Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving came to the defense of his star winger Thursday and squashed rumors suggesting Johnny Gaudreau had been separated from the main group at training camp for disciplinary reasons.
"The groupings that we have on the ice have no conditioning issues or are not done for disciplinary issues. ... I want to dispel that notion," Treliving said, according to Postmedia's Wes Gilbertson.
Gaudreau has skated in a smaller group of nine players since the start of training camp Monday. Flames head coach Geoff Ward said the split was due to "circumstances that became apparent last week," according to Gilbertson.
The Flames GM praised the level of Gaudreau's game after speculation that the 26-year-old entered camp with poor conditioning.
"Johnny Gaudreau has never looked better," he said, per TSN's Jermain Franklin. "To focus on one guy is completely unfair. ... I can't speak high enough to the work level that Johnny has put in."
The 5-foot-9 forward's production sharply declined this season. Gaudreau played at a 21-goal and 67-point pace over 82 games after notching a career-best 36 goals and 99 points in 2018-19.
Calgary is slated to meet the Winnipeg Jets in a best-of-five play-in series beginning Aug. 1.
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