In the UFA market who the heck is going to be raising the bidding against the Flames?
Who will offer Horton, Bozek, Iginla, Clarkson more than 3-4M / year?
Who is going to break the bank to sign Regehr?
Please don't just say LA and Pits and Boston. Provide an analysis of how the teams bidding against the Flames work these UFA's in along with the guys they already have signed.
This is not June 2012 with a 70M cap this year there is a cap of 64M. There are a lot of players who big contract extensions signed in 2012 come into effect. The oilers are spending an extra 8.5 M just to hang onto their core guys..... Eberle, Hall and Smid. They are all ready spending the same cap as they did in 2012/13 and need to add 6-8 players to fill in their lineup replacing Gagner, whitney in the process.
This is possibly the worst time to become a UFA since 2004 and the best for a team with cap space that it is willing to spend.
If Kipper retires as indicated the Flames have 24.3M in cap space to fill in 5 spots....
They have significant RFA's Brodie and Backlund to sign the rest for a goalie (berra and/or Rammo) and UFA's --- Horton Clarkson, Bickell and Regehr would change the feel and direction of the team.
It is hard to emphasis how big of a move it was getting out from under Bouwmeester's contract and Iginla's.
|