percentage and are last in goals per game and third bottom in goals against per game.
It is important to note that the analyzes so far are based on a small sample size; However, Daily face-to-faceScott Maxwell used their underlying numbers to give more comparison in terms of teams in the analytics era starting in 2007-08.
Teams with less than 0.325 points % (since 2007)
| Tteam | Points % | 5v5 expected Goals per 60 minutes (league rankings) | Expected goals vs. 5v5 per 60 minutes (league rankings) |
| Sabers 2013-2014 | 0.317% | 1.81 (30th out of 30) | 2.53 (26th out of 30) |
| Avalanches 2016-2017 | 0.293% | 1.86 (30th out of 30) | 2.32 (17th out of 30) |
| Red Wings 2019-20 | 0.275% | 2 (31 of 31) | 2.6 (26 out of 31) |
| Sharks 2023-24* | 0.056% | 2.14 (32nd out of 32) | 3.33 (32nd out of 32) |
The analyzes are interesting to watch. However, the Sabres, Avalanche, and Red Wings were all the worst in their respective seasons within the league in terms of goals as they managed to dig themselves out of a goals against hole. Meanwhile, the Sharks found themselves bottom of the standings in both categories.
No team in this era has found themselves bottom in both areas, but as they say, they will quickly find themselves worst in both.
The only silver lining to the Sharks having the chance to continue on this path is the possibility of a blue-chip first-round pick to free them from their disappointing numbers.
