Report: Flames halt extension talks with Hanifin, Lindholm

The Calgary Flames have paused all contract extension discussions, including those with Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm, amid the club's poor start to the campaign, reports Sportsnet's Eric Francis.

The Flames are 2-6-1 through nine games, placing them 31st in the NHL standings - ahead of only the winless San Jose Sharks. Calgary's minus-15 goal differential is also the second-worst in the league.

The wretched start may not necessarily result in a full rebuild, but Francis noted that a significant re-tooling, which would almost certainly involve trading Hanifin and Lindholm, is a possibility.

Hanifin and Lindholm are both scheduled to become unrestricted free agents at the end of the campaign. Hanifin was reportedly expected to be traded during the summer, but a deal never materialized. He said in September he was open to an extension but didn't want to sign over the summer. Lindholm also said in September that he was willing to re-sign.

Each player is in his sixth season with the Flames. They were both acquired in the 2018 trade with the Hurricanes that sent Dougie Hamilton to Carolina. Lindholm, 28, scored a career-high 42 goals in 2021-22 and has developed into a strong two-way center. He's tied for the team lead with six points this season. Hanifin, the No. 5 pick in 2015, leads all Flames blue-liners with four points and ranks second in average ice time (23:20). He's just 26 years old.

The Flames have multiple other pending UFAs who would be highly sought after if the club shifts into fire-sale mode, including defensemen Chris Tanev and Nikita Zadorov.

Calgary is led by first-year general manager Craig Conroy and first-year head coach Ryan Huska.