Rumor: Johnny Gaudreau Wants Eight-Year Extension With Flames

If the Calgary Flames want to sign Johnny Gaudreau to an extension, they may have to offer him eight years, according to Steve Greeley of Daily Faceoff. The 28-year-old winger is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and is likely to want that many years.

With this being Gaudreau's one real shot to receive a large contract, it makes sense that he would want maximum term on a new deal. The NHL has also seen a number of players, both forwards and defensemen, receive seven or eight-year contracts this past off-season alone.

Here are a few players Greeley listed as comparables for Gaudreau's next contract.

Gabriel Landeskog LW (COL): 8 years, $56 million ($7 million AAV)

Jamie Benn LW (DAL): 8 years, $76 million ($9.5 million AAV)

Jeff Skinner LW (BUF): 8 years, $72 million ($9 million AAV)

Another intriguing player who could be classified as a comparable is Brady Tkachuk. Although he was a restricted free agent, he received a seven-year, $57.5 million contract. That translates to $8.214 million per season. That certainly should grab the attention of Gaudreau.

Realistically, it would not be surprising to see Gaudreau request at least $8 million per season for his next contract because of this. The Skinner contract, in particular, easily helps his case to do so. Gaudreau also has consistently been a very good scorer since entering the league. In 523 career games, he has 170 goals, 328 assists and 498 points. However, it will be interesting to see how much Calgary is willing to give him. The two may need to find common ground to make a deal work.

Nonetheless, do you think it's a good idea for the Flames to sign Gaudreau for eight years? Let us know in the comments!