Lindholm signs six-year contract with Flames

Elias Lindholm signed a six-year, $29.1 million contract with the Calgary Flames on Monday. It has an average annual value of $4.85 million.
"Coming to a new opportunity, changing everything -- organization, conference, country -- is going to be good for me, a restart," Lindholm, who was traded to Calgary by the Carolina Hurricanes on June 23, told the Flames website. "With the players we have in Calgary … I think there's a lot of goals. I hope to be a part of that."

The 23-year-old forward, who was a restricted free agent, and the Flames had an arbitration hearing scheduled for Aug. 1.
RELATED: [NHL Free Agent Tracker]
"We think Elias has had a good career to date," Calgary general manager Brad Treliving said. "But we believe there's even more there. So it was a question of finding that balance of the potential we believe he has and from their side wanting to manage the risk if and when he does pop here. We eventually came to a term and a number that worked for both sides."

Lindholm had 44 points (16 goals, 28 assists) in 81 games for Carolina last season, and won 54.5 percent of his face-offs. He was the No. 5 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft and had 188 points (64 goals, 124 assists) in 374 games with the Hurricanes.
"Two years ago after Christmas I really started playing well, scoring points," Lindholm said. "That's the way I want to play. That's the way I know I can play.
"It's not like I got drafted fifth overall and all of a sudden I was a bad pick. I know what I can do.
"In Carolina for five years, I felt a few times that I was about to take that step but couldn't really do it. I had some decent years there but I want to get back to where I know I can be."

Lindholm played for coach Bill Peters in Carolina. Peters was named Calgary coach April 23.
"He's been in the League a while but never forget that he's a young player," Treliving said. "At his age, a lot of guys are just getting started at this level. We think he's just getting into the prime of his career. He's a unique player in the sense he can play multiple positions, a natural center who's played the bulk of his pro career on the wing. So there's a premium there."
Lindholm and defenseman Noah Hanifin were acquired in the trade for defenseman Dougie Hamilton, forward Micheal Ferland and defenseman prospect Adam Fox.
Hanifin is unsigned as a restricted free agent.
"We're continuing to work away at it," Treliving said of a contract for Hanifin. "Obviously we have a few guys to deal with and Noah is one of them, an important one. We'll keep slugging away."