Elias Lindholm could be staying in Calgary after all. After months of speculation that the Swedish superstar isn't planning to re-sign in Alberta when his contract expires next summer, the 28-year-old made it clear that that isn't necessarily the case.

“I am willing to stay,” Lindholm told Swedish outlet Hockeysverige. “My agent and Calgary will handle most of it. There's a lot we have to agree on, but I've said that I can consider staying. I have one year left, but if things don't go as I've planned, then I'll become a free agent. Nothing strange about that. We'll see what happens.”

Although it's a pretty non-committal answer, it's certainly promising for Flames fans that Lindholm doesn't seem to be turning his back on the Stampede City just yet.

After the Flames missed the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs back in April, Lindholm said “we'll see what happens” when asked about a potential contract extension. It looks like a summer of thought has given him some more perspective.

Making just $4.85 million in 2023-24, Lindholm will be due for a massive raise after scoring at a point-per-game clip in 2021-22 and following it up with 22 goals and 64 points in 80 games last season.

Lindholm joins Mikael Backlund, Noah Hanifin, Chirs Tanev and Nikita Zadorov, who are all entering the final seasons of their respective contracts.

While no decisions have been made, it looks like there could be a mass exodus from Calgary either in free agency next summer, or through the trade route during the 2023-24 season.

Tyler Toffoli — another pending unrestricted free agent — was already traded to the New Jersey Devils earlier this offseason for Yegor Sharangovich and a third-round pick in June.

Elias Lindholm and the Calgary Flames open their 2023-24 campaign against the Winnipeg Jets on Oct. 11.