Evan’s NHL Daily: Lindholm Gives Flames Hope, Gulyayev’s Start

At the start of the NHL off-season, it looked like Elias Lindholm had crushed the sounds of the Calgary Flames and their fans by not signing a contract extension. Now, he appears to have given them a little bit of hope.

With the KHL season getting underway, we took a look at Mikhail Gulyayev cracking the Avangard lineup as an 18 year old, and why teenagers don’t always have an easy time in that league.

All that and more in this Sunday edition of Evan’s Daily.

Colorado Hockey Now

The KHL is a difficult league to crack into as a teenager. After all, it’s a pro league, so coaches tend to lean on veterans. Mikhail Gulyayev, on the other hand, has started the season out in the top six on Avangard’s blueline.

Lindholm Gives Flames Fans Hope

Three months ago, most assumed Elias Lindholm would be on a different NHL team by now. Fast forward to September 3, and he’s still a member of the Calgary Flames.

Turns out, he’s now open to signing an extension.

Elias Lindholm talks to @skrivsmedjan about his future with the #Flames, and also about the ordeals him and his family went through this past season, when he son was born prematurely.https://t.co/TrDwgRRfA0 pic.twitter.com/0FyclschuU

— Uffe Bodin (@UffeBodin) September 1, 2023

The first part? Encouraging. The Flames need something, anything, to cling onto, especially after watching Matthew Tkachuk take the Florida Panthers to the Stanley Cup Final.

The last part? That wouldn’t make me feel any better. I would venture to guess that while he’s “open” to re-signing, he’s not going to, barring some massive overpay. If someone is already making mention of walking as a free agent, it’s not a good sign.

National Hockey Now

All the Pittsburgh Penguins offseason moves have one thing in common – speed.

Tuukka Rask had to clear the air on a rumor dating all the way back to 2016.

The NHL is better when the Philadelphia Flyers are winning.

Speaking of the KHL, Ivan Fedotov started the first game of the season…when he’s supposed to have been suspended by the IIHF.

How do you measure success this coming year for the Montreal Canadiens?