Add Mark Giordano to the list of people patiently waiting for Johnny Gaudreau to put pen to paper with the Calgary Flames.
Gaudreau is a restricted free agent, and is due a major raise after leading the Flames with 78 points in 79 games last season. Negotiations have stalled, but general manager Brad Treliving, linemate Sean Monahan, and now captain Giordano have spoken out on the matter, iterating they want the dynamic winger around for the long haul.
Related: Treliving: Flames will 'continue to work away' on Gaudreau extension
Giordano knows first-hand the struggles of negotiating, as he left the Flames for the KHL in 2007 after failing to reach a deal as an RFA. He's confident Gaudreau won't have to resort to leaving, though.
"As a friend of Johnny's, as a teammate, I'm confident he'll be done," Giordano told Scott Cruickshank of the Calgary Herald. "There still is that time. Sometimes the back and forth (negotiating), it gets dragged out a little bit, but I'm sure it'll get done before the season starts.
"Obviously, as camp gets closer and closer, it'll get the ball rolling more and more."
Gaudreau is part of Team North America at the World Cup of Hockey starting Sept. 17, and previously said he won't add to the pressure by negotiating during the tournament.
"You know what? At the end of the day, there's always a little bit of anxiety," Girodano said. "We know what he is. Everyone knows what Johnny means to our team. We know what type of guy he is. Being optimistic, you hope as a teammate that it'll all work out."
Gaudreau is the only player on the Flames roster without a contract, and after Monahan signed a seven-year, $44.6-million extension in early August, it's easy to believe a new contract for the 23-year-old will take up a significant portion of the Flames' $8.5 million in cap space.
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