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Mark Giordano has been a core figure for the Calgary Flames for many years. He was one of the favorites for the Norris Trophy in 2014-15 until a torn bicep kept him out for the last part of the regular season and the playoffs. The Flames traded for Boston Bruins’ young defensive star Dougie Hamilton at the draft, a move that could mean that the Flames could spare Giordano.

But is trading away the team’s captain the right move for the franchise?

Brad Treliving has made a lot of smart moves since coming in as the general manager for the Flames. The team’s rebuilding process is well under way and they surpassed all expectations last season as they made it into the playoffs and knocked out the Vancouver Canucks in the first round. And with the arrival of Hamilton, the Flames look even better.

Giordano, 31, has been one of the better defensemen in the league and he’s a pending unrestricted free agent. His deal expires after next season, and his current deal carries a cap hit of $4.02 million. TSN’s Frank Seravalli has reported that Giordano’s agent is asking for a contract worth around $9 million per year for his client. Agents typically aim for the moon when starting a negotiation, but $9 million per year seems a bit rich for Giordano, especially if he’s looking for the max term of eight years.

The two parties have been communicating and said the, per Seravalli’s post:

“I would say they’re preliminary talks at this point. I think they’re going well. Our goal is to have something done before the start of the season. I’ve spent my entire career in Calgary and I’d love to stay there. It’s my home.”

Giordano has played 510 regular season games for the Flames and four playoff games.

“I’ve said it since last season: signing Gio is a big priority for us. We love what he brings. He is a great person and a great leader for our team. We’re hoping to have something done before camp opens.”

You have to take into consideration that Giordano has had some injury troubles over the last three seasons. Not counting the lockout year, where he has missed around 20 games per campaign. The other thing to consider is that he only has played in four playoff games in his NHL career. Treliving might be reluctant to make Giordano the second highest paid defenseman in the league with that track record.

If the Flames decided to trade Giordano, there is no doubt that they would be able to get an excellent return for him. Many teams are looking for a top-pairing defenseman, so the price would be pretty high despite his pending UFA status. With Hamilton and T.J. Brodie in the lineup, the need for Giordano isn’t as great anymore despite him being an excellent player. If you lock him up for eight years at a cap hit around $9 million, it could make things difficult in the long run for the Flames.

They have two young stars in Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau who will most likely deserve some big raises after next season as they are heading into the final year of their entry-level deals. Monahan and Gaudreau are coming off of phenomenal seasons, and Jiri Hudler had a career year and will be a UFA after next season.

Treliving has a lot of things to take into consideration when re-signing Giordano.

If the Flames were able to move a player like Dennis Wideman and his $5.25 million cap hit, that would free up some money towards the Giordano extension, but Wideman has a no movement clause in his contract which could complicate things.

As long as the Flames don’t handcuff themselves for the future, it seems that re-signing Giordano on a five- or six-year deal is the right move. It’s hard to justify an eight-year deal unless Giordano agrees to a lesser cap hit.

Treliving has his work cut out for him, but it sounds like the team really wants to keep Giordano around, but Flames fans better hope it’s not for the price of the future of the team.