Giordano hopes Tkachuk signs with Flames 'sooner rather than later'

Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano is hoping to see teammate Matthew Tkachuk - one of the league's many unsigned restricted free agents - when training camp opens on Sept. 12.

"Obviously, I’m trying to make light of the situation but as it gets closer to camp, hopefully the business side of it works out," Giordano told the Calgary Sun's Kristen Anderson.

"It always ends up working out but you just want it sooner rather than later, if possible. I don’t think I’ve seen an offseason quite like this one where so many RFAs are in the same boat."

Tkachuk, the sixth overall pick in the 2016 draft, enjoyed a breakout season in 2018-19, tallying 34 goals and 77 points. He's also been part of the Flames' checking line since entering the league in 2016-17, proving his worth at both ends of the ice.

"There’s no question to how much he means to our team, everybody knows that," Giordano said of Tkachuk. "He's a guy who brings it every night, he battles. From that side of it, we know what he means to our team. He's a huge part of our team. Listen, there's time still. Both sides, you know they both want to get it done."

Meeting Tkachuk's demands could prove difficult, as Calgary has just $7.76 million remaining in projected cap space, according to CapFriendly, and also has to sign fellow RFA Andrew Mangiapane.